Palm Springs Chill to Salute Gene Autry at Season Opener on Jan. 31 Contact: Amy Blaisdell Director of Communications City of Palm Springs (760) 323-8250 Jan. 26, 2009 Jackie Autry, the widow of “America’s Singing Cowboy” and former Palm Springs resident Gene Autry, will help the Palm Springs Chill salute her late husband – the man who first brought baseball to Palm Springs – during the team’s season opener this Saturday, Jan. 31. The Chill will take the field against the San Diego Surf Dawgs at 1 p.m. at Palm Springs Stadium, 1901 E. Baristo Road. Past and present members of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will be on hand, including Ed Herrmann, Clyde Wright and Jay Johnstone. Staff from the Autry National Center of the American West will also be in attendance. “Baseball and Gene Autry truly go hand in hand in Palm Springs,” Mayor Steve Pougnet said. “I urge everyone to come on out to the ballgame and salute the man who helped put Palm Springs on the map by first choosing our City as the place for Angels spring training so many years ago.” The Palm Springs Chill baseball team is part of a developmental winter league for professional players and prospects and is a division of POWER baseball – a collegiate summer league that plays in Palm Springs. The hope of the league is to polish players so that they will be ready to try out for major league teams during spring training. The Chill will be on the road during the week and at Palm Springs Stadium on Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 students and seniors, and children under 3 are free. For more information or a schedule of games, visit www.ChillBaseball.com or call (760) 778-HITS. [Editors: Jackie Autry will be available for a media session from 12:15 to 12:30 p.m. on Game Day] -1- .