Bream, Kucek will speak

By Greg Gulas

sports@vindy.com

HUBBARD

Former Major Leaguer Baseball players Sid Bream and Jack Kucek will serve as guest speakers for the Hubbard High School baseball team’s 5th annual Spring Training Dinner on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria.

Presented by the Hubbard Booster Club, the annual event raises funds for the program.

“It’s a meet the team and fund-raising event,” said Jim Corrin, booster club vice-president and event coordinator. “It’s inexpensive, a fun time and open to the public.”

A native of Carlisle, Pa., Bream is known for “The Slide,” scoring the winning run in Game No. 7 of the 1992 NLCS against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the bottom of the ninth inning to propel the Atlanta Braves into the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.

During a storied 12-year career, Bream played in 1,088 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pirates, Braves and Houston Astros, batting .264 with 90 home runs, 455 runs batted in, 351 runs scored and 819 hits.

Bream appeared in the 1991 and 1992 World Series as a member of the Braves.

In 1990, he was honored by Major League Baseball with the Hutch Award, presented annually to the player that best exemplifies fighting spirit and competitive desire.

“Ever since the slide, I’ve had a platform to speak to groups and while I’ll talk about some of my career, I’m also going to talk about the meaning of team and why it is so important in today’s game,” Bream said. “When you are done with all of the sabermetrics in today’s game, team is left out of the equation and that is still so very important when building a winner.”

A native of Newton Falls, Kucek starred for the Tigers and Miami University. He is one of the top pitchers to come out of the Mahoning Valley. He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the sixth-round of the 1971 MLB Amateur Draft and in 1974 (second-round), also by the White Sox.

He made his major league debut for the White Sox on Aug. 8, 1974, striking out New York Yankees catcher Thurman Munson with the bases loaded.

He played seven seasons in the majors for the White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and Blue Jays, pitching 59 games and starting 27 contests with three complete games.

He has 121 strikeouts in 205 total innings and was considered one of the American League’s best fielding pitchers.

“One day, one person in one moment can change your life and for me it was my football coach at Newton Falls High School, Andy Pike,” Kucek said. “He called a scout on my behalf, the Chicago White Sox sent one of their top scouts, Fred Schaeffer, and I just happened to throw a no-hitter against Champion High School, striking out 20 consecutive batters.”

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. with the buffet set for 7 p.m. The program is set to start at 7:45 p.m.

Tickets cost $10 per person and are limited to the first 250 fans. Tickets are available at EagleWear, Inc. and Devine’s Shop-N-Save, each located on Main Street in Hubbard.

No tickets will be sold the night of the event. For more information, call 330-716-2180.