Grebeck Set to Throw Out First Pitch at 2003 Alumni Game
Former Major Leaguer and CSUDH alum to throw out first pitch at new Toro Field on February 2
January 24, 2003

Previously Posted Photos of Baseball Field

CARSON, Calif.-- The Cal State Dominguez Hills baseball alumni will help christen its new baseball field on Sunday, February 2 at the 16th Annual Robert Wing Memorial Alumni Baseball Game. Former Toro great and 12-year major league veteran Craig Grebeck is scheduled to throw out the very first pitch at the new Toro Field.

Grebeck became the Toros first-ever First Team All-American in 1986 after leading CSUDH to its first-ever CCAA title and a berth in the NCAA West Regional Championship. He, along with former Toro baseball greats Mike Brocki (2B), Fred Hanker (3B) and Kevin Whalen (1B), helped form arguably the best infield ever in CSUDH history.

Grebeck was signed as a free agent with the Chicago White Sox in August of 1986 and broke into the majors with the White Sox in 1990. It was during the 1990 season that Grebeck hit his first major league home run against Texas' Nolan Ryan on August 10.

Grebeck stayed in the majors for 12 seasons playing for the White Sox (1990-95), Florida Marlins (1996), Anaheim Angels (1997), Toronto Blue Jays (1998-2000) and the Boston Red Sox (2001).

The new Toro Field was built and completed this month after the former ballpark on campus was demolished as part of the Home Depot Training Center project. The new baseball field features 70-foot major-league sunken dugouts, and state-of the-art batting cages and bullpens. The infield grass is pristine "bulls-eye" sod; stabilized gold dirt is used on the infield that is featured in 90% of the big-league parks in the United States.

The outfield features major-league dimensions with straightaway center field measuring 400-feet. It is 340-feet down the lines in left and right field and 375-feet in the power alleys. One of the nicest new features is the 40' x 40' hitters-eye in center field. The Toros scoreboard has been completely refurbished with new paint, new light bulbs and an updated message center software package.

The alumni game is set to begin at noon with the always-fun home run derby beginning at 11 a.m. A barbecue will immediately follow the game.

The Toros begin its regular season home schedule on Wednesday, February 5 against Concordia University (CA). First pitch is slated for 2 PM.