GARY, Ind. — The Gary SouthShore RailCats will host a gala Meet the Team Luncheon, Monday May 10 at the Radisson Hotel in Merrillville featuring Hall of Fame Cubs right-hander Ferguson Jenkins as the keynote speaker, and tickets for the event are on sale now.

Every RailCats player in camp with the team along with coaches and front office staff will be on hand at the luncheon, giving fans their first chance to get a look at the 2010 team while enjoying a delicious catered meal.  The Meet the Team Luncheon will run from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. and be held in one of the Radisson’s spacious ballrooms.  The first 30 tables purchased for the luncheon will include one of the RailCats players or coaches, and full tables can be purchased now for $500 by calling the RailCats at 219.882.2255.

Jenkins, the 1971 Cy Young winner and a 1991 Hall of Fame inductee, will deliver the day’s keynote address and be available to sign autographs and mingle with fans.  Jenkins spent two stints with the Cubs (1966-73, 82-83) and retired in 1983 with 284 career wins and 3,192 strikeouts.  A three-time National League All-Star, Jenkins had his number 31 retired by the Cubs in 2009 and will return to U. S. Steel Yard for the second straight summer on Wednesday, June 30, throwing batting practice to lucky fans before the game.

Limited single tickets are available for the Meet the Team Luncheon at $50 for the general public and $40 for 2010 RailCats season ticket holders.  Tickets can only be purchased by calling 219.882.2255 and seating is limited.  The RailCats will open their exhibition season later that night at 7 p.m. against the American Association’s St. Paul Saints, and all tickets purchased for the Meet the Team Luncheon include a ticket to that night’s game.

The Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza is also the home of the RailCats annual Fan Fest, and is the premier hotel and entertainment venue in Northwest Indiana, located at the intersection of I-65 and US-30.  For more information on the Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza, visit www.radisson.com/merrillvillein.

The RailCats open the 2010 season Thursday, May 20 at The Steel Yard against the Kansas City T-Bones at 7 p.m.  Season tickets, group outings, mini-plans and flex tickets are available by calling the RailCats at 219.882.2255.  For more information on the ‘Cats or the 2010 Meet the Team Luncheon, visit www.railcatsbaseball.com.