|
While looking for something else I found this, Aaron never struck me as a great speaker.....
]
Charlie Weis And Aaron Heilman To Serve As Keynote Speakers At Annual Notre Dame Baseball Opening Night Dinner On Feb. 6
Popular fifth-year event again will provide area baseball fans a special evening at the Joyce Center.
Jan. 5, 2006
ND Baseball Dinner Order Form in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
The Notre Dame baseball program's fifth annual Opening Night Dinner will be held in the Joyce Center Fieldhouse on Monday, Feb. 6 - with Notre Dame head football coach Charlie Weis and former Notre Dame baseball great Aaron Heilman (a native of Logansport, Ind.) set to serve as the keynote speakers while sharing their thoughts with the Joyce Center crowd at the popular event.
Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets early to ensure their spot at the special night, which provides attendees the opportunity to visit with members of Notre Dame's nationally-ranked baseball team. The $30 admission price ($20 for students, youth and seniors) includes a Notre Dame baseball 2006 season ticket, a 2006 media guide and several other advance promotional items.
The "ballpark-style" dinner will begin at 7:00 p.m., in the Joyce Center Fieldhouse. The night's festivities include the opportunity to win a variety of baseball and sports-related door prizes while Mainieri will introduce the Notre Dame team members, who will be available for autographs prior to the dinner, from 5:45-6:45. The ballpark atmosphere also will include big-screen video highlights and game tapes from previous Notre Dame seasons, plus a musical selection of traditional and contemporary baseball songs.
The keynote speakers have a tie to New York City's rich baseball tradition, as Weis is a lifelong Yankees fan while Heilman's pro career has been spent in the Mets organization (including stints on the Major League level during the past three seasons). Weis - who often speaks of his passion and appreciation for various sports - will have a connection with many of the dinner attendees, as the parent of a young baseball player. The 2005 recipient of the Eddie Robinson Coach of the year Award, Weis also has a special familiarity with two current Notre Dame baseball players, as junior receiver Jeff Samardzija (a righthanded pitcher) and freshman quarterback Evan Sharpley (a lefthhanded-hitting infielder) both are preparing for the upcoming college baseball season.
"We are thrilled to have Charlie Weis join us this year as a keynote speaker," says Notre Dame head baseball coach Paul Mainieri. "When you think about what a remarkable job he did with the football program this year, in restoring such great pride in our football program - I could not think of a person I'd want more to have associated with our Notre Dame baseball team.
"Charlie is not only a great football coach but also a great person and I know that Irish baseball fans will be happy to hear about his feelings for our base program. It's only natural that - with Jeff Samardzija and Evan Sharpley both being baseball and football players - there's a great relationship between the two sports and it's a great time to have us join us as a speaker at this special event.
Former Notre Dame ace pitcher Aaron Heilman - who had an impressive 2005 season with the New York Mets - will share his thoughts with the attendees at the upcoming Notre Dame Baseball Dinner.
"Of course, it's also very exciting to have Aaron Heilman returning to campus," adds Mainieri. "Aaron is at the top of the list when you look at the players who helped bring the Notre Dame baseball program to such a high level. He is the greatest pitcher in Notre Dame history and will have a great Major League career. Aaron also is such a fine young man and remains a wonderful representative of this school and the baseball program - I know the fans will enjoy having him spend time with us at this year's dinner."
The baseball program's first Opening Night Dinner, featuring Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda, attracted nearly 1,000 attendees prior to the 2002 season before similar numbers braved a snowstorm to attend the 2003 event that included Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry as the lead speaker. Attendance then swelled to more than 1,300 in 2004, when bestselling author and lifelong baseball fan John Grisham served as the marquee name. One year later, an overflow crowd of nearly 1,800 area baseball fans were on hand for the 2005 event, as two members of the Houston Astros - seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens and closer Brad Lidge (a former standout with the Irish) - served as the keynote speakers.
It is recommended that ticket orders be placed by Jan. 20 to ensure the attendee a media guide and eligibility for the prize drawings (tickets still will be available until Feb. 6, space permitting). For dinner ticket information, please contact the Notre Dame ticket office at (574) 631-7356.
Tickets also can be ordered in person at the Joyce Center second-floor ticket window (starting Jan. 6) while phone orders can be done with VISA, MasterCard or American Express. A PDF dinner-ticket form is available at und.com (linked above) and the completed forms can be faxed to (574) 631-0854. Checks should be made payable to the University of Notre Dame and mailed to the Notre Dame Ticket Office, 113 Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Ticket office hours are Mon.-Fri., 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. EST.
For additional information (excluding ticket orders) on the Opening Night Dinner, contact John Gumpf in the Notre Dame baseball office (574-631-6366) or Nicole Jones in the Notre Dame sports promotions office (574-631-3264).
|
http://und.collegesports.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/010506aaj.html
|
