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About

Snappers Host 12th Annual Hot Stove Banquet

By
December 18, 2015

BELOIT, WI - On Tuesday, February 2, 2016, the Beloit Snappers will host their 12th Annual Hot Stove Banquet. This year's event will be held at the Garden Hotel Conference Center in South Beloit, Illinois. The event will begin at 5:15pm and will offer a cocktail hour, buffet-style dinner, guest speakers, and both live and silent auctions.

Among these speakers will be sportscaster, Brett Dolan. The former play-by-play announcer of the Houston Astros has some history in Beloit, as he was the Snappers' radio announcer from 1994-1997. Dolan then later became the voice of the Iowa Cubs, and the Tucson Sidewinders. He was also a fill in broadcaster for the Montreal Expos in 2003 and 2004 and was the play-by-play announcer for the Arizona Fall League on MLB Radio during 2004 and 2005 before going on to be the voice of the Houston Astros. Currently, Dolan is a sportscaster for ESPN 3 and ESPN U.

Ryan O'Rourke will be returning to Beloit to speak at this year's Hot Stove Banquet as well. O'Rourke is a left-handed pitcher who made it to the Majors this year, joining the Minnesota Twins on July 7, 2015. In 28 relief appearances for the Twins, he pitched 22 innings, struck out 24 batters, and finished the season with a 6.14 ERA. Snappers fans might remember when O'Rourke played for Beloit in 2011 and 2012. Between the two seasons playing for the Snappers, he had a record of 7-10 in 63 games, 166.1 innings pitched, an ERA of 4.39, and 163 strikeouts. O'Rourke is one of the most recent former Snappers to make it to the Big Leagues. Currently, there are 192 players that have worn a Beloit Professional Baseball jersey that have gone on to play in the Major Leagues.

The Oakland A's Minor League Field Coordinator, Aaron Nieckula will also be speaking at the event. This past season, Nieckula also served as the field manager for the Vermont Lake Monsters, the A's short season affiliate. He was drafted by Oakland in the 22nd round in 1998 and spent five years as a catcher in the Oakland and San Francisco minor league systems. Nieckula has also served as the manager for the Kane County Cougars, Stockton Ports, and Midland Rockhounds in the past.

This year the Snappers have partnered with Beloit Meals On Wheels, Inc. to benefit their initiatives within the Beloit community. Food is life and Beloit Meals On Wheels strives to improve the health and independence of home bound seniors to ensure that no senior experiences hunger. Beloit Meals On Wheels has a positive influence in the community by supporting senior neighbors to extend their independence and health as they age. They do this by providing hot nutritious meals 7 days a week, 365 days a year including holidays, and by compassionately caring for our aging neighbors. By serving up friendship and nutrition, Beloit Meals On Wheels is making communities stronger, safer and more self-sufficient.

Tickets for the event are $40 per adult and $20 for children 5 through 12. Children under the age of 5 are free. The ticket includes dinner, two box seat ticket vouchers for any April or May Snappers home game in 2016 and the program for the evening. Guests may also purchase a reserved table of 8 for $300. Tickets will not be sold at the door and must be purchased in advance. The event will also feature a live and silent auction of a variety of items from numerous sports teams and local businesses.

Tickets will go on sale through the Beloit Snappers offices beginning on December 18th and can be purchased by calling the Snappers offices at 608-362-2272 or by stopping by Pohlman Field at 2301 Skyline Drive in Beloit. The office at Pohlman Field is open from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. The Snappers front office will be closed from December 24, 2015 until January 4, 2016 at 9:00 AM so that the front office staff can spend the holidays with their families. The Hot Stove Banquet tickets can also be purchased online at http://snappers.streamlineticketing.com/web/. If there are any questions during this time, please email [email protected]. Tickets for both the dinner and the program are non-refundable.

The Garden Hotel and Conference Center is located at 200 Dearborn Avenue in South Beloit, Illinois. Doors will open at 5:15 pm for the silent auction and cocktail hour. Dinner will begin at 6:30 pm and the program will start at approximately 7:15 pm. The Snappers are asking that all guests enter through the Conference Center entrance. 

The Beloit Snappers are a member of the Midwest League and are a fourth year Class-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. The 2016 season marks the 35th season for Beloit Professional Baseball. Opening Day at Pohlman Field is set for April 7, 2016 at 6:30 pm when the Snappers face the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. For ticket information, contact the Snappers office at 608-362-2272 or visit our website at www.snappersbaseball.com.