Baseball Canada Awards Banquet & Fundraiser set to return on January 14, 2023
Photo: Baseball Canada
December 13, 2022
Official Baseball Canada News Release
OTTAWA - Canadian baseball stars from the past, present and future will take centre stage on Saturday, January 14, 2023 as the Baseball Canada Awards Banquet & Fundraiser will mark its return to the Toronto Marriott City Centre Hotel inside Rogers Centre.
The annual event, set to celebrate its 19th year, will be held for the first time since January 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic causing cancellations to the 2021 and 2022 events.
Baseball Canada will celebrate the wonderful career of alumni and former big leaguer Adam Loewen who will become the 11th inductee onto Baseball Canada’s Wall of Excellence, presented by RBC Wealth Management.
Loewen’s career saw him achieve uber prospect status as a left-handed pitcher when he was an amateur on the Junior National Team to being selected fourth overall by the Baltimore Orioles in 2002, the highest for a Canadian-born player to this day. After reaching the big leagues in 2006, a stress fracture in his elbow put a halt to his pitching career only to see the Surrey, BC native work his way back to the majors as a hitter in 2011 before returning to the mound for stints in the big leagues as a reliever in 2015 and 2016.
The evening will also celebrate current Canadian big leaguers Bo and Josh Naylor, Cal Quantrill and Mike Soroka along with rising stars Denzel Clarke, Edouard Julien and Myles Naylor.
Former American League Most Valuable Player Justin Morneau along with former MLB All-Star Russell Martin will be in attendance along with 2023 World Baseball Classic Manager Ernie Whitt.
In addition to the awards presentation, the evening will include a cocktail hour (beginning at 6 pm E.T,) and silent auction featuring unique fantasy sports packages from the likes of former MLB All-Star Ryan Dempster, Junior National Team alum and former Super Bowl champion Luke Willson, a trip to Phoenix to watch Team Canada at the World Baseball Classic in March along with several autographed pieces of baseball memorabilia.
There will be a pre-banquet press conference beginning at 3:30 p.m. E.T., Saturday, January 14, in the Aurora Room of the Marriott City Centre Hotel at Rogers Centre (Aurora Room is adjacent to the Northern Lights Ballroom).
Tickets to the event are $500 per person and tables of eight and ten guests are also available for purchase. Baseball Canada has registered charitable status.
For more information, please contact Greg Hamilton, Director of National Teams, at 613-748-5606 ext. 225 or via e-mail at ghamilton@baseball.ca.