The Williamsport Crosscutters Hot Stove Banquet returns to the Grand Ballroom of the Genetti Hotel in Williamsport on Thursday, Jan. 22. Special guests at this year’s banquet will include Hall of Fame baseball analyst Tim Kurkjian of ESPN and former Phillies all-stars Ricky Bottalico and Domonic Brown.

Pitcher Ricky Bottalico had a 12-year MLB career (1994-2005) including seven years with the Philadelphia Phillies. He totaled 116 saves in his big-league career. His best season came in 1996, when he notched 34 saves with Philadelphia, earning a spot on the National League All-Star team.

He currently works as a baseball analyst for NBC Sports Philadelphia, where he provides pregame and postgame coverage for Phillies broadcasts. He also co-hosts a Philadelphia-based radio show, “Unfiltered with Ricky Bo and Bill Colarul.”

Domonic Brown was drafted by the Phillies in the 20th round of the 2006 MLB Draft. He spent the 2007 season with the Williamsport Crosscutters batting .295 with 3 home runs, 32 RBI’s and 14 stolen bases. He went on to spend six seasons in MLB with Philadelphia (2010-2015). In 2013 with the Phillies, he hit 27 homers and drove in 83 runs and was named to the National League All-Star team.

Kurkjian has covered baseball since 1978 and has been a baseball writer, reporter, analyst and host at ESPN since 1998. Kurkjian has been a popular guest at Cutters Hot Stove Banquets and will be making his sixth appearance. He has been 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, New York.

The evening will consist of a full-course dinner, question and answer segments with the special guests and auctions of sports memorabilia. The ballroom doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the dinner and entertainment portion of the event kicking off at 6:30 p.m.

Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets early and can do so by visiting the Williamsport Crosscutters website, calling the Crosscutters at 570-326-3389 or in person at Bowman Field.

A portion of the proceeds from the event will again benefit the local United Way.

“The United Way of North Central Pennsylvania is proud to continue our partnership with the Williamsport Crosscutters for this year’s Hot Stove Banquet,” said Carolyn A. Hawk, president and CEO of United Way of North Central Pennsylvania. “The Crosscutters have a long tradition of giving back, and their commitment to strengthening this community mirrors our mission to create lasting, positive change. The proceeds from this event directly support programs that help families build financial security, help communities become more resilient, promote healthy communities, expand opportunities for local youth. Together, we’re proving that when people come together for a common purpose–United is the Way.”

The Williamsport Crosscutters season begins June 2 kicking off the 100th anniversary of Bowman Field. The schedule features 41 home games, the most in Cutters history.