MWL1 Burlington Bees

Tickets Still Available for Bees Winter Banquet

Published on January 7, 2009 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Burlington Bees News Release


Burlington, IA (January 7, 2009) - There are still tickets available for the 6th Annual Burlington Bees/Friends of Community Field Winter Banquet to be held on Friday, January 16th in the PZAZZ! Convention & Events Center. This year's event will feature former pitching great Lee Smith as the keynote speaker. The event will also include an exciting line of autographed memorabilia and collectible items that can be purchased through auctions or won through a raffle.

Tickets for the fundraiser are $50 each or $350 for a table of eight. The festivities start with a cocktail hour and the opening of the silent auction at 6:00. A full dinner of prime rib, chicken, potatoes, and vegetables will be served buffet-style starting at 7:00. Smith will not only address those in attendance, but leave time for a question and answer session as well. The evening will be wrapped up at approximately 9:00 after the conclusion of the live auction.

Smith is considered one of the most dominant closers in baseball history. He held the major league record for most career saves from 1993 until 2006. He has since been passed by Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera. Smith ended his career with 478 saves, and was known as an intimidating figure on the pitcher's mound, standing 6'6" and weighing 265 pounds with a fastball that peaked in the upper 90's.

Smith was drafted by the Cubs in the second round of the 1975 Major League Baseball Draft out of Shreveport, Louisiana, and made his major league debut in 1980. Smith had his breakout year in 1983 when he would earn 29 saves, and post a 1.65 ERA, the best of his career. He would end up playing eight seasons with the Cubs before being traded to the Red Sox in 1988. After two successful seasons in Boston, Smith was traded to the Cardinals. His best season of his career came with the Cardinals in 1991 when he would go 6-3 with 47 saves and have an ERA of 2.34. That season, Smith finished 2nd in the Cy Young Award voting, and 8th in the MVP Award voting.

Smith would go on to play for a total of eight different teams in his 18-year career. He was named to seven all-star games and finished in the top 10 in Cy Young voting four times. Since his retirement in 1997, Smith has worked as the roving pitching instructor in the Giants minor league system.

This year's silent and live auctions offer a great list of collectibles to bid on including: autographed baseballs signed by Ryne Sandberg, Ron Santo, Tony LaRussa, Whitey Herzog, Lou Pinella, and Eric Hosmer; autographed bats signed by Bob Gibson, Dick Williams, Santo, and Sandberg; autographed photo of former Bees' and current Royals' pitcher Luke Hochevar; Lee Smith autographed Cubs and Cardinals jerseys; Kansas City Royals tickets; bobbleheads of Brian Roberts, Clay Bucholz, Derek Lee, and Grady Sizemore; and much, much more.

For more information or tickets, please contact the Bees at (319) 754-5705.

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