Monday, January 21, 2013 2:39 pm

Courier Sports Report

Former Major League pitcher John Riedling will be the guest speaker for the second Cannon County High School Baseball Winter Banquet.

The second annual winter banquet takes place Feb. 7 at the CCHS Cafeteria at 6:30 p.m. The meal will be catered by Prater’s Barbecue. Tickets are $15 and are available at The Cannon Courier, Cannon County High School, and from all CCHS baseball players.

“We are excited to be able to have John Riedling as our guest speaker in our second year of this type of event,” CCHS Baseball Coach Tony Stinnett said. “(Riedling) pitched for the Cincinnati Reds and Florida Marlins and he will have a strong message for the Cannon County baseball community.”

Riedling, 37, was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 22nd round of the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft. He made his Major League debut for the Reds on Aug. 30, 2000. He spent six seasons in the Major Leagues, five with the Reds and one with the Florida Marlins before suffering a career-ending injury in 2005. He won 17 games and registered 198 strikeouts primarily as a relief pitcher.

A Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., native, Riedling currently owns Game Days Sporting Goods in Franklin and Murfreesboro. The Murfreesboro store was formerly Agee’s. He also is a baseball instructor and coaches travel baseball in the summer.

The Winter Baseball Banquet serves as a first pitch to the upcoming season. The Lions begin

(See Pro, page 17)

official practice Feb. 11 as they prepare for a 30-game schedule and the always tough District 8-AA docket.

Cannon County returns seven starters in 2013.

“We have 19 players on our roster who have worked hard and had a productive offseason,” Stinnett said. “The banquet is an opportunity to introduce those players, preview the upcoming season, enjoy a good meal and listen to a former professoinal baseball player.

“This banquet is not only for parents, family and friends of current players, but also for former players and fans of baseball in Cannon County. We enjoyed a good turnout last year and hope for the same during our second year. “

Attendees are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance  in order to provide as accurate of a count as possible for the caterer.