Malone, Beam and Reames Headline 2007 Leadoff Dinner
January 22, 2007 | Baseball
Jan. 22, 2007
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Former University of Louisville baseball player and Major League Baseball General Manager of the Year Kevin Malone, New York Yankees pitcher T.J. Beam and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Britt Reames will headline the 2007 Louisville Baseball Leadoff Dinner on Friday, February 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Brown and Williamson Club of Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.
Tickets can be purchased for $50 each, by calling (502)852-1974.
The annual dinner is the primary fund-raising event for the U of L baseball team, and has featured Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Alex Rodriguez, Scott Rolen, Tommy Lasorda and Chris Burke among others in the past.
This year's event will be the first under new Head Coach Dan McDonnell, hired in June as the 18th coach in Cardinal baseball history. McDonnell, a former assistant at Ole Miss, helped guide the Rebels to within a game of the College World Series each of the last two seasons.
Malone lived in Louisville, attended Bishop David High School and played baseball at U of L from '77-80. He still holds the single season record for walks (69 in 1980). He was drafted by Cleveland in 1980. He has been a player, scout, coach and administrator. In 1995, he was named MLB General Manager of the Year.
Beam, who played under McDonnell in 2002 and 2003 at Ole Miss, spent three and a half seasons in the minors before making his MLB debut on June 17, 2006 with the Yankees. He was 2-0 in 18.0 IP in 2006 with the Yankees after posting a 4-0 record, three saves and an 0.86 ERA in 42 IP at AA Trenton. He was drafted by the Yankees in the 10th round of the 2003 amateur draft after being tabbed in the 11th round by the Phillies in the '02 draft.
Reames competed under McDonnell at The Citadel and finished his college career with an 18-7 record, 2.04 ERA and 296 strikeouts in 229 innings pitched. He was an All-Southern Conference player in 1994 and 1995 and was drafted in the 17th round by the Cardinals in the 1995 MLB Draft.
He has spent portions of six big league seasons with the Cardinals (2000), Montreal Expos (2001-2003), Oakland Athletics (2005) and Pittsburgh Pirates (since 2006), compiling a 7-13 record with 198 strikeouts and a 5.13 ERA in 210.2 IP.
In his rookie season with St. Louis, he tossed 40.2 innings and logged a 2-1 record with a 2.88 earned run average. He pitched in 8 games for the Cardinals, starting seven.
In the divisional series, Reames was 1-0 and pitched 3.1 scoreless innings against the Braves. He allowed one run in 6.1 innings against the New York Mets in the NLCS.
The Louisville Cardinals were picked to finish third as they enter their second season in the BIG EAST after a third place regular season finish and runner-up finish in the championship in 2006.
The Cards return seven starters and 17 letterwinners from last seasons' team, including seniors Chris Cates and Logan Johnson, who along with junior Jorge Castillo were recently named to the All-BIG EAST Preseason First Team.
Louisville will open the season on February 13 at 2:00 against Murray State in Jim Patterson Stadium. Admission is free to all regular season home games.
