Saturday night is Illinois baseball’s annual Hot Stove banquet officially kicking off the 2019 season. And yes, there actually is a hot stove. It is lit at the beginning of the banquet. Rumor has it that the organizers of the banquet have to get special permission from the City Fire Marshal for that to happen.
A lot happens at the banquet. Coach Hartleb makes an inspiring speech, the players each introduce themselves, and we hear from a keynote speaker. This year, we get to hear from MLB manager Bobby Valentine who has skippered the Texas Rangers and the New York Mets.
All the while, a silent auction of items is going on. Rooms filled with memorabilia, jerseys, travel packages and photos are up for bid. The proceeds go to the baseball program for projects that benefit the program.
It’s up to auctioneer Mike Namoff to bring in the money for the high-ticket items. Namoff’s entertaining method of auctioneering is quite fun to watch and one of the highlights of the evening.
Each year, the keynote speaker signs the huge banner which is displayed behind the podium at the banquet. I took a closer look in the past few years and noticed there some legends’ names up there. Those of you who follow IBR on Facebook may have noticed that I have been posting photos of these signatures.
I went ahead and posted all of them to a page on the Illinois Baseball Report photo gallery. Take a look.
Note: there are a few signature I could not determine who they belong to. Feel free to comment if you can help!
Looking forward to seeing everyone at tomorrow’s Hot Stove Banquet! The best part of the banquet is seeing the Illini baseball community together in one room!