Green and Swisher To Headline Baseball Leadoff Dinner
December 17, 2007 | Baseball
Dec. 17, 2007
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Former University of Louisville baseball pitcher and current member of the Seattle Mariners, Sean Green and Chicago White Sox outfielder/first baseman Nick Swisher are scheduled to headline the 2008 Louisville Baseball Leadoff Dinner in the South Wing of the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center on Friday, February 8, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. sponsored by Republic Bank.
Tickets can be purchased for $50 each, by calling (502)852-2015 or by filling out and submitting the registration form,
. The deadline to register is January 31, 2008.
The annual dinner is the primary fund-raising event for the U of L baseball team, and has previously featured Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Alex Rodriguez, Scott Rolen, Tommy Lasorda and Chris Burke among others.
This year's event will be the second under Head Coach Dan McDonnell, who guided the Cards to a school record 47 wins and a trip to Omaha in his first season, earning National Coach of the Year honors from Rivals.com.
Green, who attended Louisville Male High School, was selected by Toronto Blue Jays in 32nd round of the 1997 MLB Draft, but elected to attend Louisville and was a Cardinal from 1998 to 2000.
Following his junior season he was drafted in the 12th round of the 2000 Draft by the Colorado Rockies. After six and a half seasons in the minors, which included a trade to the Mariners, Green was called up to Seattle on April 29, 2006 and made his big league debut on May 2 at Minnesota.
During the 2007 season he made 64 appearances out of the bullpen, posting a 5-2 record with a 3.84 ERA.
Swisher was selected 16th overall in the 2006 MLB Draft by the Oakland A's and made his MLB debut in 2004, playing 20 games.
In 2005 he was an everyday player for the A's playing primarily in right field, while also seeing time in left, center and at first.
In three seasons he has belted 80 home runs, including a career best 35 in 2006, driving in 95 runs. Most recently, Swisher was traded from the A's to the White Sox for the 2008 season.
The switch hitter is the son of former big league catcher Steve Swisher.
The Cardinal baseball team opens the 2008 season on February 22 when they host Cleveland State in the first of a three-game series at 2:00 p.m. in Jim Patterson Stadium. Admission to all home games is free.
