SAN ANTONIO, TX – The third annual “Kings of the Diamond” dinner is bringing together two of baseball’s royalty for a couple great causes, including the Miracle League of San Antonio.
The “Kings of the Diamond” dinner, featuring Nolan Ryan and George Brett, takes place Thursday, March 17 (6 PM), at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk. The dinner will benefit both the Miracle League of San Antonio and the Nolan Ryan Foundation. Individual tickets are now on sale for the event, along with a few remaining premium tables.
“On behalf of the Miracle League of San Antonio, we are incredibly excited to team up with Ryan Sanders Baseball for such an exciting event,” said Michael Miller, Miracle League of San Antonio founder. “As an organization that provides children with mental and/or physical challenges the opportunity to play baseball, we are honored to be one of the two beneficiaries of the proceeds from the Kings of the Diamond Dinner.”
The dinner follows last year’s highly regarded “Kings of the Diamond” dinner that featured the all-time strikeout leader Ryan and the all-time hits leader Pete Rose. Former San Antonio Express-News columnist and senior writer Richard Oliver will once again serve as moderator.
“The San Antonio Missions are thrilled, not only to partner with Ryan Sanders Baseball in the Big League Weekend Baseball Event, but to be able to help benefit such a worthy organization as the Miracle League of San Antonio,” said San Antonio Missions General Manager David Gasaway. “We are honored to help promote professional baseball to all residents of the great community of San Antonio.”
The event kicks off the H-E-B Big League Weekend 2016, a two-game Major League Baseball exhibition hosted at the iconic Alamodome in downtown San Antonio. This year features the American League West champion Texas Rangers and the World Series champion Kansas City Royals. The games will be played on Friday, March 18 (7PM) and Saturday, March 19 (1PM).
Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, Nolan Ryan was inducted on July 25, 1999, on 98.79% of the eligible ballots, a figure which remains the second highest in history. He is the only player to ever have his uniform number retired by three different teams with the Angels (#30), Astros (#34) and Rangers (#34).
The all-time leader in strikeouts (5,714) and no-hitters (7), Nolan has owned or shared 53 Major League records. He is fifth in lifetime innings (5,387), tied for seventh in shutouts (61), and tied for 13th in victories (324) while his 773 starts are second only to Cy Young (815). An eight-time All-Star, Ryan also threw 12 one-hitters, tying Bob Feller for the most ever, and owns two of the top four single-season strikeout totals in Major League history, including an all-time best 383 K’s with the Angels in 1973. He fanned 10 or more batters a major-league record 215 times.
Brett was a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 1999 along with Ryan. The 13-time All-Star played his entire professional career with the Royals, spanning 21 seasons. He won the 1976, 1980 and 1990 American League batting titles, making him the only player in MLB history with a batting title in three different decades. Brett was crowned the AL MVP in 1980, batting .390, a record for a third baseman. Brett’s 3,154 hits are the most by a third baseman and 16th all-time. He is just one of four players to accumulate 3,000 hits, 300 home runs, and a career .300 batting average.
Pre-dinner activities on March 17 include media opportunities as well as a VIP reception.
To purchase a ticket or a premium table for the Kings of the Diamond dinner or for more information on H-E-B Big League Weekend, go to www.bigleagueweekend.com.
Written By Round Rock Express
