De Fratus Added to Winter Banquet Lineup

Event to also feature Louisville Silver Slugger bat presentation to Darin Ruf

By Reading Fightin Phils

December 17, 2012

New Page 1

(Reading, Pa.)---Philadelphia Phillies reliever Justin De Fratus has been added to the guest list for the Phillies Winter Banquet on Tuesday, Jan. 22 at the Crowne Plaza Reading. De Fratus joins teammate Darin Ruf, Philadelphia Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr., Assistant General Manager of Amateur Scouting Marti Wolever, Director of Player Development Joe Jordan, Assistant Director of Player Development Steve Noworyta, and television play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy on the dais.

De Fratus made his major league debut with the Philadelphia Phillies on Sept. 18, 2011 and soon earned his first victory in the Phillies' franchise-record 102nd win on Sept. 28. Following the season, De Fratus landed on the disabled list with elbow and forearm injuries before being added to Lehigh Valley's (AAA) roster on July 18, 2012. With the IronPigs, De Fratus went 0-1 with a 2.49 ERA and three saves in 17 games before being promoted to Philadelphia on Sept. 2. In a combined 18 appearances with Philadelphia in 2011 and 2012, De Fratus is 1-0 with a 3.07 ERA in 14.2 innings pitched.

A member of the Reading Fightin Phils in 2010 and 2011, De Fratus went 5-0 with a 2.14 ERA and 14 saves in 59.0 innings pitched over 43 games at the Double-A level. During the 2010 season in Baseballtown, De Fratus did not allow a run in 16 of his 20 appearances. The Oxnard, California native went 4-0 with a 2.10 ERA and eight saves to start the 2011 season where he tossed a season-best 10.2-inning scoreless streak from May 28 to June 12.

Along with the addition of De Fratus to the night's festivities, the Fightin Phils will also be presenting Ruf with a Louisville Silver Slugger bat in honor of his single-season home run record of 38 home runs set during the 2012 season. Because of how quick Ruf hit the home runs in his legendary August stretch, the Fightin Phils were not able to present the Phillies outfielder with his award and instead gave him a silver spray-painted bat on the night of his achievement.

Tickets for the Phillies Winter Banquet cost $65 each or $600 for a 10-person table and can currently be purchased in-person at the Fightins Ticket Office, online at Fightins.com, or by phone at 610-370-BALL. Proceeds from the event benefit Baseballtown Charities, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization founded to keep baseball alive in Reading so the youth can benefit from the many life lessons the game teaches.

The banquet will begin with a cocktail hour at 5:30 p.m. followed by a 6:30 p.m. dinner. The event will feature prizes, auction items, highlight videos, dinner, and more. As in the past, the 2013 King of Baseballtown will be crowned at the event.

The Fightin Phils will kick off its home schedule on Friday, April 12 at FirstEnergy Stadium when the team takes on the Erie SeaWolves. Season tickets, mini-plans, and group tickets for 2013 can be purchased online at Fightins.com, by phone at 610-370-BALL, and in-person by visiting the Fightins Ticket Office at FirstEnergy Stadium.