(Mankato, MN)–The Mankato MoonDogs Baseball Club, a member of the Northwoods League, is proud to announce that this year’s home opener, presented by Wealth Enhancement Group on Friday, May 30 at 7:05PM will be highlighted by former Minnesota Twins legend Jim "Mudcat” Grant with a post-game fireworks extravaganza to follow. Grant will be on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch and sign autographs beginning at 6:05 PM.

Grant, who played for the Twins from 1964-67, has a lot of history behind him in his 14 seasons as a professional baseball player. In 1965, arguably his best year as a professional, he helped lead the Twins to the American League Pennant. Even though the Twins lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1965 World Series, Grant became the first African-American in the American League to earn a win in a World Series game, winning Games One and Six. For the year, he finished with a 21-7 record with six shutouts and a 3.30 ERA and became the first African-American twenty-game winner in the American League.

In addition, Grant has many talents off the field that include being an accomplished blues musician and an author. Last year (August 2007), he published his first book The Black Aces, Baseball’s Only African-American Twenty-Game Winners. The book focuses on the thirteen African-American twenty-game winners in the Majors and ten pitchers who Mudcat feels would have been twenty-game winners if given the chance in the Major Leagues if it wasn’t for the color of their skin.

Single game tickets for all 34 MoonDogs home games, including the home opener, are now on sale along with group and hospitality tickets. General admission tickets are $5.00. For more information go to www.mankatomoondogs.com or call the MoonDogs Ticket Office at 507-625-7047.