Baseball Hall of Famer, Cowboys Legend Highlight Banquet
January 14, 2016 - Texas League (TL1)
Midland RockHounds News Release
In the game of baseball, you don't change your lineup if it's working well. For the second consecutive year, the "lineup" for the West Texas Sports Banquet & Memorabilia Auction will include both a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and a Dallas Cowboys legend.
On his way to induction in Cooperstown, Gaylord Perry became the first pitcher in Major League history to win the Cy Young in both the American and National Leagues. One of the most controversial pitchers in big league history, thanks to a (well-earned) reputation for "doctoring" the baseball, the right-hander is also one of only 10 pitchers to win 300 or more games while striking out at least 3,000 batters.
Bill Bates was an undrafted free agent who went on to become one of the most beloved players in Dallas Cowboys history. His spectacular special teams play made him an instant fan favorite, earned him a Pro Bowl selection (the first ever for a special teams player) and launched a career which would include three Super Bowl rings with the 'Boys.
Gaylord Perry - Keynote Speaker
Gaylord's autobiography was titled "Me and the Spitter," leaving little doubt that he did, indeed, apply a wide variety of "substances" to the ball over his 22 big league seasons. But Perry also used the power of suggestion. His Cooperstown biography suggests that he "... mixed an outstanding repertoire with a spitball, real or imagined. His reputation for doctoring the ball preceded him, and some speculated that it was not so much the spitball itself, as the threat of it which played with opposing batters heads."
Perry came up with San Francisco, his Giants teammates including fellow Hall of Famers Juan Marichal and Willie Mays, and would pitch for eight teams over the course of his career. His Cy Young Awards came with the Cleveland Indians (1972) and the San Diego Padres (1978), and Gaylord also spent two tours of duty with Texas. His second stint with the Rangers, in fact, was at Gaylord's insistence, saying he would retire if the Padres would not deal him back to Texas (which they did in February of 1980).
Only eight pitchers have recorded 300 or more wins with 3,500 or more strikeouts.
Gaylord Perry is one of them, and he is in elite company. The others are: Nolan Ryan,
Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Steve Carlton, Tom Seaver, Don Sutton and Cy Young.
Bill Bates - Special Guest Speaker
Bill Bates' autobiography, "Shoot for the Star," also tells a remarkable story. A star at the University of Tennessee, and a Cowboys fan growing up, Bill turned down a chance to play in the USFL in order to sign as a free agent with Dallas. In just his second year (1984), his excellence "forced" the NFL to create a special teams position on the Pro Bowl roster.
A "long shot" to even make the team, Bates went on to play 217 regular season games over 15 seasons in Dallas, sharing the all-time Cowboys record for most seasons played with Ed "Too Tall" Jones (who was our special guest at last year's banquet) and Mark Tuniei, Bill is second only to "Too Tall" (224) in games played in a Cowboys uniform.
He is a four-time winner of the Cowboys' Bob Lilly Award, selected by a vote of the fans and presented annually to the player who displays leadership and character on and off the field. Bill was selected (by his teammates) for the 1992 Ed Block Courage Award (which honors NFL players who exemplify commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage) and was named winner of the 2011 Tom Landry Legends Award (recognizing character, high standards and winning spirit through community efforts).
2016 Special Guests Also Include...
Tom Kayser Texas League President
Ryan Christenson 2015 RockHounds Manager
Aaron Nieckula Oakland A's Minor League Field Coordinator
& 2014 RockHounds Manager
Miles Prentice RockHounds Co-Owner
Bob Richmond RockHounds Co-Owner
Now entering his 25th season as Texas League president, Tom Kayser has been a great friend to the franchise and this event. At the recent Baseball Winter Meetings, he announced that will step down following the 2016 season. We are pleased to welcome Tom once again and proud to be able to recognize his tremendous work and dedication over the course of a quarter century as the league's chief executive.
When they captured the 2015 Texas League championship, the RockHounds became just the seventh team in the last ninety seasons to win back-to-back league titles. The 2016 Banquet will feature both of the men who guided the 'Hounds to those titles - - - Aaron Nieckula and Ryan Christenson.
"Nuke," who served as RockHounds manager in 2014, is now in his second season as the A's Minor League Field Coordinator (he also manages the Vermont Lake Monsters, Oakland's affiliate in the short season Single-A New York-Penn League, with the league beginning play following the June draft).
Ryan guided the RockHounds to the 2015 Texas League crown in what could easily be defined as the best season in franchise history. The RockHounds set franchise marks with 83 regular season wins ... a 48-22 second half (the best half-season by a margin of five games) ... and added a 6-1 postseason mark. The club's winning percentage (83-57, .593) was second only to the 1975 Cubs (81-53, .604) and, with playoffs included, set a new all-time mark at .605. Perhaps the most amazing "number" on the way to the title was the club's 40-14 record over its last 54 games. In November, the A's announced that Ryan will return to manage the RockHounds in the 2016 Texas League season.
Scott Seator Community Achievement Award
In addition to "live" and silent auctions of sports and other memorabilia, one of the event's highlights is the presentation of the Scott Seator Community Achievement Award.
Named in honor of the franchise's former Communications Director (Scott passed away from a rare form of cancer in September of 1996), the award recognizes someone who has made outstanding contributions to the Permian Basin community through sports.
The Event
Since its inception in 1991, the West Texas Sports Banquet & Memorabilia Auction has raised nearly a half-million dollars ($465,000) for children's charities in the Permian Basin.
The event has, for all intents and purposes, been held annually 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).
It was among the first collective innovations made by owners Miles Prentice & Bob Richmond and general manager Monty Hoppel after Miles & Bob purchased the franchise.
The 2016 banquet will again benefit the St. Ann's School Athletic Association, Casa de Amigos, the RockHounds Scholarship Fund and the Scott Seator Foundation.
For more information on the event, please visit the club's website at www.midlandrockhounds.org. To purchase tickets, please call the RockHounds' offices at (432) 520-2255.
Texas League Stories from January 14, 2016
- Drillers Announce 2016 On-Field Coaching Staff - Tulsa Drillers
- Naturals Announce Plans for New HD Videoboard - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Baseball Hall of Famer, Cowboys Legend Highlight Banquet - Midland RockHounds
- Missions 2016 Field Staff Announced - San Antonio Missions
- Want to Sing the National Anthem at ONEOK Field? - Tulsa Drillers
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