Rich baseball tradition at Miami Dade College to be celebrated
Miami Dade College Baseball Reunion, Jan. 26
Miami, December 6, 2007 - Miami Dade College (MDC) baseball has a rich tradition of not only conference, state and national championships, but also of getting players into Major League Baseball and other professional leagues around the world. Very few institutions match MDC’s success. That’s why the College’s athletics department will host the Miami Dade College Baseball Alumni Reunion marking the program’s 45th anniversary on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008 at 6:00 p.m., at the Kendall Campus’ Gibson Center, 11011 S.W. 104 St. This event will feature hundreds of former baseball players and coaches from the internationally renowned MDC program and from Major League Baseball as well as community leaders.
Skip Bertman, a member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame and current director of athletics at Louisiana State University, will be the keynote speaker at the event. Bertman is also the former associate head baseball coach at the University of Miami and former baseball coach at Miami Beach High School.
"The tradition and success of MDC baseball is unmatched by any other college in the country," Director of athletics Jim Cox noted. "Our alumni have gone on to continue their academic pursuits and play baseball at the finest university programs in the nation, as well as the professional leagues, and have also become successful in business, education, and many other professional career fields. This will be an incredible event that will further solidify our alumni base and, I am sure, bring back many great memories and interesting stories among teammates."
MDC baseball alumni include current Major Leaguers Mike Piazza, Placido Polanco, Raul Ibanez, Orlando Palmeiro, Kiko Calero and Alex Sanchez. In addition, former Major League players who have played baseball at MDC over the past five decades include Mickey Rivers, Bucky Dent, Alex Fernandez, Jaime Navarro, Oddibe McDowell, Warren Cromartie, Steve Carlton, Gil Patterson and Kurt Bevacqua. Moreover, many other MDC players have enjoyed great success as players in other professional leagues in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia while others have made strides in the coaching ranks of high schools, colleges and professional teams.
All baseball alumni are encouraged to call coach Steve Hertz at 305-237-0681 or contact MDC athletics director Jim Cox at jcox@mdc.edu. Individual tickets for the reunion, which are going fast, are 100.00 for adults and 45.00 for children. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.
The day of the reunion reception, the Miami Dade Sharks baseball team will take on Wallace Community College, from Alabama, at 11:00 a.m. at Kendall Campus.
Miami Dade College Baseball Alumni Reunion
- WHEN:
Saturday, Jan. 26, 6:00 PM
- WHERE: MDC Kendall Campus’ Gibson Center, 11011 S.W. 104 St.
- COST: $100.00 for adults and $45.00 for children