Rodriguez Headlines 2000 Republic Bank Lead-Off Banquet
July 21, 2000 | Softball
January 28, 2000
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Seattle Mariners All-Star shortstop Alex Rodriguez, world champion New York Yankees first baseman Tino Martinez, Houston Astros pitcher and Louisville area native Trever Miller, as well as Women's Professional Softball League MVP Kaci Clark and U.S. National Softball Team members Jennifer Brundage and Teri Klement appeared at the University of Louisville baseball and softball teams' 2000 Republic Bank Lead-Off Banquet on Jan. 28. Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, originally scheduled as a guest speaker, was unable to appear due to a conflict with an event through his foundation.
The Cardinals' softball team will begin its first spring season this year at newly completed Cardinal Park with Head Coach Sandy Pearsall at the helm.
Rodriguez became just the third player in Major League Baseball history with 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season, and holds the MLB record for homers by a shortstop with 42 in '98 and '99. A-Rod is a career .308 hitter, was the No. 1 overall pick in the '93 draft and in four full seasons in the majors he has been named to the all-star game twice.
Martinez played on all three of the Yankee world champion teams with Jeter, and has played in two all-star games. Tino has 213 career home runs and hit 44 in '97 while driving in 141 runs.
Miller has pitched in relief for the Houston Astros the past two years and finished fourth on the staff with 47 appearances in 1999. In two-plus seasons, the lefthander from Mt. Washington has compiled a 5-6 record with a 4.74 ERA in 89 games.
Klement is currently an alternate on the 2000 USA Olympic softball team and was named the offensive player of the tournament in the Canadian Cup in July where she was 15-32 for a .469 average and drove in 10 runs. She is the head softball coach at Colorado State University where as a shortstop she was an all-conference selection all four years and hit .382.
The baseball team will begin its fifth season under the guidance of Lelo Prado on February 12th at Cardinal Stadium vs. Evansville. The team was ranked in the top 25 for the first time in school history and went 37-19 in '99.
