A North Dallas family who has hosted Highland Blue Sox players the last two summers is the recipient of the 2005 Texas Collegiate League Synergy Host Family Award, it was announced Tuesday.
Jody and Amy McKenzie and their four sons, David, Ben, Jake, and Josh, will be among the honorees at the second annual Texas Collegiate League Legends Dinner Presented by Synergy Properties Group, which takes place this Thursday evening, December 15 at the Renaissance Worthington Hotel in Fort Worth.
A limited number of tickets still remain and can be purchased by calling 817-339-9367 or 817-313-5495.
Seven-time Cy Young Award recipient Roger Clemens will be the guest of honor and receive the Texas Legends Award, which is presented annually to a Texan who has excelled in the world of baseball. At the age of 43, the righthander helped lead the Houston Astros to their first World Series appearance ever in 2005, compiling the lowest earned run average in the majors at 1.87 while posting a 13-8 record and 185 strikeouts in 32 starts.
The only man to ever win more than five Cy Young Awards, Clemens ranks second to Nolan Ryan, the 2004 Texas Legends Award recipient, with 4,502 career strikeouts and is ninth all-time with 341 victories. He has posted 20 or more wins six times with 12 200-strikeout seasons over a 22-year big league career with the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees, and Astros. The Houston area resident starred at Spring Woods High School, San Jacinto Junior College, and the University of Texas before beginning his remarkable professional career.
The Texas Collegiate League 2005 award recipients will also be honored at the dinner. These include Player of the Year Andrew Brown of the Denton Outlaws and the University of Nebraska; Pitcher of the Year Austin Creps of the McKinney Marshals and Texas A&M University; Freshman Pitcher of the Year Aaron Brown of the Coppell Copperheads and the University of Houston; and Coach of the Year Derek Matlock of the Denton Outlaws.
The McKenzie Family housed two Blue Sox players for the summer of 2004, despite the fact that Amy McKenzie underwent surgery to donate one of her kidneys to a family friend in July. In 2005, the family hosted pitcher Eric Evans from Radford and Missouri infielder Greg O�Neil.
�From the first time I stepped in their door I felt right at home,� explained Evans. �Staying at the McKenzie�s house made my Texas Collegiate League summer baseball experience awesome.�
�It was definitely the best summer that I have had in a long time,� added O�Neil. �I wish that I had another year so that I could go back and stay with them again next summer.�
The Dinner begins with a reception at 6:00 p.m., followed by the dinner and program at 7:00 p.m. A silent auction will also take place.
For more information, please contact the Texas Collegiate League office at 817-339-9367 or go to www.texascollegiateleague.com.