Jose Canseco Headlines 2017 First Pitch Classic
12/13/2016 11:24:00 AM | Baseball
MACON, Ga. – Mercer head baseball coach Craig Gibson announced Tuesday that former Major League Baseball star Jose Canseco will serve as the keynote speaker for the 2017 First Pitch Classic on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at Hawkins Arena.
The ninth annual event, sponsored by Macon Occupational Medicine and its Chief Executive Officer Leonard Bevill, kicks off the 2017 baseball season and benefits the Bears' baseball program. An autograph session at 5:30 p.m. opens the night, followed by dinner at 7 p.m.
Canseco joins a long list of decorated guest speakers who have headlined past First Pitch Classics at Mercer. Former guest speakers include Gordon Beckham, Roger Clemens, Jeff Francoeur, Chipper Jones, Dale Murphy, Pete Rose, John Smoltz and Darryl Strawberry.
Ranked 35th on Major League Baseball's all-time home run list, Canseco was the first player to hit 30 home runs for four different clubs (Oakland, Texas, Toronto and Tampa Bay). He became the first member of baseball's 40-40 club (at least 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season), demonstrating a previously unheard combination of power and speed, a club that only three others have joined.
He spent 19 years in the major leagues with six different teams (Boston, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Oakland, Tampa Bay and Texas) compiling 1,877 hits and scoring 1,186 runs with 462 home runs and 1,407 RBIs to his credit. He finished his career with a .266 batting average and a .515 slugging percentage while 816 of his 1,777 hits (43.5 percent) were for extra bases.
Canseco was distinguished four times with the Silver Slugger award: three times as an AL outfielder in 1988, 1990, and 1991, and once as a Designated Hitter in 1998. He ranks 4th all-time in A's history with 254 home runs and he's one of 11 players in MLB history with 400 home runs and 200 stolen bases. Despite his many injuries during the latter part of his career Canseco averaged 40 home runs and 121 RBIs per every 162 games.
For reservations or more information, please contact Ian Humphrey at (478) 301-2738 or by email at firstpitchclassic@mercer.edu.
How to Follow the Bears:
For complete coverage of Mercer Baseball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerBaseball (Twitter), /MercerBaseball (Facebook) and @Mercer.Baseball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
The ninth annual event, sponsored by Macon Occupational Medicine and its Chief Executive Officer Leonard Bevill, kicks off the 2017 baseball season and benefits the Bears' baseball program. An autograph session at 5:30 p.m. opens the night, followed by dinner at 7 p.m.
Canseco joins a long list of decorated guest speakers who have headlined past First Pitch Classics at Mercer. Former guest speakers include Gordon Beckham, Roger Clemens, Jeff Francoeur, Chipper Jones, Dale Murphy, Pete Rose, John Smoltz and Darryl Strawberry.
Ranked 35th on Major League Baseball's all-time home run list, Canseco was the first player to hit 30 home runs for four different clubs (Oakland, Texas, Toronto and Tampa Bay). He became the first member of baseball's 40-40 club (at least 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season), demonstrating a previously unheard combination of power and speed, a club that only three others have joined.
He spent 19 years in the major leagues with six different teams (Boston, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Oakland, Tampa Bay and Texas) compiling 1,877 hits and scoring 1,186 runs with 462 home runs and 1,407 RBIs to his credit. He finished his career with a .266 batting average and a .515 slugging percentage while 816 of his 1,777 hits (43.5 percent) were for extra bases.
Canseco was distinguished four times with the Silver Slugger award: three times as an AL outfielder in 1988, 1990, and 1991, and once as a Designated Hitter in 1998. He ranks 4th all-time in A's history with 254 home runs and he's one of 11 players in MLB history with 400 home runs and 200 stolen bases. Despite his many injuries during the latter part of his career Canseco averaged 40 home runs and 121 RBIs per every 162 games.
For reservations or more information, please contact Ian Humphrey at (478) 301-2738 or by email at firstpitchclassic@mercer.edu.
How to Follow the Bears:
For complete coverage of Mercer Baseball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerBaseball (Twitter), /MercerBaseball (Facebook) and @Mercer.Baseball (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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