La Crosse, Wis. – The La Crosse Loggers front office announced today that former big leaguer catcher, 2001 World Series Champion and West Salem native Damian Miller will serve as the featured guest speaker at their 13th Annual Winter Baseball BBQ that is set to return to the Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center on Tuesday, March 15.
Miller, a 1987 graduate of West Salem High School, also excelled for the Viterbo baseball program in the late 80’s before being selected in the 20th Round of the 1990 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins. He would make his major league debut on August 10, 1997 before going on to enjoy an 11-year career that included time with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Oakland A’s and the Milwaukee Brewers. Miller was a vital part of that 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks World Series championship team and also earned a trip to the 2002 MLB All-Star Game. The West Salem native posted a .262 career batting average with 87 homers and drove in 406 runs.
Joining Miller in making up the speaking lineup for this year’s Winter BBQ includes representatives from the La Crosse Area Baseball Hall of Fame (www.lacrossebaseballhof.org) group who will be honoring this year’s class of inductees. Additionally, Loggers field manager Bill Sandillo will be on hand along with assistant coaches Brian Lewis and Ted Falkner to give a preview of the upcoming Loggers season.
Tickets for the 13th Annual Winter Baseball BBQ are on sale now at the Loggers ticket office (1225 Caledonia Street, La Crosse) or by calling 608-796-9553. Adults can gain admission to the program for just $15 while kids 12 & under can join in the festivities for just $5. All tickets include a ballpark-style meal and the Winter Baseball BBQ program. Doors will open to the public at 6 p.m. for a social hour, followed by the program at 7 p.m.
The Loggers, and their featured guests, will be hosting a media session from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in Lumberjack’s Saloon (downstairs) at the Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center. All media is invited to attend.
The La Crosse Loggers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Preparing for its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.lacrosseloggers.com.
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