PORTLAND, Ore. --- Former Major League pitcher Dave Stewart will be the featured speaker at the University of Portland’s 2011 Diamond Dinner, which marks the unofficial beginning to the baseball season. Now in its tenth year, the event has grown and evolved into Pilot baseball’s premier fund-raiser and annual tradition.

 

“The Diamond Dinner is an opportunity for us to celebrate the beginning of the college baseball season,” UP head baseball coach Chris Sperry said. “It also gives us a chance to recognize and reunite with alumni and supporters of the UP baseball program.”

 

The Diamond Dinner is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011 on the main floor inside the Chiles Center on the University of Portland Campus. The event is open to the public and tickets are $60 each or $600 for an entire table of 10. $25 tickets are also available for current UP students. Festivities begin with a social hour and a silent auction starting at 5:00 p.m. Dinner is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and the program is slated to begin at 7:30 p.m.

 

Dave Stewart, who played on three World Championship teams, spent 16 prestigious seasons as a player with Los Angeles, Texas, Philadelphia, Oakland and Toronto. He won twenty games four consecutive years from 1987 through 1990 and finished in the top four in the Cy Young balloting each of these years. Stewart was the American League Championship Series MVP in 1989 and 1990 with the Oakland A’s and with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993.

 

Stewart was the Special Assistant to the General Manager of the Oakland A’s in 1996 and the San Diego Padres in 1997. In 1998 he was the pitching coach of the National League Champion San Diego Padres. His pitching staff finished third in the Major Leagues with a 3.63 ERA. In 1999 Stewart was the Assistant General Manager of the Toronto Blue Jays and added the title of Director of Player Personal for the 2000 and 2001 seasons. He was also the Milwaukee Brewers pitching coach in 2002.

 

Stewart is currently a very successful MLB Player Agent representing numerous Major League baseball players, including Matt Kemp and Chad Billingsley of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chris Carter of the Oakland A’s. 

 

“Dave Stewart was famous for his stare and he was one of the real intimidators on the mound in Major League Baseball,” said Sperry. “He’s an outstanding speaker and he should have a good message to share. I’m really looking forward to having him here.”

 

To purchase tickets or to receive more information, please contact the Portland baseball office at 503-943-7732 or by e-mail at brack@up.edu. Online registration is available now!