The list of First Pitch Banquet speakers is noteworthy – former Royals star George Brett, former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda (twice), former LSU coach Skip Bertman and Jim Hendry, former Creighton coach and Cubs general manager, among them.
Fine speakers, all, with loads of baseball wisdom and stories.
None, however, used a picture of a bison covered in snow or detailed the root system of sequoias to illustrate his points. It's likely none insisted on flying commercial and delayed his wife's birthday celebration to speak to Shocker fans.
On Saturday, former Royals star, 1996 Wichita Wranglers prospect and future Shocker baseball dad Mike Sweeney talked baseball, raising children, nature, leadership and much more as the keynote speaker for Wichita State's annual baseball dinner.