Jake Peavy and Illinois politics

Posted by Mike Riopell on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 11:43

All this talk about White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy and the campaign to get him to the All-Star game reminds me of a great story from five years ago, when the government and sports worlds collided.

From the Decatur Herald & Review:

(Former St. Louis Cardinal John) Mabry is among a handful of current and former professional ballplayers given Illinois hunting permits without having to take their chances in a lottery alongside other less-connected hunters, according to a report released earlier this week.

According to the documents, other players who received the permits include pitchers Jake Peavy and Cal Eldred, former catcher Mike Matheny and former utilityman Eli Marrero. Chicago White Sox slugger Jim Thome, a Peoria-area native, also received one of the special permits.

The final deadline for votes is 3 p.m. today.

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