Manuel, Sandberg to Highlight Winter Banquet

Charlie Manuel and Ryne Sandberg will both be Guests of Honor at the 2012 Phillies Winter Banquet presented by The Air Products Foundation and Coca-Cola to be held on January 26, 2012, at DeSales University. The duo are slated to be joined by Steve Noworyta, the Phillies' Assistant Director, Minor League Operations, at the event. Additional guests, including former IronPigs players, will be announced in the near future.
Last year's event raised $25,000 for IronPigs Charities, a non-profit organization striving to provide educational and recreational opportunities for children in the Greater Lehigh Valley area. Seat or table reservations are now on sale and available by calling (610) 841-PIGS.



· More Info: IronPigs Charities
· IronPigs Charities Annual Report
The main program for Phillies Winter Banquet features players and personnel from the reigning five-time N.L. East Champion Philadelphia Phillies and includes a dinner and open bar, a sports memorabilia silent auction, raffles and an entertainment portion with the special Phillies guests. Tickets are $80 per person or $725 for a table of ten. Championship tables, allowing patrons entrance to a private pre-event reception are also available.

The event will begin at 6 p.m. with a cocktail hour and commencement of the auctions and raffles. Interested parties are reminded that seating is limited and the Phillies Winter Banquet has sold out in years past.

Charlie Manuel is the winningest manager in franchise history, surpassing Gene Mauch with his 646th win on the final day of the 2011 regular season. He is also the only manager in Phillies history to lead the team to five straight division championships and one of only two managers (Bobby Cox) in NL history to accomplish the feat since divisional play began in 1969. Manuel was named as the 51st manager of the Philadelphia Phillies on Nov. 4, 2004, and guided the Phillies to just their second World Championship in franchise history during their memorable 2008 campaign.

A native of North Fork, WV, Manuel was the Cleveland Indians manager from 2000-2002 and led the Tribe to the American League Central Division title in 2001. During parts of ten Major League seasons, Manuel's teams have gone an impressive 774-608 (.560) and posted winning records on nine occasions.

Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg, who guided the IronPigs to a franchise-record 80 wins and the club's first-ever postseason berth in 2011, will return as manager of the for the upcoming 2012 season.

Under Sandberg's watch in 2011, the IronPigs advanced to the International League post-season for the first time in club history only to finish two wins shy of capturing the first league championship by a Phillies Triple-A affiliate since 1983. Sandberg spent the previous four seasons as a manager in the Chicago Cubs' minor league system with Single-A Peoria (2007-08), Double-A Tennessee (2009) and Triple-A Iowa (2010). He led his clubs to two first-place finishes and was named 2010 Manager of the Year in the Pacific Coast League after leading the Iowa Cubs to a tie for the best record in the Northern Division (82-62).

Including last year's 80-win campaign, Sandberg has amassed a 364-341 (.516) mark in five seasons as a Minor League manager.

A 2005 inductee to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Sandberg was a 10-time National League All-Star and won nine Gold Gloves and seven Silver Slugger awards during his 16-year career (1981-94, 1996-97). He was originally drafted by the Phillies in 1978 and made his Major League debut with the club in 1981, appearing in 13 games. Sandberg finished his career with a .285 batting average, 282 home runs, 1,061 RBI and 344 stolen bases in 2,164 games. At the time of his retirement, his 277 home runs as a second baseman was a Major League record.

In 1984, Sandberg batted .319 with 19 home runs, 84 RBI, 32 stolen bases and a league-leading 19 triples en route to winning the National League Most Valuable Player award - the first by a Cub since shortstop Ernie Banks won back-to-back award in 1958-59. Sandberg led Chicago to a N.L. East title that season, the Cubs first championship of any kind since 1945. He had his number 23 retired in a ceremony at Wrigley Field on August 28, 2005, becoming only the fourth Chicago Cub to receive such an honor.

The Phillies Winter Banquet beneficiary, IronPigs Charities, is a recognized 501(c) (3) non-profit organization on the state and federal level. One of the highlights of the 2011 Winter Tour event was the distribution of grants to local non-profit organizations. Over $160,000 has been distributed at this event. Since its inception in 2007, IronPigs Charities has made more than $435,000 in monetary contributions - including more than $110,000 in 2011.

To renew or order season tickets, mini plans or group tickets for the 2012 IronPigs season presented by Capital BlueCross, call (610) 841-PIGS (7447) or visit Coca-Cola Park's ticket office during normal business hours.

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are dedicated to providing family-friendly entertainment and are the only Minor League team to offer bubbles to fans entering the AT&T Plaza and balloons for all children exiting Coca-Cola Park.

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