A Legendary (And Very Tall) "Substitution"
Two Texas sports legends … not to mention two of the greatest nicknames in history … will highlight the 2015 West Texas Sports Banquet & Memorabilia Auction.
The RockHounds are pleased to announce that Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez will be joined by former Dallas Cowboys great Ed "Too Tall" Jones as featured guests and speakers at the 2015 event, to be held Thursday, February 5, at the Midland Country Club.
Jay Novacek was originally scheduled to appear, but will be unable to attend. Instead, one Cowboys "legend" will replace another.
Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez - Banquet Keynote Speaker
Almost certain to become a Hall of Famer (he will be eligible in 2017), Rodriguez's résumé is worthy of Cooperstown, beginning with 14 All-Star selections and 13 Gold Gloves. While his World Series ring (along with a National League Championship Series MVP award) was earned as a member of the Florida Marlins (2003), Pudge spent the majority of his 21-year big league career in a Rangers uniform. Of his 2,534 career games in the Major Leagues, more than 1,500 were with Texas, fourth all-time in club history.
In addition to being a virtual .300 hitter (the seven-time Silver Slugger Award winner finished with a .296 career average), he threw out nearly half of opposing base-stealers (Rodriguez's career caught stealing percentage was a remarkable 45.6%).
After signing with Texas (at age 16) in 1988, Pudge quickly made his way to the Major Leagues. He opened 1991, just his fourth professional season, in the Texas League with Tulsa and was named to the Postseason All-Star Team despite playing in just 50 games with the Drillers. He was then promoted from Double-A directly to the Rangers and would spend the next two decades in the Show.
Ed "Too Tall" Jones - Special Guest & Speaker
By the time six-foot-nine-inch Ed Jones was selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the first selection of the 1974 NFL draft, he had already "acquired" his soon-to-be-legendary nickname, having been branded "Too Tall" by his teammates at Tennessee State University.
Nicknames are one thing; performance is another. A key component in the Cowboys' famed "Doomsday Defense," he would become one of the most dominant defensive players of his era. In many ways, his career "defines" the Dallas Cowboys. One of only three men to play in 15 seasons with the team (Bill Bates and Mark Tuinei are the others), he appeared in more games (224) and started more games (203) than any other player in club history. His career was also a "generational bridge," spanning from Bob Lilly to Troy Aikman.
The two-time Pro Bowler (1981 and 1982) appeared in 16 playoff games with the Cowboys, three of them Super Bowls, including a 27-10 win over Denver in Super Bowl XII (1978).
In addition to "live" and silent auctions of sports and other memorabilia, the program also includes presentation of the Scott Seator Community Achievement Award, named in honor of the franchise's former Communications Director who passed away, at age 26, from a rare form of cancer in 1996. The award recognizes those who make outstanding contributions to the Permian Basin community through sports.
Since its inception in 1991, the West Texas Sports Banquet & Memorabilia Auction has raised nearly $450,000 for local children's charities in the Permian Basin.
The event has, for all intents and purposes, been held every year since 1991. The only exceptions were 2005 and 2011, when the event was rescheduled to coincide with the RockHounds' hosting of the Texas League All-Star Game.
The 2015 banquet will benefit the St. Ann's School Athletic Association, Casa de Amigos, the RockHounds Scholarship Fund and the Scott Seator Foundation.
Sponsorships and tickets are available by calling the RockHounds office (432-520-2255) or by visiting the club's web site at www.midlandrockhounds.org.
Past Keynote Speakers have included:
| Ralph Backstrom | Montreal Canadiens |
| Gary Bender | National network sportscaster |
| Bill Buckner | Hall of Famer (former Midland Angel) |
| Bob Boone | Major League Baseball |
| Vince Cotroneo | Major League broadcaster |
| Ken Forsch | Major League Baseball |
| Joe Galloway | Author & Bronze Star winner |
| Whitey Herzog | Major League Baseball |
| Ken Hitchcock | (then) Dallas Stars head coach |
| Art Howe | (then) Oakland A's manager |
| Bowie Kuhn | Former Baseball Commissioner |
| Tommy John | Major League Baseball |
| Jay Johnstone | Major League Baseball |
| Bob Lilly | Dallas Cowboys |
| Sparky Lyle | New York Yankees reliever |
| Tug McGraw | Major League relief pitcher |
| Barry Melrose | National Hockey League / ESPN |
| Durwood Merrill | American League umpire |
| Keith Moreland | Philadelphia Phillies |
| Jim Morris | "The Rookie" (Disney film based on his life) |
| Buck O'Neil | Baseball Ambassador |
| Jethro Pugh | Dallas Cowboys |
| Bobby Richardson | 1960 World Series MVP (NY Yankees) |
| Greg Riddoch | Major League Baseball manager |
| Nolan Ryan | Texas Rangers / Hall of Famer |
| Lee Smith | 478 career saves (former Midland Cub) |
| Bill Valentine | Texas League Hall of Fame |
| Bobby Valentine | (then) Texas Rangers manager |
Past Community Achievement Award Winners
| Ted Battles | Midland Reporter-Telegram |
| Bobby Burns | City of Midland |
| Davis Corley | M I S D |
| Doc Dodson | Midland High School |
| Christy DuPriest | Scharbauer Sports Complex |
| Freddie & Virginia Ezell | Midland United Girls Softball |
| Gary Gaines | Odessa Permian High School |
| Kyle Huckba | Greater Midland Football League |
| Ron Jones | Midland College |
| Steve Jumper | Midland Junior Baseball Association |
| Ken Marks | Scharbauer Sports Complex |
| Greg McClendon | Midland Christian High School Football |
| Johnny Oldham | Jackalopes Youth Hockey |
| John Parchmann | Midland Lee High School Football |
| Delnor Poss | Midland College |
| Kevin Shelburne | Midland Soccer Association |
| Jack Stephenson | Midland High School Basketball |
| Chuck Swallow | City of Midland |
| Brad Swendig | COM Aquatics |
| Don Thorn | Ector County Coliseum |
| Lee Velarde | Midland Angels Groundskeeper |
| Randy Velarde | Lee High School & Major League Baseball |
| John Wilkins | Permian High Football / Trinity School |
| Bill Williams | Bill Williams Tire Centers |