This week, the Williamsport Crosscutters will be hosting their annual Hot Stove League Banquet at the Genetti, which features former 1979 standout relief pitcher Kent Tukulve and Muncy’s own Ed Ott, a catcher on that team, as well as ESPN commentator Tim Kurkijan.
The “Hot Stove League” is a time-honored baseball term that means baseball fans gather around a hot stove during the cold winter months to continue to discuss baseball. In years past, this has most effectively been done at mid-winter baseball banquets, often sponsored by the local professional baseball team, the Williamsport Grays, the Williamsport Tigers, or the Williamsport Mets.
This tradition goes back many years — almost 80 years. There have been a number of these banquets going back to the 1940s. Here are the highlights of some of these local winter baseball gatherings.
An appearance by Baseball Commissioner A.B. “Happy” Chandler highlighted the Mid-Winter Baseball Banquet held by the Williamsport Baseball Booster at the Lycoming Hotel on February 5, 1947.
Eastern League President Tommy Richardson acted as toastmaster for the affair.
Detroit Tigers farm director Eddie Gilliand was there and introduced new Williamsport Tigers skipper George Detore.
Also in attendance were Joe Bedenk, Penn State baseball coach, Oren Sterling, president of the Hagerstown team in the Interstate League, and John Jackhym, president of the Jamestown entry in the Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York League. Miniature hats with the Williamsport Tigers logo were given out to the more than 500 people who attended this banquet.
The February 6, 1948, mid-winter banquet had among the principals at it Hall of Fame pitcher Charles Albert “Chief” Bender, who excelled for the Philadelphia A’s, former Yankee standout third baseman Red Rolfe, new Williamsport Tigers manager Gene Desautels and American League umpire, Joe Paparella. Again, a large crowd of more than 500 attended the banquet at the Lycoming Hotel.
The February 8, 1956, baseball banquet was marred by the announcement that the legendary Connie Mack had died earlier in the day at the age of 93. Tommy Richardson, president of the Eastern League, who had been especially close to Mack, paid tribute to Mack during his remarks at the banquet.
Most of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ front office members were also in attendance, including General Manager Joe L. Brown and Branch Rickey Jr., farm director for the Pirates. Rickey introduced John Fitzpatrick, who would be the Williamsport Grays’ skipper that year. Also in attendance was Danny Murtaugh, who was originally supposed to manage the locals but was reassigned to New Orleans. He later managed the Buccos to two world championships.
Perhaps the most memorable mid-winter baseball banquet occurred on February 4, 1964, when officials from the New York Mets, including the inimitable Casey Stengel, participated to stimulate interest in their newest minor league affiliate, the Williamsport Mets.
Stengel entertained his audience by regaling them with tales from his long and storied career, often speaking in the “Stengelese” he was famous for. But the most important thing he had to say was an announcement that the New York Mets would come to Williamsport later that summer to play an exhibition game at Bowman Field against the local “little Mets.”
Accompanying Stengel were New York Mets players Bob Elliot and Ed Kranepool, along with Mets comptroller Joe DiGregorio.
Williamsport Mayor Raymond Knaur presented Stengel the key to the city, and adopted Williamsporter, A. Rankin Johnson, president of the Eastern League, was in attendance at a banquet that drew 485 people, and like he would be at all baseball gatherings, longtime baseball booster Bill Pickelner, president of the Nine County Baseball Boosters was also on hand. Williamsport Mets manager Ernie White was also introduced.
Almost the entire front office of the New York Mets was in attendance at the mid-winter baseball banquet that took place on February 2, 1965, again as previous banquets at the Lycoming Hotel. The Mets brass included Bing Devine, assistant general manager, who would go on to be general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, farm director Eddie Stanky, who played for the Williamsport Grays in 1937, coaches and future Hall-of-Famers, Yogi Berra and Warren Spahn.
Stanky introduced new Williamsport Mets manager Kerby Ferrell to the 517 people in attendance. New York Mets broadcaster Bob Murphy acted as master of ceremonies.
Casey Stengel made a return appearance at the banquet of January 27, 1966; now retired and again telling entertaining tales, he joined Mets farm director Bob Scheffing, comptroller Aaron Lanier, broadcaster Bob Murphy, former Williamsport Mets player Ron Swoboda and new Williamsport skipper, Bill Virdon at the banquet at the Lycoming Hotel.
The March 8, 1967 banquet would be the last one sponsored by a local team for 40 years. New York Mets public relations director Arthur Richman and Aaron Lanier, comptroller of the New York team, introduced new Williamsport skipper Roy Sievers to those in attendance.
During the 1970s and early 1980s, the Phillies Caravan stopped in Williamsport with such players as Mike Schmidt, Tim McCarver, Greg Luzinski, and Pete Rose, also at the Lycoming Hotel, but these appearances were not locally sponsored.
The Williamsport Crosscutters revived the practice of having a local team host a winter baseball banquet in 2007. It was the first year of their affiliation with the Philadelphia Phillies. That first banquet featured feared former Phillies slugger Dick Allen and legendary former broadcaster Harry Kalas. In subsequent Hot Stove League Banquets, it has featured former standout Phillies infielder Mickey Morandini, slugger Greg Luzinski, Detroit Tiger 30-game winner Denny McClain, former Colorado Rockies and Pirate manager Clint Hurdle, Hall of Fame baseball executive Pat Gillick, and Sarah “Salty” Ferguson, a former player with the Rockford Peaches of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League, featured in the film “A League of Their Own,” just to name a few of the baseball luminaries that have graced the local Hot Stove League Banquet.
