Bobby Valentine to Speak at Rock Cats Hot Stove Luncheon

Published on January 26, 2015 under Eastern League (EL1)
New Britain Rock Cats News Release


New Britain, CT- The New Britain Rock Cats Baseball Club, the Double-A Eastern League Affiliate of the Colorado Rockies has announced that baseball legend Bobby Valentine has been added as a guest speaker at the Rock Cats Hot Stove Luncheon this Thursday, January 29, 2015 (12:00 PM-2:00 PM) at Gershon Fox Ballroom (old G-Fox Building at 960 Main Street) in downtown Hartford. Rock Cats 2015 Field Manger Darin Everson and former Rock Cats pitcher Pat Dean have also been added to the program. The popular event will also feature Rock Cats Principal Owner Josh Solomon, Colorado Rockies Senior Director of Player Development Zach Wilson, former NLCS MVP Rob Dibble, 2013-2014 Rock Cats Pitcher Ryan O'Rourke and projected 2015 Rock Cats pitcher Scott Oberg, who was a star at UConn. The Rock Cats Hot Stove Luncheon is sold out with proceeds benefiting the Wilson-Gray YMCA Youth & Family Center and the Rock Cats Foundation.

Valentine, the Executive Director of Athletics at Sacred Heart University, is one of the greatest athletes to ever come out of Connecticut. The Stamford native was a first round pick of the Dodgers and went on to play 10 years of Major League baseball with the Dodgers, Angels, Padres, Mets and Mariners. After retiring as a player, Valentine became the third-base coach for the New York Mets before being named the manager of the Texas Rangers in 1985. In 1994, he became the first American to accept a management position in the Pacific League of Japan for the Chiba Lotte Marines. In 1996, he was hired as the manager of the New York Mets, where he led the team to the post season in consecutive years for the first time in team history and to the World Series in 2000. Most recently, he was the manager of the Boston Red Sox during the 2012 season. He has also been a broadcaster for ESPN and currently serves as senior baseball analyst for NBC Sports. In addition, he is the owner of Bobby Valentine's Sports Gallery Cafe in Stamford.

Everson will be in his third season in the Rockies system after serving as Hitting Coach for the Tulsa Drillers for the past two years. He managed the Washington Wild Things of the Independent Frontier League and spent four years in the Florida Marlins organization including Field Manager of the Greensboro Grasshoppers of the Class-A South Atlantic League in 2009. In 2007 and 2008 he managed the Jamestown Jammers of the Class-A New York-Penn League. He first joined the Marlins system as the Jupiter Hammerheads Hitting Coach in the Class-A Florida State League in 2006. Prior to his professional coaching career, Everson worked as an Associate Scout for the Baltimore Orioles from 2003-2004. Everson, a former first baseman and catcher, played minor league baseball for seven seasons.

Wilson was promoted to Senior Director of Player Development by the Rockies this past fall when Jeff Bridich was named the clubs General Manager. He is responsible for all the player moves and rosters at the minor league level. He had previously served as the Assistant Director of Player Development in the organization and played a key role as the Rockies were named Topps Organization of the Year in 2013. This is his 13th season working in the Rockies organization.

Dibble, a native of Southington, pitched for seven seasons in the Major Leagues after being the first round pick of the Cincinnati Reds. He helped the Reds win the 1990 World Series and was named NLCS MVP. Known as one of the "Nasty Boys," Dibble was feared for his blazing fastball, which would touch 100 MPH on the radar gun and he recorded 500 career strikeouts in fewer innings than anybody who had played the game before him. He currently hosts the Rob Dibble Show on ESPN Radio 97.9 and 1300 AM.

Dean won 14 games for the Rock Cats during three seasons at New Britain (2011, 2013-2014). The Connecticut native pitched at Naugatuck High School and Boston College before becoming a 3rd round pick in the 2010 Major League Draft. He was the opening day starter and winner for the Rock Cats last season and posted the best walks per 9-inning ratio in the Eastern League in 2013.

O'Rourke pitched for the Rock Cats over the past two seasons and was a left handed specialist out of the bullpen. He held left-handed batters to a .103 batting average while striking out 41 of 68 lefties faced. O'Rourke led the Rock Cats with 50 appearances and recorded 52 K's in 40.2 innings of work. He is Merrimack College's All-Time strikeout leader and was drafted by the Twins in 2010. This will be his 6th season of professional baseball.

Oberg enters his fourth season of professional baseball in 2015. He spent all of last season with the Tulsa Drillers, the Rockies former Double-A affiliate in the Texas League. The right-handed pitcher was a perfect 15 for 15 in save opportunities in 2014 and was name to the league's All-Star team. He has converted on 61 saves since being drafted by the Rockies in 2012. He was recently listed by Baseball America as one of the top pitching prospects in the Rockies system. The Tewksbury, MA native played at the University of Connecticut where he secured an All-Big East First Team selection in 2012 and sported a 14-2 record over three seasons with the Huskies.

List of Guest Speakers at Rock Cats Hot Stove Luncheon

Josh Solomon (Principal Owner, Rock Cats Baseball Club)

Bobby Valentine (former Major League Player and Manager, current Director of Athletics-Sacred Heart)

Rob Dibble (former NLCS MVP, current radio host-Rob Dibble Show ESPN 97.9)

Zach Wilson (Senior Director of Player Development, Colorado Rockies)

Darin Everson (2015 Rock Cats Manager)

Scott Oberg (Pitcher in Colorado Rockies system)

Ryan O'Rourke (former Rock Cats pitcher currently in Minnesota Twins organization)

Pat Dean (former Rock Cats pitcher and currently in Minnesota Twins organization)

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Eastern League Stories from January 26, 2015


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central