Fans attending the Dixie Boys Baseball World Series opening games today at the Harkrader Sports Complex in Christiansburg will have a special treat, as former Baltimore Orioles star and 1973 American League Rookie of the Year Al Bumbry will be in attendance.

Bumbry will throwing out the first pitches at all of Saturday's games, in addition to greeting fans and signing autographs.

Bumbry, who was born in Fredericksburg, Va., made his major league debut on Sept. 5, 1972 and in 1973, he was named the American League Rookie of the Year after hitting .337 and leading the league in triples.

During his 14 year career as a player for the Orioles and the Padres (1972-1985), Bumbry hammered 54 home runs, had a .281 batting average and stole 254 bases. He was a also a member of the 1983 World Champion Baltimore Orioles team.

Bumbrey is the only Major League Baseball player to earn a bronze medal in the Vietnam War.

In addition to playing for the Orioles and Padres, Bumbry was a coach for the Boston Red Sox (1988-93), a member of the Orioles coaching staff (1995) and a coach twice for the Cleveland Indians (1998 and 2002).

In 1987, Bumbrey was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame.

The cost of admission is $5 per day for those 13 and over, $3 for those 7 through 12 and free for those under 6.

Complete coverage (photos, stories and video) of the Dixie Boys World Series, including live play-by-play webcasts of every game can be found here on www.valleysportsnow.com.

Photo courtesy of Virginia Commonwealth University