HALL OF FAMERS TIM RAINES AND RYNE SANDBERG TO APPEAR AT 2017 CHICAGO GOLF SHOW

Baseball legends Tim Raines and Ryne Sandberg will highlight a Hall-of-Fame Weekend at the Chicago Golf Show Presented by French Lick Resort, Feb. 24-26, at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont.

Raines, who played for the White Sox from 1991-95, was selected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Jan. 17. One of the game’s greatest leadoff hitters, Raines will be formally inducted at Cooperstown, New York on July 30.

Raines, who served as first base coach for the 2005 World Series Champion White Sox, is scheduled to appear on the Daily Herald Main Stage at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25.

Sandberg, a prodigious hitter who played a near-flawless second base for the Cubs until his retirement in 1997, entered the Hall in 2005. In his second year with the team, Sandberg led the Cubs to the 1984 National League East title, its first trip to the postseason since 1945. He was voted National League MVP that year.

Sandberg is scheduled to appear on the Daily Herald Main Stage at 1:15 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26.

Both men are avid golfers and, like many retirees, play frequently now that they have more time.

“The Chicago Golf Show is thrilled and honored to have Hall-of-Famers Tim Raines and Ryne Sandberg as our special guests at this year’s show,” said show operator Tom Corcoran. “Tim was elected to the Hall of Fame earlier this year and this will be his first appearance in Chicago since his election. And Ryne Sandberg exemplifies the very best of the Cubs. We think our attendees are going to love it.”

For the eighth consecutive year, every attendee is eligible to receive a free round of golf, courtesy of GolfVisions Management, Inc., which operates 16 courses in the Chicago metropolitan area.

“GolfVisions is very enthusiastic to offer a free round of golf at any of our courses to attendees at the Chicago Golf Show,” said Tim Miles, founder and president of GolfVisions. “Over the years, through our Free Golf promotion, we have been able to showcase our courses to new customers and to communicate with dedicated Chicago area golfers.”

Attendees may get free One-on-One lessons from Illinois PGA professionals at the Golf Show’s indoor driving range and putting greens at the Illinois PGA Village. And they will be connected with a professional located in an area where they would prefer to take future instruction. The Illinois PGA supports the Chicago Golf Show, exclusively, and is its sole beneficiary.

The Chicago Golf Show is a perfect place for golfers to get ready for the coming golf season. Attendees will find incredibly low prices on clubs, balls, shoes, apparel and more. They can check out dozens of domestic and international golf travel destinations.

The Illinois Junior Golf Association will conduct its annual scavenger hunt, always a fun and favorite activity for young golfers at the show. The IJGA also can provide information about the 150 competitive junior golf tournaments it conducts every season.

Big-time tournament golf also will be participating in this year’s Show. The U.S. Open at Erin Hills GC, the Women’s PGA Championship, and the NCAA Championships at Rich Harvest Farms all will be on hand.

A switch-hitting left-fielder, Raines batted leadoff and helped the White Sox win the 1993 American League West championship. He was a seven-time All-Star during his 23-year career, 15 of which were played with the now-defunct Montreal Expos. The switch-hitting left fielder finished with a career batting average of .294, an on-base percentage of .385, and an impressive OPS (combination of on-base percentage and slugging percentage) of .810, a key metric that many believe helped elevate him into the Hall in his final year of eligibility. He belted 190 home runs and stole 808 bases (fifth all-time).

Sandberg is one of the greatest Cub players of all time. He joined the team in 1982 and had an immediate impact. He combined his historic prowess at the plate with near-perfection in the field to earn his induction into the Hall. Sandberg played in 10 straight All-Star games, earned nine Gold Glove Awards, had 2,386 hits, including 282 home runs, and finished his career with the highest fielding average ever for a second baseman, .989. He led the NL in home runs in 1990, the first time a second baseman had done so since Rogers Hornsby (42) in 1922.

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