PCL1 Round Rock Express

Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan and George Brett Headline "Kings of the Diamond" Dinner

Published on December 8, 2015 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


SAN ANTONIO, TX - Officials from Ryan Sanders Baseball announced today a one-of-a-kind event that will bring together baseball royalty.

The "Kings of the Diamond" dinner, featuring Nolan Ryan and George Brett, takes place on Thursday, March 17 (6 PM), at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk. The dinner will benefit the Nolan Ryan Foundation and local San Antonio charities.

This is the third year for the event, which included Hall of Famers Lou Brock and Gaylord Perry in 2014, and then last year's highly entertaining dinner that featured the all-time strikeout leader Ryan and the all-time hits leader Pete Rose. "This has become a signature event each spring, a truly unique opportunity to listen in on a personal conversation between two baseball legends," Ryan Sanders CEO Reese Ryan said.

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 2016, a two-game Major League Baseball spring training exhibition hosted at the iconic Alamodome in downtown San Antonio. This year features the American League West Champion Texas Rangers and the World Champion Kansas City Royals. The games will be played on Friday, March 18 (7PM) and Saturday, March 19 (2 PM).

"This event always provides a unique inside look at the game of baseball and should get everyone excited for the weekend," Nolan Ryan said. "George is one of the game's all-time greats, we appreciate his and the Royals involvement in the weekend."

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), Ryan 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.

Brett was a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 1999 along with Ryan. The 13-time All-Star played his entire professional career with the Royals, spanning 21 seasons. He won the 1976, 1980 and 1990 American League batting titles, making him the only player in MLB history with a batting title in three different decades. Brett was crowned the AL MVP in 1980, batting .390, a record for a third baseman. Brett's 3,154 hits are the most by a third baseman and 16th all-time. He is just one of four players to accumulate 3,000 hits, 300 home runs, and a career .300 batting average.

Pre-dinner activities on March 17 include a cocktail hour and silent auction 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.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from December 8, 2015


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