Todd Frazier To Speak At Ocean County College In January

TOMS RIVER, NJ — New York Yankees' third baseman Todd Frazier will sit down for a conversation with veteran radio sportscaster Russ Salzberg about his playing experience during a special event at Ocean County College in January, the college announced Friday.

Frazier, the Toms River native who's been thrilling baseball fans since he was 12 years old and helping the Toms River East American all-stars win the 1998 Little League World Series, will participate in the moderated lecture on the main stage at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts at Ocean County College.

It's scheduled for 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 19. Tickets for the event are on sale now for Grunin Center subscribers and will go on sale to the general public on Nov. 13, the college said in a news release.

Frazier, who went on to star at Toms River South, tying for the Shore Conference record for career home runs with 26, and also played at Rutgers University, has endeared himself to fans as a Major League baseball player.

A first-round draft pick of the Cincinnati Reds in 2007, Frazier became known for his walk-up music (Frank Sinatra, in a nod to his Jersey roots), rescuing a choking stranger with the Heimlich maneuver, and following through on a promise to “homer” for Teddy Kremer, an adult with Down syndrome. His "no-handed" home run in 2012 — when he homered despite the bat slipping out of his hands — and his 39 homers to win the All-Star Week's Home Run Derby in 2015 have made him even more well-known.

He was traded to the Chicago White Sox after the 2015 season and proceeded to steal the hearts of Chicago fans. Then, before the 2017 trade deadline, the White Sox dealt Frazier to the Yankees. In New York, Frazier has established himself as a positive clubhouse presence and a key player in the Yankees’ push to the playoffs and, against the odds, journey to the seventh game of the American League Championship Series.

Frazier was behind the calling card of the 2017 Yankees when a Mets fan reacted to his home run at Citi Field with a “thumbs down” gesture, Frazier started repeating it after every hit, and the entire team soon followed.

>> READ MORE: Frazier's Role In Yankees' Playoff Run Adds Magic To Toms River Baseball Documentary

“Todd is … just a regular guy," Cincinnati manager Bryan Price told ESPN. "He’s not the big Johnny Ballplayer [who says], ‘I’m important and I don’t do XYZ anymore because I’m an All-Star.’ He comes across as a much more original, genuine, normal human being than a lot of players turn into when they start to get some acclaim.”

Frazier also is one of the key elements in the Toms River baseball documentary by Toms River filmmaker Sandra Levine. You can read about her work here.

Grunin Center Subscriber tickets are $25 and are on sale now through Nov 12. Subscribers must call or visit the box office.

General admission tickets cost $35 and go on sale Nov 13. They can be purchased online at http://grunincenter.org, by calling 732-255-0500, or by visiting the box office, which is open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

There will be a pre-show meet & greet for event sponsors. If you are interested in becoming an event sponsor, email grunincenter@ocean.edu.

Todd Frazier signs autographs at the Play It Clean event in 2015; photo by Karen Wall