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Jan. 7, 2004
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia baseball program will present the 2004 Step Up To The Plate! on Tuesday, February 10th at Memorial Gymnasium. Major League Baseball’s all-time Iron Man, Cal Ripken, Jr., will serve as the guest speaker at the Mem Gym event.
A limited number of tickets are available for Step Up To The Plate! Ticket prices are $75.00 for adults and $50.00 for children 12-years old and under. Ticket purchasers are admitted to Step Up To The Plate! and will receive a commemorative event ticket, a 2004 Virginia baseball media guide, a 2004 UVa baseball poster, a 2004 baseball schedule card, a magnet, a t-shirt, a buffet dinner with soft drinks and a coupon to be redeemed the night of the event for $20.00 off of reserved season tickets and $10.00 off of general admission season tickets. Sponsored tables for the event are $2,500 and include a reserved table for a party of eight, eight general admission baseball season tickets and admission to the pre-event reception. The pre-event reception will begin at 5:00 PM.
The special event, which featured MLB manager Tony LaRussa last year, will also provide attendees the opportunity to visit with the members of the 2004 Virginia baseball team. The Step Up To The Plate! event will begin with an autograph session by the Virginia baseball team and a silent auction starting at 6:00 PM. A buffet barbecue dinner is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM. Following dinner, UVa head baseball coach Brian O’Connor will introduce Ripken who will then speak to the event audience. After Ripken’s speech, a live auction will close out the event.
“The Virginia baseball program is excited to provide fans with an opportunity to spend an evening with our players and Cal Ripken, Jr.,” said O’Connor. “Knowing that Cal is one of the greatest players of all-time and is a tremendous ambassador for the game of baseball, we felt that it would be a great opportunity for baseball fans in the area to hear from him. It will be a great night!”
Tickets for the Step Up To The Plate! event will go on sale January 7th. Tickets can be ordered in person at the UVa athletics ticket office in Bryant Hall or can be ordered by phone with VISA or Mastercard by calling (434) 924-UVA1. Event tickets will be mailed on February 2nd. Proceeds from Step Up To The Plate! will go to the Virginia Baseball program.
Cal Ripken Jr. Biographical Information (also see http://ripkenbaseball.com)
Cal Ripken, Jr. is baseball’s all-time Iron Man. He retired from professional baseball in October, 2001 after playing 21 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. Ripken’s name appears in the record books repeatedly, most notably as one of only seven players in MLB history to achieve 400 home runs and 3,000 hits. In 1995, he broke Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played (2,130) and ended his streak in 1998 after playing 2,632 consecutive games. Although Ripken finished his career at third base, this future Hall of Famer is still best known for redefining the position of shortstop.
Ripken’s other on-field accolades include: AL Rookie of the Year (1982), two-time AL Most Valuable Player (1983, 1991), two-time Gold Glove recipient (1991, 1992), two-time All-Star MVP (1991, 2001) and 19 All-Star Game selections. Most recently, Ripken was honored for his 2131 consecutive games streak through Major League Baseball’s “Most Memorable Moments” program, presented by MasterCard. His moment was chosen by fans throughout the globe as baseball’s all-time most memorable moment, reaffirming the impact he has made on the game.
Ripken’s name has become synonymous with strength, character, endurance and integrity. His philosophy of working hard, playing with passion and enjoying the game has made a tremendous impact on the sport and on fans everywhere. In 1999, Babe Ruth League Inc. changed the name of its largest division (5-12 year-olds) from Bambino to Cal Ripken Baseball. Presently, over 600,000 youths play Cal Ripken Baseball worldwide.
Now Ripken’s dream of combining his passion for baseball with teaching the game to youths is being realized in the construction of a one-of-a-kind baseball complex in his hometown of Aberdeen, MD. The first phase of The Aberdeen Project was construction of Ripken Stadium, a state-of-the-art 6,000-seat minor league ballpark. Ripken Stadium, which opened its doors on June 18, 2002, is home of the Aberdeen IronBirds, the Baltimore Orioles affiliate in the popular Short Season Class A New York-Penn League. In their first year, the IronBirds played in front of sellout crowds at each of their 38 home games and the team finished second in the league in attendance.
The initial phase of the academy will include three high quality youth fields, an all purpose field and a Pro Green synthetic infield. Ripken Baseball expects to host in excess of 2,000 youth camps, clinics and tournaments in Aberdeen during its first year.
The academy will grow in the coming years as funding becomes available. The centerpiece of the academy will be Cal, Sr.’s Yard. Upon completion this will be a youth sized version of Oriole Park at Camden Yards and will be built, owned and operated by the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation.
The Foundation, formed in 2001, has a mission to use baseball as a tool for helping young people develop positive character traits such as leadership, teamwork and good sportsmanship, as well as a healthy lifestyle.
Ripken has always had strong ties to the community, especially in the areas of literacy, youth recreational and health-related programs. Prior to the formation of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, these many worthwhile causes were supported by the Kelly and Cal Ripken Foundation.
Through years of association with Baltimore Reads, The Ripken Learning Centers and the Reading, Runs and Ripken program have helped foster and promote adult and family literacy. The Kelly G. Ripken Program at Johns Hopkins Hospital assists with thyroid education and patient care. In honor of his record-breaking feat in 1995, The Cal Ripken Jr./Lou Gehrig ALS Research Fund was established to help find a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or “Lou Gehrig’s Disease”.
Ripken resides in Maryland with his wife, Kelly, and their children, Rachel and Ryan.
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