Greenville Drive Join in the Celebration for for “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” Centennial Stamp

America’s Third Most Popular Tune was Written in 1908

GREENVILLE— Greenville Drive General Manager, Mike deMaine and the team will welcome Greenville Postmaster Duane Malphrus to Fluor Field on Friday, July 18 for a special pre-game celebration for the new “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” stamp (art attached) at 6:30 p.m., followed by a game against the Lake County Captains starting at 7 p.m.

The occasion for the celebration is to mark the centennial of the classic baseball tune, which was written in 1908 by Jack Norwood and Alfred Von Tilzer. “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” is America’s third most popular song, after “Happy Birthday” and the National Anthem. The new commemorative stamp goes on sale nationwide July 16.

Beginning at 6:30 p.m., deMaine, Malphrus and mascot Reedy Rip’It, will welcome the crowd and ceremonially unveil the new stamp at home plate. Postmaster Malphrus will then throw out the first pitch. A special postmark bearing the Greenville Drive logo will be available at the Post Office in Greenville on that day to mark the celebration. It will also will be available at the stadium, and free (with postage) by mail thirty days afterward. (Order information below.)

“This will be a fitting salute to a grand baseball tradition,” said deMaine, “with Postmaster Malphrus’ help, we’ll sing the entire song instead of just the chorus during the seventh inning stretch. We’re also excited about having our own postmark.”

The stamp image is based on a circa-1880 “trade card” from the personal collection of art director Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, AZ. The original card shows a baseball scene and contains words promoting a product made by a Michigan company. The stamp art shows the same scene but replaces the product-related words with “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” the stamp denomination, notes from the music, and the words “United States of America.”

For more information or tickets please call 864-240-4528 or log onto: info@greenvilledrive.com

Take Me Out to the Ballgame postmark The postmark is free, but must be applied to items bearing First-Class postage. It will be available to collectors at the post office and Fluor Field on Friday, or through the mail for 30 days following the date of issue.

To order by mail, write to:
DRIVE Postmark
Attn: Postmaster
600 W. Washington St
Greenville, SC 29601-9998.

Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for return. By-mail requests must be postmarked by August 18, 2008.

# # #

Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/welcome.htm.

An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits every address in the nation — 146 million homes and businesses. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses, not tax dollars. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.