College Hosts Orioles Legend Rick Dempsey In Conversation with former Governor Hughes

CHESTERTOWN, MD—Rick Dempsey, the Most Valuable Player of the 1983 World Series and a former star catcher for the Baltimore Orioles, will speak at Washington College on Sunday, January 22nd, 2012 at an event moderated by former Maryland Governor and Easton Yankees pitcher Harry Hughes. "A Conversation with Rick Dempsey" will begin at 1 p.m. inside Decker Theatre, Gibson Center for the Arts, on the College campus, 300 Washington Avenue.

Presented by the Washington College baseball team, the talk will be followed by light refreshments and the silent auction of a selection of autographed items. Admission is free and open to the public, though donations to the Washington College baseball team will be accepted.

Dempsey played 24 seasons of Major League Baseball with six teams, including 11 and one-half with the Orioles. He is tied for eighth in MLB history in seasons played and is one of only three catchers to play in four different decades. He played on three World Series teams and won two championships, including 1983 when he was named the World Series MVP in the Orioles' five-game series win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Now in his fourth year as a member of the Orioles' broadcast team, Dempsey has been teaming with Jim Hunter for 4 years hosting the "O's Xtra" pre- and post-game shows on MASN. Dempsey also serves as an analyst on a selection of game broadcasts. Prior to joining the team's broadcast operations, Dempsey spent five years on the Orioles' coaching staff.

Before his career in politics, Governor Hughes played minor league baseball in the Eastern Shore Baseball League, starring as a pitcher for the Easton Yankees. The Easton native began his political career representing Caroline County in the Maryland House of Delegates. He later served as a member of the Maryland Senate representing Caroline, Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne's, and Talbot Counties and as Secretary of Transportation for the state before being elected governor, an office he held from 1979 to 1987.

A staunch advocate for the Chesapeake Bay, Hughes signed the Chesapeake Bay Agreement into law during his governorship. After leaving office, he served as a member of the Chesapeake Bay Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting public awareness, restoration, and protection of the resources of the Chesapeake Bay.

Dempsey is the latest in a series of high-profile former Major Leaguers who have given talks at the College in the last decade. The Washington College baseball team has also presented talks by Hall of Famers Tom Seaver and Brooks Robinson and former Oriole center fielder Paul Blair.

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