Jim Rome World Tour comes to The Dell Diamond
August 4, 2003 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release
Round Rock â Saturday, September 6th, may be one of the biggest days in the history of The Dell Diamond. On that day, national sports talk personality, Jim Rome, is bringing his World Tour to the house that Ryan built.
Nolan Ryan and Lance Armstrong are a few of the local celebrities expected to appear onstage with Rome for the special non-radio stage show that starts at 2 p.m. Rome, who has made 31 similar appearances across the nation, is making his third tour stop this year. The host for the event is Sports Radio 1300am â The Zone.
Following the one and half hour show will be the Baseball & Blues Charity Concert, featuring Doyle Bramhall and Hollis Gilmore. The free concert and accompanying silent auction will benefit needy Negro League baseball veterans. The Express and the No Bats Baseball Club are hosting the concert and benefit auction.
Perhaps the most respected voice in the world of sports broadcasting, Jim Rome is the leading opinion-maker of his generation. As host of the nation's premiere sports radio talk show, as well as his weekly television program on ESPN, Rome is an important arbiter in a chorus of sports media sycophants. Known for his aggressive, informed, rapid-fire dialogue, Jim has established himself as the top choice of athletes and fans when it is time to know what is going on beyond the scoreboard.
Rome's nationally syndicated radio program, The Jim Rome Show, a.k.a. The Jungle, airs on more than 200 radio stations each weekday (11:00 am â 2:00 pm cst) and boasts more than 2.5 million listeners. But these are no ordinary listeners; they are a legion of fans known as "The Clones" who live and breathe for Jim Rome's "take" on the day's larger issues of sport. It is his departure from conventional sports commentary that has resulted in Rome's unique dialogue with his listeners.
For more information on Tour Stop #32 or how you can get tickets go to http://www.sportsradio1300.com or http://www.jimrome.com.
Previous Jim Rome World Tour Stops have included: Detroit, Cincinnati, Madison, Sacramento, Denver, Kansas City, Buffalo, Phoenix, Oakland, Houston, Cleveland, Tampa, Portland, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Anaheim, Salt Lake City, Green Bay, San Diego, and Omaha.
The Jim Rome World Tour Stop #32 at The Dell Diamond starts with a traditional Rome Tour Stop tailgate party at 10:00 am. Gates to the stadium will open at 12:30 and the show starts at 2:00 pm.
The Baseball & Blues Concert will immediately follow the Rome Tour Stop at approximately 4:00 pm. The concert, which is free to the public, is a benefit for Negro league veterans in need.
For 40 years, baseball's Negro Leagues existed as an outlet for a generation of players who were barred from Major League Baseball. Instead of competing with and against Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio, the players became stars in their own right. Cool Papa Bell, Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson proved their skills against Negro League competition and â in a variety of exhibitions â the best that the Major League's had to offer too. The Hall of Fame agrees as 24 former Negro League players now have plaques in Cooperstown.
However, these players aren't simply fading into the sunset. Many have fallen into poverty and aren't capable of fully supporting themselves. Few of the roughly 180 former Negro Leaguers still alive have health insurance and many need medical care. Very few receive any type of pension support.
As a way to help these players, the Round Rock Express and the No Bats Baseball Club are hosting the "Baseball & Blues" benefit to bring awareness and financial support to these needy Negro League ballplayers. The weekend event will consist of the appearance of several former Negro Leaguers, a golf tournament, blues concert and three days of baseball featuring the No Bats Club, a group of very amateur players who get together every year to celebrate the game of baseball and raise money for a variety of charitable baseball-related organizations.
The Express and the No Bats Baseball Club, along with Yesterday's Negro League Baseball Players Alumni, have identified eight former players that are in need of help. Some will receive health care or clothing, while another who passed away recently will have his funeral paid for.
"These guys have a lot of pride and won't ask for any help," Dennis Biddle, marketing director of the YNLBPA said. "A lot of them had broken bones from when they played that never healed correctly. They need medical help to fix these or to get knee or hip replacements. There's only 180 left and probably 60-percent of them need help and most of them won't ask for it."
The weekend will start the evening of Thursday, September 4th when the No Bats players will take The Dell Diamond field. While the players fully admit their level of play isn't exactly world class, they are passionate about the game and helping the Negro Leaguers.
"Really, there are two ways that we want to help," Ted Simendinger, Chairman of No Bats said. "On one level, we want to touch the lives of the guys that we have identified as the most needy in a tangible way. We also want to increase the awareness of the needs of a lot of the other Negro Leaguers."
The No Bats players will continue with the games on Friday and Saturday leading up to the Rome Tour Stop and concert on Saturday afternoon.
Although the concert is free, the Express and No Bats are asking that those in attendance make a donation to the cause, big or small. There will be a silent auction as well with baseball and blues memorabilia. Donor items include a signed and framed 1990 Stevie Ray Vaughan photograph, signed Willie Nelson Guitar, two original cartoon panels from popular "In the Bleachers" sports cartoonist Steve Moore, and many other baseball, blues, sports and entertainment memorabilia.
Moore is traveling in, at his own expense, to help support the cause. Donations collected will go to B.A.T., the Baseball Assistance Team set up by Major League Baseball, for management and distribution to the needy vets. B.A.T. helps the needs of former ballplayers in many different ways and is a zero-cost center for MLB. Every penny of funding donated to B.A.T. is redistributed back out to needy recipients.
The featured entertainers for the afternoon and early evening will be Texas Blues man Doyle Bramhall, and L.A. Sax man Hollis Gilmore. Bramhall has been mesmerizing fans with his unique style of blues for more than thirty years in and around Texas, while Gilmore, a.k.a. Big Poppa, has been playing his powerful brand of sax just as long on the west coast.
Special thanks to Capital Sports Entertainment for helping to put on both shows. For more information on any of the September 6th events:
Jim Rome World Tour - www.jimrome.com
1300 AM â The Zone - www.sportsradio1300.com
Baseball & Blues 2003 â www.baseballandblues.org
Round Rock Express - www.roundrockexpress.com
The No Bats Baseball Club - www.nobats.com
Doyle Bramhall - www.doylebramhall.com
Hollis Gilmore - www.hollisgilmore.com
Capital Sports Entertainment - www.planetcse.com
Nolan Ryan Foundation - www.nolanryanfoundation.com
Pacific Coast League Stories from August 4, 2003
- Lugo returns to rotation, sparks Express to third straight win - Round Rock Express
- River Cats Announce 2003 Puglia Award Winners - Sacramento River Cats
- Figueroa Tosses Gem In Sounds' 3-0 Win - Nashville Sounds
- Zephyrs Trainer Mike Freer Named PCL Athletic Trainer of the Year - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Zephyrs and 51's Postponed - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Trappers Plate Five in Fifth, Down RedHawks, 8-4 - Edmonton Trappers
- Alfaro, Stein Take PCL Awards - PCL1
- Alfaro Named PCL Batter of the Week - New Orleans Baby Cakes
- Jim Rome World Tour comes to The Dell Diamond - Round Rock Express
- Nashville outlasts Sox - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
- Richie Lewis Signed as Free Agent - Edmonton Trappers
- Edwards Homer Wins it for River Cats in 10th - Sacramento River Cats
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.
