Orlando Cabrera Added to Baseball Dinner Guest List

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Former Red Sox shortstop and 2004 World Series Champion Orlando Cabrera has been added to the celebrity guest list for the 2018 Granite State Baseball Dinner, presented by Northeast Delta Dental.
Cabrera helped end the Red Sox 86-year championship drought, hitting .294 in the 2004 regular season and .379 in the historic ALCS victory over the Yankees. Boston went 42-19 after Cabrera was acquired at the trade deadline. 
This year's fundraising event will be held on Saturday, November 17 at 5 p.m. at the Manchester Downtown Hotel Expo Center. Since 2007, the event has donated more than $1.65 million to its three beneficiaries: the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock (CHaD), the Ted Williams Foundation, and the Fisher Cats Foundation. Tickets are available at NHFisherCats.com. 
The Red Sox acquired Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz on July 31, 2004 as part of the four-team deal that sent Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs. The Red Sox were 56-45 at the time of the trade, but finished strong to secure the AL Wild Card spot. Cabrera hit a home run in his first Red Sox at bat, becoming the eighth player to do so, and played terrific shortstop throughout Boston's playoff run.
He spent his first eight big league seasons with the Montreal Expos, and retired in 2012 after a 15-year career. A two-time Gold Glove winner, Cabrera had one of his best seasons in 2007 with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He hit .301 while leading all American League shortstops with a .983 fielding percentage, and finished 15th in the MVP vote.
In 2006, Cabrera compiled a 63-game on-base streak, the fourth-longest in MLB history. Only Ted Williams (84, 69) and Joe DiMaggio (70) have recorded longer streaks. 
Cabrera will make his first appearance at the Baseball Dinner, and sign autographs along with the rest of the celebrity guests, including first ballot Hall of Famer Steve Carlton, Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter , Big Red Machine staple George Foster, Bedford native and first-round draft pick Grant Lavigne, Orioles legend Scott McGregor , former big leaguer and current Fox Sports Sun broadcaster Orestes Destrade, as well as Red Sox greats Bill Lee, Luis Tiant, Rich Gedman and Bob Stanley. 
The dinner will also include a live and silent auction, where attendees can bid on priceless memorabilia including a Ted Williams signed fighter pilot photo, a David Ortiz farewell collage, a Tom Brady 'Greatest of All-Time' collage, and a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. autographed baseball bat. 
Tickets for this year's event are $80 and can be purchased at NHFisherCats.com and by calling 603-641-2005.
Doors to the event will open at 5 p.m. with a silent auction and an autograph session with the honored guests from 5-7 p.m. The dinner and the evening's program will begin at 7 p.m.
The primary beneficiary of the dinner is the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock (CHaD). CHaD, New Hampshire's comprehensive, full-service children's hospital, is committed to providing outstanding compassionate care for children and their families. Offering primary, specialty, and tertiary care to the children of New Hampshire, Vermont, and beyond, their focus includes keeping all kids healthy and safe.
The Ted Williams Foundation works to preserve and build on the rich tradition of our national pastime through education and outreach. Proceeds from the Granite State Baseball Dinner are instrumental in the Foundation's mission to provide youth baseball programs and scholarships for deserving student-athletes. The Foundation is also an active partner with the Rays, Red Sox, Twins, Orioles & Phillies Organizations raising funds to provide assistance to their many charitable programs including the Boys & Girls Club, Pediatric Cancer, Animal Shelters and youth Diabetes programs.
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats established the Fisher Cats Foundation to be a catalyst for the betterment of communities statewide by supporting youth programs that encourage education and promote healthy living. Through the generous support of players, employees, sponsors, and fans, the Fisher Cats Foundation continuously works to make a positive impact throughout New Hampshire and north-central Massachusetts. As the primary funding source for the team's philanthropy, the Fisher Cats Foundation supports a wide variety of non-profit organizations and coordinates several fundraising programs and events. Since its inception in 2006, the Foundation and the Fisher Cats have provided more than $5 million in monetary and in-kind donations to thousands of non-profit organizations.

For more information about the charitable Granite State Baseball Dinner, presented by Northeast Delta Dental, please call the Box Office at (603) 641-2005 or visit www.nhfishercats.com.
For tickets and information, visit www.nhfishercats.com.