Jim and Andrea Thome Headline Feb. 4 Hot Stove Banquet Benefiting West Akron Baseball League

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(AKRON, OHIO) December 23, 2021 – The Akron RubberDucks announce Jim and Andrea Thome will headline the 2022 RubberDucks Hot Stove Banquet presented by FirstEnergy on Friday, Feb. 4, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Akron. This event will benefit the West Akron Baseball League.

Jim Thome played 22 years in MLB for six different teams, batting .276 with 612 home runs (eighth-most in MLB history), 1699 RBI and 13 walk-off home runs (most in MLB history). Jim was drafted by Cleveland in 1989 and spent 13 years of his career in Cleveland, where he is the organizational leader in home runs (337), walks (1008) and intentional walks (87). Off the field, Jim was twice honored with the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award for his philanthropy. In 2018, Jim was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Andrea Thome is a native of North Royalton and was a sports reporter for WOIO and anchor for WKYC Channel 3. Andrea is the author of the three-part Hesse Creek series Walland, Seeds of Intention and House of Belonging.

“We are excited to have Andrea and Jim Thome headline this year’s Hot Stove Banquet,” RubberDucks General Manager and COO Jim Pfander said. “Together they provide a unique opportunity to hear about a Hall of Fame career both on and off the field. Andrea also provides the rare opportunity to hear about behind the scenes of working in local media and the process of being an author. We are honored for WABL to be the beneficiary of our silent auction as it provides us a great opportunity to once again give back to the boys and girls of West Akron. It will be a great evening and tickets are available now.”

The doors open at 4:30 p.m. for cocktails and the silent auction featuring autographed items from members of the 2021 Double-A Northeast champion RubberDucks and prizes from the local community.

"WABL is grateful for this opportunity to be the beneficiary of the Hot Stove Banquet this year. The RubberDucks have been a big supporter of WABL over the years and this is another example of the great partnership that we have." WABL President John Paul Paxton said. "This will help us continue to do the great things that we do for the boys & girls of West Akron and surrounding communities."

Starting at 6:30 p.m., a full-plated meal and dessert will be served (vegetarian option available), followed by the program emceed by Ray Horner of WAKR. There will not be an autograph or photo session, however the first 200 attendees will be guaranteed a pre-autographed baseball.

The RubberDucks Hot Stove Banquet presented by FirstEnergy is open to the public, and tickets may be purchased for $150 per person or $1000 for a table (eight people). Fans can purchase their tickets now by calling (330) 253-5151 or visiting akronrubberducks.com.

2022 RubberDucks Hot Stove Banquet Presented by FirstEnergy Details

When: Friday, Feb. 4 at 4:30 p.m. (Doors), 6:30 p.m. (Dinner), with program and Q & A to follow

Where: Hilton Garden Inn – Akron (1307 E. Market St., Akron, Ohio 44305)

Who: Jim and Andrea Thome

Tickets: $150 per person; $1000 per table of eight

To Purchase: Call (330) 253-5151 or Visit https://mpv.tickets.com/?agency=MILB_MPV&orgid=51309&pid=9032915

The Akron RubberDucks are the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. The RubberDucks season is powered by FirstEnergy at Canal Park, beginning at home April 12, 2022, against the Reading Fightin Phils at 7:05 PM. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 330-253-5151 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, or visit akronrubberducks.com/. For more information about the team, please call 330-253-5151, visit the website at akronrubberducks.com, Facebook page facebook.com/AkronRubberDucks, or on Twitter @AkronRubberDuck, and Instagram @akronrubberducks.