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23rd annual Night of Memories features a mixture of baseball's past and future

chad lindskog, evansville courier & press
·3 min read

EVANSVILLE — From a former MVP and two-time Cy Young award winner to hometown favorites, a mixture of baseball's past and future will be on hand Saturday when the 23rd annual Night of Memories returns to the University of Evansville’s Carson Center.

This year’s featured guests include Denny McClain, Darrell Evans, George Foster, Graig Nettles, Jon Warden and hometown favorites Don Mattingly, Jamey Carroll, Jerad Eickhoff, Colson Montgomery, Elijah Dunham and Cameron Decker.

“Getting new guys in every year is what I look forward to the most, so it’s great to have a 30-game winner in Denny McClain joining us for the event and All-Stars like Darrell Evans and George Foster,” said Tri-State Hot Stove League president Ryan Berger.

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The Tri-State Hot Stove League is a non-profit that supports local youth athletics and youth-focused organizations. The Night of Memories is their main fundraising event and has raised over $2 million dollars that have been distributed to youth organizations, local athletic programs and other non-profits.

A few of the local rising stars have benefitted first-hand from the Hot Stove League, such as Dunham, a Reitz alumnus, and Decker, who graduated from North last year. Now they're in a position to help the next generation growing up wanting to be them.

"It means the world to us because they did benefit from some of what we’ve been able to provide back to the community," Berger said. "So hearing from those guys how much it meant to them and the reason they come back year in and year out is they want to be able to support from their perspective.”

Autograph prices

First amount is for hats and flats (pictures/cards). Second is for bats, helmets and other larger items.

  • Don Mattingly - $65/$100

  • Graig Nettles - $40/$60

  • Colson Montgomery - $35/$50

  • Denny McClain - $25/$40

  • George Foster - $25/$40​

  • Darrell Evans - $25/$40

  • Jamey Carroll - $20

  • Elijah Dunham - $10

  • Cameron Decker - $10

  • Jon Warden - Free

Silent auction again expected to generate interest from sports fans

There are more than 120 items up for auction, many of which are autographed baseballs, bats, photos and jerseys from notable professional athletes. Some of the most desired will be tickets to the 2024 Super Bowl and a bat signed by 31 Hall of Fame baseball players. The silent auction is live online already and can be accessed through hotstoveleague.com.

“Seeing the excitement and bidding over those auction items is what gets us going,” Berger said. “The more money we make each year, the more we can pump back into our community youth sports organizations. That’s what has us excited each year.”

The chat session and auction is a 21-and-over event inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse at Carson Center. Admission is $25 per person, and if you attend the autograph session, your ticket is good for the chat and auction.

NIGHT OF MEMORIES

Where: Carson Center/Meeks Family Fieldhouse, University of Evansville

When: Saturday — Autographs from 3:30-5:30 p.m.; doors to main event open for guests 21 and over only at 5.

Tickets: $25, can be purchased through hotstoveleague.org. Children can attend the autograph event for free but must be accompanied by a paying adult.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: 23rd annual Night of Memories showcases baseball's past and future