Hall of Famer Fingers to speak at YSU Breakfast

January 31, 2019 at 12:08a.m.

Ninth annual

event set for Feb. 9

at The Embassy

YOUNGSTOWN

Hall of Fame relief pitcher Rollie Fingers will be the featured speaker for Youngstown State University baseball’s ninth annual “First Pitch Breakfast,” which is set for Feb. 9 at The Embassy, 5030 Youngstown-Poland Road in Boardman.

Joining Fingers will be Austintown native and current Minor League umpire John Mang, a teammate and grad school roommate of Penguins head coach Dan Bertolini during their days at Mercyhurst University.

“It might be cold outside, but it’s still baseball weather to us,” said Bertolini, who is about to begin his third season as YSU’s coach. “Rollie Fingers is one of the most accomplished pitchers and relievers in Major League Baseball history. He won both the Cy Young Award was named Most Valuable Player plus he’s an excellent speaker. Any time a Hall of Famer comes to the area, it’s great for the entire community.”

Bertolini and Mang have been friends since their playing days.

“John knows the game and is one of the very best umpires currently working at the Minor League level,” Bertolini said. “He has progressed each season and is definitely someone to keep an eye the next several years.”

A Steubenville native who sported a trademark handlebar moustache throughout his storied career, Fingers played 17 seasons in the Majors with the Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers.

Fingers compiled a 114-118 record in 944 appearances with a 2.90 earned run average. Fingers saved 341 games — then a major-league record — before retiring after the 1985 season.

Fingers currently ranks 13th overall with the all-time leader Mariano Rivera (652) of the New York Yankees, a member of this year’s Hall of Fame class.

Fingers won both the 1981 Cy Young and MVP awards while with the Brewers, helped the A’s to three straight World Series titles (1972-74) and was named MVP of the 1974 World Series under manager Alvin Dark when he posted a win and two saves as Oakland defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.

Of the Athletics’ 12 World Series victories, Fingers won or saved eight of them.

A four-time Rolaids Relief Man award honoree, he won three National League awards while with the Padres (1977-78, ’80) and again in 1981 in the American League while with the Brewers.

A seven-time All-Star, he finished his career with 1,299 strikeouts in 1,701 innings.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992.

Mang graduated from Austintown Fitch High School in 2005 and is a 2009 Mercyhurst graduate with a degree in sports medicine. He also has a master’s in in organizational leadership).

Mang is awaiting his assignment this spring after working the New York-Penn League (2013) his first year, Midwest League (2014), Florida State League (2015) and Eastern League (2016-18) where he spent the last two seasons as crew chief.

Mang was one of four Class AA umpires selected this past July to work events prior to the MLB All-Star game at Washington Nationals Park. He was the home plate umpire for their T-Mobile Home Run Derby, worked the MLB All-Star Futures game and the All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball game.

“It truly is an honor to speak at YSU’s First Pitch Breakfast,” Mang said. “Dan Bertolini has been a great friend over the years and he has the program pointed in the right direction. Under President [Jim] Tressel’s leadership, they’ve made tremendous strides on campus and in the community. There’s a lot of great things going on right now at YSU.”

In addition to breakfast, fans will have the opportunity to meet the 2019 YSU baseball team and bid on both live and silent auction items.

Set for auction is an autographed Francisco Lindor 2018 All-Star Game jersey and an autographed 1976 Rollie Fingers Cooperstown Classic Oakland A’s jersey. Among the other items is a Jose Ramirez autographed “Turn Back the Clock” red Cleveland Indians jersey, Francisco Lindor autographed bat, Trevor Bauer autographed baseball and autographed bats by Bo Jackson and George Brett.

General admission tickets are available for $25, reserved seats are $35 with corporate and family tables available for $550, which includes 10 breakfast-raffle tickets, premium seating for breakfast, sponsor recognition on YSUsports.com and two guests who will join Fingers, Mang and the baseball staff for dinner on February 8 at Michael Alberini’s in Boardman.

Premium reserved tables that guarantee priority seating the day of the event are available for $350.

Doors open at 8 a.m. with the buffet set to begin at 8:30 a.m.

Further information can be obtained by calling assistant coach Shane Davis at 330-207-4535, or by e-mail at ssdavis@ysu.edu.