Nolan Ryan and Pete Rose to Face Each Other for First Time in 29 Years
SAN ANTONIO, TX - Officials from Ryan Sanders Baseball announced today a one-of-a-kind event that will bring together Major League Baseball's all-time strikeout leader and all-time hits leader for the first time in almost 30 years.
The "Kings of the Diamond" dinner, featuring Nolan Ryan and Pete Rose, takes place on Thursday, March 19 (7PM), at the Marriott Plaza San Antonio. The event, presented by Thomas J. Henry, will benefit ChildSafe.
The dinner follows last year's highly regarded "Hall of Fame" luncheon that included Ryan, Lou Brock and Gaylord Perry. "We received some really good feedback on the format of last year's event," Ryan Sanders CEO Reese Ryan said. "It's a truly unique event where people will get the opportunity to listen in on a personal conversation between two baseball legends."
Former San Antonio Express-News columnist and senior writer Richard Oliver will once again serve as moderator.
The event kicks off the H-E-B Big League Weekend 2015, a two-game Major League Baseball exhibition hosted at the iconic Alamodome in Downtown San Antonio. This year features the Texas Rangers and the 2014 National League West Division Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The games will be played on Friday, March 20 (7PM) and Saturday, March 21 (1PM).
"This will be an enjoyable event and should get everyone excited for the weekend," Nolan Ryan said. "Pete was one of the toughest hitters I ever had to face. It was never easy when he came to the plate."
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.
Pete Rose holds more records than any other player in the history of Major League Baseball. He is the all-time leader in career hits (4,256), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053), singles (3,315), total bases for a switch hitter (5,752), season with 200 or more hits (10), season with 600 or more at-bats (17), season with 150 or more games played (17), winning games (1,972), five hits or more in games (10), only Major League player in history to play 500 games at five positions, 20 games or more hitting streak (7) and total times on base (5,929).
Pre-dinner activities on March 19 include media opportunities as well as a VIP reception.
To purchase a table for the Kings of the Diamond dinner or for more information on H-E-B Big League Weekend, go to www.bigleagueweekend.com. *Individual ticket sales to the Kings of the Diamond Dinner are not available at this time.
Contact: Laurie Pickei, The CE Group, Inc.
[email protected] or 210-569-6921
ABOUT RYAN SANDERS BASEBALL- Combine a 27-year, Hall of Fame baseball career with more than 50 years of savvy business approaches and the roots of Ryan Sanders Baseball begin to take hold. Today, the group is comprised of more than 60 minority shareholders, many of them former professional baseball players. Established by Nolan Ryan, Major League Baseball's all-time strikeout king, his son, Reid, and Houston businessman Don Sanders, Ryan Sanders Baseball laid down its foundation in Round Rock when it purchased the Jackson Generals and moved the team to Texas for the 2000 season. Over the past 15 years, Ryan Sanders has owned and operated two of the most successful franchises in minor league baseball. The group, led by CEO Reese Ryan, currently owns and operates the Round Rock Express (Texas Rangers AAA) as well as Ryan Sanders Sports Services (RS3).
ABOUT CHILDSAFE - As the only Child Advocacy Center in Bexar County, ChildSafe restores hope and healing through expert treatment and aid to child and adolescent victims of abuse and their non-offending family members, while working with law enforcement, prosecution, and child protective services to bring perpetrators to justice.
ABOUT THOMAS J. HENRY - Since the beginning of his legal career and the inception of his law firm, Thomas J. Henry has been an integral part of the South Texas community. In addition, Mr. Henry has provided resources to national and international causes. Mr. Henry's philosophy is to ensure that his success is spread in the community and, on a greater scale, in the United States and world.
ABOUT RICHARD OLIVER - Richard Oliver was sports editor of the Express-News from 2001-03 before moving into the role of columnist and senior writer. Prior to joining the newspaper in 2000 as deputy sports editor, Oliver covered pro football for almost five years as a senior staff writer for Newsday in New York. He was a sports writer, columnist and sports editor for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times from 1983-1996. Prior to that, he worked for a year at the Bryan-College Station Eagle. Oliver, a 1981 graduate of Texas A&M University, is now Director of Communications for the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau. He and his wife, Laura, have three adult children.