Dec. 20, 2004
The Notre Dame baseball team’s three previous Opening Night Dinners have been a big success and that trend should continue in 2005, as two top Major League pitchers will serve as the keynote speakers at that Feb. 10 event. Seven-time Cy Young award winner Roger Clemens and his Houston Astros teammate Brad Lidge – a former Notre Dame standout and arguably the top relief pitcher in the game today – will share their thoughts with the Joyce Center crowd at the popular event. Tickets go on sale for the event beginning Jan. 3 and fans are encouraged to make their purchases early to ensure their spot at the festivities.
(Update: as of Jan. 25, this event is sold out).
The special night also will provide 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 2005 season ticket, a 2005 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 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.
Tickets will go on sale Jan. 3 and it is recommend that ticket orders be place by Jan. 25 to ensure the attendee a media guide and eligibility for the prize drawings (tickets still will be available until Feb. 10, 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. 3) while phone orders can be done with VISA, MasterCard or American Express. A PDF dinner-ticket form will be available at und.com 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 Tom Puzio in the Notre Dame Sports Promotions Office (574-631-8476).
Former Notre Dame standout Brad Lidge – the 1998 BIG EAST pitcher of the year – will be back on campus Feb. 10 for the ND Baseball Opening Night Dinner.
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