Franco, Mackanin at Phillies Winter Banquet on January 18th

LAKEWOOD, NJ - Phillies third baseman and former BlueClaw Maikel Franco joins Phillies manager Pete Mackanin at the annual Phillies Winter Banquet at Woodlake Country Club in Lakewood on Wednesday, January 18th. The Banquet is presented by Investors Bank. 

Registration is currently being accepted. Tickets are $50 for adults or $20 for kids 12 & under. Adults can choose between chicken, beef, or fish. Children receive chicken nuggets and fries. To sign up, call JoAnne Bell at 732-901-7000 ext 100 or click here to order online. Registration is open until Monday, January 16th.

Doors open for the event at 6 pm with the program beginning at 7 pm. 

Franco played for the BlueClaws for three weeks in 2011 and spent all of 2012 in Lakewood. In 2012, he hit .280 with 14 home runs and 84 RBIs, including a smashing second half when he hit .346 with eight home runs and 57 RBIs. 

He made his big league debut on September 2, 2014, at the time becoming the 66th player to go From the Shore, to the Show. Franco played 80 games with the Phillies in 2015 and was their everyday third baseman in 2016, hitting 25 home runs and driving in 88 runs. 

Mackanin was named Phillies interim manager in 2015 and had the interim tag removed prior to the 2016 season. He is a former minor league manager in the Pirates system and was the manager opposite Greg Legg in the first-ever BlueClaws home game. On April 11, 2001, Mackanin managed Hickory against the BlueClaws in the FirstEnergy Park (then GPU Energy Park) opener. 

Additional guests could be announced at a later date. 

The program includes prizes, raffles, and a Q&A with the guests and the event typcially serves as a kick-off to the upcoming baseball season. 

Proceeds from the event will benefit BlueClaws Charities and their Community Partner organizations. BlueClaws Charities recently completed their grant program, handing out grants to 35 local organizations. To see a list of grant recipients and the programs that benefited from the program, click here.

The BlueClaws are the Jersey Shore's top stop for affordable, family entertainment. They have led the South Atlantic League and New Jersey in attendance in all 16 years of existence. The 2017 season opens on April 13th at FirstEnergy Park and BlueClaws Ticket Packages and Group Outings are currently on sale. 

Join the fun in 2017 by calling 732-901-7000 option 3 or online at BlueClaws.com. 

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