National City Bank and Ryne Sandberg Ask Chicagoans to Help Kids Play Ball This Summer...

National City Bank and Ryne Sandberg Ask Chicagoans to Help Kids Play Ball
This Summer by Donating Gloves
National City Bank's 125 branches are collecting new and used gloves for area
Little League and youth sports teams; Gloves donated to Chicago Park District

CHICAGO, May 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As one of the most popular
baseball songs of all time, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," celebrates its
100th anniversary this year, many Chicago area kids have no gloves to play the
game this summer. Now through June 30, Ryne Sandberg and National City Bank
are asking Chicagoans to help area youth by donating new or slightly used
gloves. All of National City's 125 Chicagoland bank branches will serve as
collection points for the gloves, which will be donated to the Chicago Park
District.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030428/NATIONALCITYLOGO )
National City will announce the results of the glove drive on Tuesday,
July 29, when Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg returns to the Wrigley
Field dugout as a minor league manager with his Single-A Peoria Chiefs as they
host the Kane County Cougars in an official Midwest League contest. National
City Bank is presenting sponsor of the game.
"As a boy, I spent many fun summers playing baseball and learning about
teamwork, discipline and other values that helped me make it to Major League
Baseball," said Ryne Sandberg. "I was fortunate to have the support of
Chicago in my baseball career and hope everyone will donate a glove for the
kids who may have the same baseball dream that I did those many summers ago."
Sandberg played for the Chicago Cubs from 1982 through 1994 and in
1996/97. He won nine Golden Glove Awards, seven Silver Slugger Awards and was
declared the Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player in 1984. He was a
Major League Baseball All-Star for 10 consecutive years and was inducted into
the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.
Sandberg leads the Peoria Chiefs into action for a second season. In his
first year as a minor league manager in 2007, Sandberg posted a 71-68 mark.
His last Wrigley Field appearance in uniform was on September 21, 1997. He
has served as spokesperson for National City Bank since 2003, his first
marketing endorsement since retiring from baseball in 1997.
"We hope the generous people of Chicago will join us in our glove drive
and make this baseball season a memorable one for a lot of Chicago kids," said
Joseph A. Gregoire, president of National City -- Illinois Banking.
About National City
National City Corporation (NYSE: NCC), headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio,
is one of the nation's largest financial holding companies. The company
operates through an extensive banking network primarily in Ohio, Florida,
Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin
and also serves customers in selected markets nationally. Its core businesses
include commercial and retail banking, mortgage financing and servicing,
consumer finance and asset management. For more information about National
City, visit the company's Web site at www.nationalcity.com .
SOURCE National City Corporation

Terri Wilson, Media Relations, National City Corporation, +1-502-581-4073, or
+1-502-419-2871 Mobile