30 Years After His Home Run Saves SCA Promotions One Million Dollars
SCA Promotions Founder, Bob Hamman, whose profession is based on taking chances, making calculated guesses, and rooting for someone to lose, recently met the man who defied the odds and saved his company, SCA Promotions, a one million dollar winning payout.
On June 14, 2019, Hamman’s son, SCA’s Vice President, Chris Hamman, and Director of Risk Management, Wendy Collins, arranged a momentous surprise for Bob, tickets for the Frisco RoughRiders vs. Northwest Arkansas Naturals game. 30 years in the making, Hamman was thrilled to finally meet Nelson Liriano, now a bench coach for Northwest Arkansas Naturals, to thank him for getting Hamman and SCA off the hook for the million-dollar prize.
The connection began on April 23, 1989, when Hamman, the skilled risk taker, bet that Texas Rangers’ legend, Nolan Ryan, would not pitch a no-hitter during the 1989 season. Ryan was in his mid-40’s and pitching a no-hitter would set another impressive baseball career record.
In the bottom of the 9th, with one out, Bob watched Nelson Liriano step up to the plate. Liriano lined a 2-2 fastball into right field for a triple, ending Ryan’s no-hitter and, in turn, saving Hamman and SCA a million dollars.
30 years later, Hamman still gets a smile just thinking about the million-dollar play. To him, Liriano will always be a hero. And, Liriano’s baseball trading card still holds prime placement in Hamman’s office. “Nelson made history that day and he certainly rose to the top of my favorite player list. To meet him after all these years, was a great surprise and a truly memorable event.” says Hamman.
Continuing the serendipitous friendship, bound by a single baseball game, the two plan to reunite in the fall. Liriano says he’s looking forward to continuing his newfound friendship with Hamman. “Baseball has a lot of great stories.” Liriano says. “It’s always nice to meet people who have a shared experience with one of my games, but the bond that Bob and I have through this game is truly an epic story.”
Liriano’s big hit against the Rangers was just the start of a memorable week for his career in 1989 as he went on to break up a second no-hitter game in the ninth inning against the California Angels on April 28, further solidifying his place in baseball history.
Hamman, who went on to become a 15-time world bridge champion, is receiving a Gaming Lifetime Achievement Award in Las Vegas on July 24 for his accomplishments as Founder and President of SCA.
About SCA Promotions
SCA Promotions delivers compelling solutions that enhance the customer experience to generate new sales, grow repeat business and extract customer data and analytics. SCA’s extensive product line creates unique opportunities for organizations to attract, engage, transact, and interact with their consumers. For over three decades, companies and organizations around the globe have benefited from the increased ROI and brand awareness that SCA solutions offer. SCA’s robust portfolio, includes four pillars of solutions to strengthen and support business growth: Digital and Online Games, Engaging On-site Games and Events, Professional and Custom Services, and Financial Risk Protection that enables customers to offer millions of dollars in mega-prize cash and experiential rewards without the financial risk. SCA is hailed by Fortune 100 and start-up companies alike, as a one-stop shop for powerful promotional tools and innovative marketing solutions. SCA has offices in Dallas, London, Las Vegas, and Calgary, with affiliate partners across the globe.