The Williamsport Crosscutters have announced the return of their Hot Stove Banquet on Wednesday, January 17th in the Grand Ballroom of the Genetti Hotel in Williamsport. The event is presented in part by Bower Electric, Journey Bank, iHeart Radio Williamsport, UPMC, and the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. Special guests at this year’s banquet will include former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Kent Tekulve, ESPN Baseball Analyst Tim Kurkjian and ESPN Radio’s Chris Carlin.
Tekulve spent 16 seasons in MLB with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1974-85), Philadelphia Phillies (1985-88) and the Cincinnati Reds (1989). Known for his unusual submarine delivery, he had a career record of 94-90 with a 2.85 ERA and 184 saves. He was a member of the 1979 World Champion Pirates club and saved 3 games in the ’79 World Series. After his playing career, Tekulve worked on the TV broadcast crew with the Phillies (1991-97) and the Pirates (2007-17).
Kurkjian has covered baseball since 1978 and has been a baseball writer, reporter, analyst and host at ESPN since 1998. He has been a regular on Baseball Tonight and SportsCenter. Kurkjian has been a guest at previous Cutters Hot Stove Banquets and part of ESPN’s coverage of the MLB Little League Classic and the Little League World Series for many years. He was the recipient of the 2022 Career Excellence Award by the Baseball Writers Association of America presented each year at the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Chris Carlin, who began his broadcast career with the Williamsport Cubs from 1994-1995, is the co-host of ESPN Radio’s Carlin vs. Joe weekdays from 12-3 pm. Prior to his full-time national role, he led his self-titled show on ESPN New York since 2019. The Emmy-winning host’s engaging, opinionated yet humorous style has resonated with audiences throughout his career. He also worked at WFAN Radio (2017-19) and hosted NY Mets pre and post-game shows and a debate show called Loudmouths on SNY-TV from 2008-16. Carlin has also been the voice of Rutgers football since 2004.
A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the Lycoming County United Way. “The Lycoming County United Way has been a partner with the Williamsport Crosscutters since their inception and we are honored to have been chosen as the charity partner of this year’s Hot Stove Banquet,” said LCUW President Ron Frick. “We believe that community matters and that, together, united in purpose, we can all make a difference in the lives of those we serve. Proceeds from the event will help us do just that.”
The evening will consist of a full-course dinner, live and silent auctions of sports memorabilia along with interviews and question and answer segments with special guests. Other highlights of the event include the inductions of the latest members to the Bowman Field Hall of Fame and the Lycoming County Sports Walk. Those inductees are expected to be announced in the weeks leading up to the event. The ballroom doors open at 5:30 PM with the dinner and entertainment portion of the event kicking off at 6:30 PM.
Tickets are $69 per person and can be purchased by calling the Cutters offices at (570) 326-3389 or ordered online by CLICKING HERE. This event is a sell-out each year, so fans are encouraged to purchase tickets early. Business sponsorships for the event are also available.
The Williamsport Crosscutters 2024 season features 40 home games between June 4 and September 4. The full schedule along with information on MVP Club Season Tickets, Bonus Book mini-plans and holiday gift specials is available at crosscutters.com.
