Major Leaguers To Descend Upon Loudoun As The Hounds Hold Their Inaugural FanFest

Online, January 13, 2011 (Newswire.com) - The Loudoun Hounds Professional Baseball Club is proud to announce the inaugural FanFest to be held from noon to 6 p.m. on February 13, 2011, at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, Virginia. The FanFest will be the first major fan-related event for the newest team in the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and the Hounds are coming out of the gates in style.

Central to this family-oriented event are the approximately fifteen Major League stars all around Stone Bridge signing autographs, speaking with fans and their kids and telling great stories of life in the Big Leagues. The Hounds will also be unveiling our first mascot whose name is going to be determined by Loudoun County elementary school children in the coming month.

"These are exciting times for the Loudoun Hounds," said Bob Farren, CEO and President of the team. "To have such great names with such rich Major League and Atlantic League connections at our first major fan event is confirmation that the Hounds will be a first-class operation catering to our fans first and foremost."

"Independent baseball is extremely fan-friendly," says four-time MLB All-Star pitcher Tommy John. "And I think people in Loudoun County will be very impressed by the quality of play they're going to see in the Atlantic League." John knows both quality of play and the Atlantic League; he won 288 games in the big leagues, and served as manager of the Bridgeport Bluefish from 2007 to 2009.

To get more information on Hounds FanFest, please visit www.LoudounHounds.com. Also, sign up to attend FanFest at www.Facebook.com/houndsbaseball.

"The excitement is building across Loudoun County and the region for Hounds baseball," Farren concluded. "The FanFest is just the start of a long, great relationship with our fans. Today's announcement is just the first wave, there'll be more names coming soon so check in with us at our website often."

Some of the greats scheduled to appear* at FanFest include:

Tommy John

Tommy John won 288 games in the big leagues, and served as manager of the Atlantic League's Bridgeport Bluefish from 2007 to 2009. He played in three World Series and was four time All Star. He is also famous for having been the first professional athlete to successfully undergo UCL reconstruction surgery, now more commonly referred to as "Tommy John" surgery.

Cecil Fielder

"Big Daddy" clubbed 51 homers in 1990, becoming the first man to reach the half-century mark in 13 years. He went on to win a World Series with the 1996 Yankees, and finished with 318 career home runs. Cecil has managed in independent baseball with the Charlotte County Redfish in 2007 and the Atlantic City Surf in 2008.

Tippy Martinez

Tippy owns a World Series ring from the 1983 Orioles, and one MLB record that can never be broken when he picked off three runners in one inning. After saving 115 MLB games over 13 seasons, Tippy got into coaching pitching with the York Revolution from 2007 to 2009.

Chris Hoiles

Author of the only known game-winning, two-out, full-count grand slam in history (for a 14-13 Orioles win in 1996), Chris is a member of the Orioles' Hall of Fame after hitting 151 homers over 10 seasons in Baltimore. He served as manager of the York Revolution from 2007 to 2009, with Tippy Martinez on his staff.

Ryan Minor

The stud Orioles prospect who in 1998 gave Cal Ripken a very famous day off, Ryan was an accomplished athlete, drafted by MLB and NBA teams. He played for Atlantic League clubs in Newark, Atlantic City and Lancaster, ending his playing days with a 26-homer season for the Barnstormers in 2005. He's served as coach for York, and most recently as manager in the Orioles' system.

Otis Nixon

One of the fastest men ever to play baseball, Otis flew to 620 stolen bases and countless acrobatic catches in the outfield during a 17-year career. Since his playing days, Otis and Cecil Fielder have teamed up their respective charities for a multitude of causes benefiting young people.

*Subject to change

MEDIA CONTACT:
David D'Onofrio
Loudoun Hounds
Director of Communications
703-669-3647
[email protected]