A harbinger of warmer times and weather ahead was held two weeks ago when the Williamsport Crosscutters held their annual Hot Stove League Dinner at the Genetti Hotel.
The event featured speakers reflective of our National Pastime, baseball, including former Phillies pitcher and present-day commentator Rickey Bottalico, former Williamsport Crosscutters and Phillies player and 2013 National League All-Star Domonic Brown, and ESPN commentator Tim Kurkjian.
I talked with both Bottalico and Brown before the night’s festivities.
Bottalico told me that he was originally a catcher before becoming a pitcher. He said his becoming a pitcher was a bit of a fluke when a pitcher who was supposed to pitch on his Central Connecticut State University team suffered an unforeseen arm injury, and Bottalico entered the breach and pitched very well. He eventually became the team’s top relief pitcher.
He then played in a summer “beer” league, where he attracted the attention of a Phillies scout, and signed with them.
He worked his way through the Phils’ minor league organization with stops at Martinsville, Spartanburg, Reading, and Scranton-Wilkes-Barre.
He went to spring training with the Phils in 1993 and rubbed elbows with the wild guys of the Phils’ memorable 1993 National League championship team.
“They were a bunch of crazy and wild guys, but interestingly, after each game in spring training, all of them would sit down, unwind and talk baseball,” Bottalico told me. “They really enjoyed doing that and talking about ways to improve their games. It was not at all what you expect from that group of guys.”
He made his Major League debut in 1994 and was a 1996 National League All-Star.
“It was a great thrill to be on that All-Star team. It was in Philadelphia. I pitched one scoreless inning,” Bottalico said. “I got to rub elbows with guys like Cal Ripken, Ozzie Smith, Ken Griffey Jr., and Mike Piazza.”
Bottalico’s playing career ended in 2005 after playing with the Phillies, the Diamondbacks, the Cardinals, and the Brewers.
Fans today recognize him for his work as a commentator on Phillies Pre-Game Live and Post-Game Live on NBC Comcast Philadelphia.
“I really enjoy my commentary work. I will never criticize a player in a personal way. I would always do it about on-field baseball things,” Bottalico said.
“I work with some great guys, Tom McCarthy, Kurk, Ruben Amaro Jr., and Ben Davis, just to name a couple of them.”
Domonic Brown is no stranger to Williamsport. He played here for the Crosscutters in 2007 and was the first Crosscutter to be called up by the Phillies when he accomplished this in 2010. He remembers his time here with some fondness.
“The first thing I remember was that big ballpark (Bowman Field). I remember struggling for a couple of weeks when I was here. I was worried if I was going to make it or not,” Brown told me. “I was also afraid I was letting the fans down and the Phils and myself. All I needed to do was learn to relax. Then one night in State College, it was almost like a light switched on and I started to hit really well, and that got me going, ultimately to the Phillies.”
In that season, Brown batted .295, the team leader in average, and had 3 homers, and 32 RBIs.
He made his debut with the Phillies in 2010, and by 2013, he made the National All-Star Team, his best year as a major leaguer with a .272 average, 27 homers, and 83 RBIs.
“Making that All-Star team was my biggest thrill in baseball, Brown said. “I got to hang out with great players like Mariano Rivera, new Hall of Famer, Carlos Beltran, and Miguel Cabrera, just name a few.”
Tim Kurkjian from ESPN sounded an ominous note in his public remarks, predicting that in 2027, Major League Baseball would experience some form of work stoppage. He said that would be a terrible thing for baseball and for its fans. He is worried about what a work stoppage might mean to the continued popularity of Major League Baseball.
All three speakers agreed that Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones are worthy Hall of Famers deserving of enshrinement at Cooperstown.
Also at the Hot Stove League Banquet, Joseph Mosser was inducted as the latest member of the Bowman Field Hall of Fame. Mosser was an important figure behind the scenes of professional baseball in Williamsport from 1923 until his death in 1964.
Former Notre Dame baseball coach Jake Kline was revealed as the newest figure on the Williamsport Sports Walk. Kline is the winningest baseball coach in Notre Dame history. The baseball field was once named for him.
The Hot Stove League Banquet raised more than $10,000 for the local United Way.
