If you're in the Bowling Green area, this might be an opportunity too good to pass on: Steve Carlton, who doesn't make many autograph appearances, will be at Saturday's Hot Rods game for signings.
If you're in the Bowling Green area, this might be an opportunity too good to pass on: Steve Carlton, who doesn't make many autograph appearances, will be at Saturday's Bowling Green Hot Rods (Low Class A; Midwest League) game for a signing opportunity.
Through a partnership with DISH Network, Carlton will be on-hand to meet fans and sign autographs from 6-8 p.m., adding to a full slate of activities on Daymar College Ladies Night.
“It’s not every day that you get to meet a Hall of Fame pitcher,” said Hot Rods GM and CEO Brad Taylor. “We are excited to host Steve Carlton on Saturday and we think this will be a special treat for our fans." Carlton doesn't make many public appearances, to be sure; his presence is a coup for the Hot Rods.
Carlton will appear at the Dish Network booth on Saturday night as the Hot Rods host the Kane County Cougars. He’ll sign autographs at the booth from 6-8 p.m. inside Bowling Green Ballpark. First pitch that night is at 7:05 p.m.. For the consideration of all fans, there is a limit of one autograph per person.
Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. to allow season-ticket holders to be the first in line to meet Carlton. The team is still selling 2010 Season Tickets, including the new 35-game Summer Season Ticket Pack, which includes early admission for some of the best promotions on the 2010 schedule, including Daymar College Ladies Night on Saturday. Gates will open at 6 p.m. for the general public.
One of the top left-handed pitchers of all-time, Carlton debuted in the big leagues at the age of 20 with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1965. He went on to pitch in the Major League for 24 years, playing mostly for the Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies. During that time he won 329 games, 11th-most in baseball history, trailing only Warren Spahn, Greg Maddux, and Roger Clemens among pitchers in the game’s modern era.
During his 24 seasons, he crested the 20-win plateau six times, including 1972 when he won 27 games in his first season with the Phillies. His 27 wins that season represented 48% of the victories for the entire Phillies team that finished 59-97. That season also marked the first of four Cy Young Awards, making him the first pitcher in baseball history to win the honor four times.
Carlton was elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994, garnering 96% of the votes that year, the tenth-highest total in baseball history. When he entered the hallowed halls of Cooperstown, his 4,136 strikeouts were second only to Nolan Ryan. At the time the total was the highest for a left-handed pitcher until Randy Johnson surpassed him with 4,875. He is currently fourth all-time in strikeouts behind Ryan, Johnson, and Roger Clemens.
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