Stephen Berger to Throw First Pitch at Cleveland Indians Game 24 Years After Winning the Opportunity in a Speed Pitch Contest

Cleveland Indians will honor ceremonial first pitch prize that Berger was never able to claim due to 1994 MLB strike

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May 24, 2018, 10:14 ET

CLEVELAND, May 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Stephen Berger, a long-time Cleveland Indians fan and former collegiate baseball player, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Cleveland Indians game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Progressive Field on June 6, 2018 at 1:10 pm.

While attending a Cleveland Indians game at Jacobs Field on May 31, 1994, Berger participated in the official Indians Speed Pitch contest and recorded a pitch of 92 miles per hour. Berger's record stood through the remainder of the season, which earned him the opportunity to throw out a ceremonial first pitch at a Cleveland Indians game during the 1994 season.

However, due to the Major League Baseball Strike that went into effect on August 12, 1994, the remainder of the Cleveland Indians season was cancelled and Berger was never able to claim his prize. Now, almost 24 years to the day from when Berger won the Speed Pitch contest, the Cleveland Indians will honor his ceremonial first pitch prize.

"It is an incredible honor to have the opportunity to throw out the first pitch at a Cleveland Indians game," says Berger, "I'm grateful that the Indians have decided to honor this prize from so many years ago. The wait was more than worth it now that I will be able to share this once-in-a-lifetime experience with my family."

Facts About Stephen Berger

Berger represented Ohio in the 1994 United States Olympic Festival.
He was chosen by the Detroit Tigers in the 1994 Major League Baseball draft.
Berger accepted a baseball scholarship to Ohio University where he graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Management Information Systems.
Over the course of his career, Berger has founded a start-up technology company, sold a start-up technology company to private investors and helped to lead a technology company to an IPO.
In 2015, he was inducted into the Clay High School Athletic Hall of Fame in Oregon, OH for being a standout baseball player.
Berger currently resides in the suburbs of Cleveland with his wife and two children, and enjoys spending his free time coaching his sons' baseball teams.