Baseball legends coming to casino
The following baseball legends will be visiting Quechan Casino Resort for the event The Baseball Legends.
Cecil Fielder
Fielder was an imposing power hitter in the 1980s and 1990s. A three-time All Star, he played for five MLB teams including the Toronto Blue Jays, the New York Yankees, the Anaheim Angels, the Cleveland Indians and the Detroit Tigers, with whom he won the World Series in 1996. In 1990, he became the first player to hit 50 home runs since the Cincinnati Reds' George Foster achieved that feat in 1977. Fielder had a career .255 batting average with 319 home runs and 1,008 RBI.
Tim Raines
Raines is regarded as one of the best lead-off hitters and base runners in MLB history. He played for six teams from 1979 to 2002, including 13 seasons with the Montreal Expos. A lifetime .294 hitter, he won the 1986 National League batting title with a career-high .334 average. His 808 total stolen bases place him fourth on the all-time list. Raines' career also included 2,605 hits, 170 home runs and 980 RBIs, as well as World Series rings with the New York Yankees in 1996 and 1998.
Kevin Mitchell
Mitchell was a two-time major-league All Star who played for eight teams, most notably the 1986 World Series champion New York Mets and the 1989 World Series runner-up San Francisco Giants. A powerful left fielder, he won the 1989 National League MVP award after batting .291 with a league-leading 47 home runs and 125 RBI. He was a career .284 hitter with 234 home runs and 760 RBI.
Rudy Seánez
Seánez was a journeyman relief pitcher who played for nine MLB teams, including the 2008 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies. He also pitched for the Cleveland Indians, the San Diego Padres, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Atlanta Braves, the Texas Rangers, the Boston Red Sox, the Kansas City Royals and the Florida Marlins. He posted a career 41-30 record with a 4.10 ERA and 574 strikeouts.
Kenneth Landreaux
Landreaux played center field for the California Angles, the Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1970s and 80s. An All Star in 1980, he set a Minnesota Twins record with a 31-game hitting streak, a team mark that still stands today. He also caught the final out of the Dodgers' 1981 World Series championship. Landreaux was a career .268 hitter with 91 home runs and 479 RBIs.
Baseball fans may think Dec. 26 is Christmas all over again when five legendary players come to Yuma to meet their fans and maybe tell a story or two.
The Baseball Legends expo comes to Quechan Casino Resort that day, bringing along five famous members of World Series Championship teams. The event will feature booths and exhibits, plus special clinics for kids.
“This is a great opportunity to not just meet the players, but hear what made them successful baseball players,” said Kundy Gutierrez, owner of The Baseball Legends. “Don't miss the opportunity to meet great former major leaguers and have the opportunity to participate in educational clinics, as well as see the latest in new sports products.”
The famous players coming to Yuma for the event are Cecil Fielder, Rudy Seánez, Kenneth Landreaux, Tim Raines and Kevin Mitchell. All five have been recognized by the Major League and have won prestigious awards in the Major Leagues, such as MVP, hitting titles, best stealing record percentage, Babe Ruth Award and World Series Co MVP.
Cecil Fielder says that getting to meet his fans remains one of his favorite aspects of being in professional baseball.
“It's very important to me to be there and interact with the kids and parents,” Fielder told the Yuma Sun in a recent phone interview. “I remember back in the day, when I got into the big league, I was humbled as heck that someone would want my autograph. That's the way I still feel today. I am a down-to-earth person and just enjoy what I am doing.”
The Baseball Legends event begins at 4 p.m. Arizona time on Wednesday, Dec. 26, at Quechan Casino Resort, located west of Yuma off Interstate 8.
Admission is free and the event is open to all ages.
The event will take place inside the casino's Pipa Event Center.
“The celebrity players will meet and greet everyone who attends — autographs, shake hands, etc.,” said Petra Nielsen, executive director of marketing for Quechan Casino Resort. “There are so many people in this region who are active in the game (of baseball), as well as those who love the sport.”
Darin Fenger can be reached at dfenger@yumasun.com or 539-6860.
Clinics will be offered Dec. 26 from 4 to 8 p.m. Arizona time.
Three pros will be here to share and discuss valuable tips during mini training sessions.
* Mike Garcia, current Major League scout and former Major League player
* Doc Estes, current Major League instructor and former Major League player
* Ruben Nieblas, current major league pitching coach
