Jan. 11, 2005
ATLANTA – Atlanta Braves All-Star pitcher John Smoltz will be the featured speaker at Georgia Tech’s annual Baseball Benefit Dinner on Wednesday, Feb. 9.
A six-time All-Star selection, Smoltz has been a key member of the Braves’ record 13 straight division championship teams. Smoltz won the 1996 Cy Young Award, was named MVP of the National League Championship Series, and won the 2002 Rolaids Relief Award. He ranks as the Braves’ all-time leader in saves (154) and strikeouts per nine innings (7.99), while standing third in games (602) and strikeouts (2398), fifth in innings pitched (2699) and seventh in wins (163).
Smoltz continues a tradition of well-known baseball figures to speak at the dinner. Major league managers Tommy Lasorda of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Joe Torre of the New York Yankees, Jimy Williams of the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros, and Sparky Anderson of the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers, as well as major league general managers John Schuerholz of the Atlanta Braves and Cam Bonifay of the Pittsburgh Pirates have also been featured in the past. Popular ESPN analyst Peter Gammons was the guest speaker in 2001, and former Tech All-America catcher Jason Varitek of the Boston Red Sox was the keynote speaker in 2003.
The annual dinner and auction, with proceeds to benefit the Georgia Tech baseball program, is being held at the Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center and will begin at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $75 per person and $700 for a table of 10. The evening includes silent and live auctions, as well as the introduction of the entire Tech team, which is ranked No. 13 in the nation in Collegiate Baseball’s pre-season poll.
If you would like more information or to RSVP, please call (404) 894-5410 or send a check (payable to GTAA) to: GTAA, Attn: Tom Kinkelaar, 150 Bobby Dodd Way NW, Atlanta, GA 30332-0455. If you are mailing a check, please include the number of people attending, your address and your daytime telephone number. Please RSVP by Friday, January 28.
