The Williamsport Crosscutters have announced the return of their Hot Stove Banquet on Friday, January 17th in the Grand Ballroom of the Genetti Hotel in Williamsport. The event is presented in part by Bower Electric, UPMC and the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. Special guests at this year’s banquet will include Hall of Fame pitcher Mike Mussina, ESPN Hall of Fame Baseball Analyst Tim Kurkjian and Philadelphia Phillies 3rd base coach Dusty Wathan.
Mussina pitched 18 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Baltimore Orioles (1991–2000) and the New York Yankees (2001–2008). He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019. Among pitchers, he ranks 23rd in career strikeouts and 23rd all-time in pitching Wins Above Replacement. His 270 wins ranks 33rd in MLB history. Mussina was a 5-time All-Star and seven-time Gold Glove winner.
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 popular guest at previous Cutters Hot Stove Banquets. 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, N.Y.
Wathan has served as the 3rd base coach of the Philadelphia Phillies since 2018. He began his professional coaching career in the Phillies organization with the Williamsport Crosscutters in 2008. He went on to manage at all levels of the Phillies organization including 5 seasons with Double-A Reading where he became the winningest manager in team history. He is the son of former Kansas City Royals player and manager John Wathan.
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 the special guests. 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 in person at Journey Bank Ballpark during normal business hours. This event is a sell-out each year, so fans are encouraged to purchase tickets early. Business sponsorships for the event are also available.
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 last year we were honored to be chosen as the Hot Stove Banquet charity partner for years to come,” said LCUW President Ron Frick. “We believe that United is the Way to get things done in a world hurting for love, compassion, and action and true to our founding spirit over 100 years ago, our local United Way has mobilized the collective resources of our community, bringing a comprehensive approach to every challenge, responding with community engagement and advocacy and grant funding opportunities, and changing the lives of those we serve. The Williamsport Crosscutters commitment to our community and proceeds from the Hot Stove event will help us do just that.”
The Williamsport Crosscutters 2025 season begins June 4 as they look to defend their 2024 MLB Draft League Championship. The full schedule, along with information on MVP Club Season Tickets and Bonus Book mini-plans, is available online by visiting crosscutters.com.
