The baseball term “hot stove” is affiliated with the time of year when those associated with America’s past time, whether it is players, managers, front office personnel and fans, discuss the summer game during the winter months.  Even before the Boston Red Sox traded Tris Speaker to the Cleveland Indians for Sad Sam Jones and Fred Thomas in 1916, folks sat around the hot stove to debate and discuss the significance of their team’s transactions.  

Even though air conditioning and furnaces have replaced the iron stove as sources of heat, the term hot stove is still quite common in baseball vernacular.  A place it is used frequently is to reference baseball banquets that take place during the off-season.  The banquets are held to celebrate the game of baseball and to reward those in the game that contribute to its success.

Fans of varying ages enjoyed a night of baseball during the traditional off-season month of January.

From sharing about his time playing with Yogi Berra to the salvation of dear friend Mickey Mantle, Bobby Richardson capped a memorable and historic night at the 14^th annual Hot Stove Banquet and Silent Memorabilia Auction on Thursday at the Benton Convention Center.  With over 600 guests, this year's Hot Stove Banquet was the largest attended since the inception of the special event.

“Little Bobby” as he was referred to during clips shown of the 1960 World Series, Richardson relived stories from his days as a player and more recent accounts as a coach and mentor.

“It’s important how we live,” Richardson said. “I don’t portray anything on the outside I don’t truly feel on the inside. That’s the kind of being that’s not in a book, but it’s something real that will never fail.”

He told of being cut from his American Legion team as a freshman, then signing with the Yankees while still 17.

He told of how in 1959 the Yankees didn’t have a single .300 hitter. Richardson was the closest, hitting .299. So Yankee manager Casey Stengel told Richardson if he got a hit in his first at-bat in the final game, he’d bench him to keep his average over .300. Word got out and the opposing pitcher, catcher and even the first base umpire agreed to do all they could to help Richardson, only to have right-fielder and good friend Albie Pearson make a sliding catch. Not that it mattered, Richardson hit a single and a double in his next two at-bats to finish with a .301 average.

The most poignant part of Richardson’s remarks was when he described friend Mickey Mantle’s bout with liver cancer. Richardson remembers how the Hall-of-Famer requested Richardson to pray for him and told him of the void he felt in his life.

Richardson shared Bible verses to console and encourage Mantle, and the two continued to talk several times.

On one occasion, Mantle approached Richardson with a big smile and told him he had become a Christian.

Mantle said he had experience real peace. Three days later, he passed away, and it was Richardson who had the privilege of speaking at his nationally televised funeral.

“Being part of the Hall of Fame is only good as long as time goes by,” Richardson told the full house at the Benton Convention Center. “But God’s Hall of Fame goes on for eternity. I’d rather be an unknown here and be known up (in heaven).”

Prior to Richardson’s address, three new members were inducted into in the Greater Winston-Salem Professional Baseball Hall of Fame: Jim Lonborg, Nelson Petree and Eddie Yuhas.

Yuhas was nominated posthumously, but his daughter Dawn Patterson was present to accept the nomination on his behalf.

Lonborg was also not in attendance, but said in an E-mail he is honored to be elected to the Hall of Fame and has great memories of his time in Winston-Salem and particularly of Bill Slack, who coached Lonborg during his time in Winston-Salem in 1964.

Petree was the only 2008 inductee present and expressed his gratitude to God, the Warthogs, former members of the Winston-Salem Pond Giants and his family among others.

“As I think back there are so many people who publicly and privately supported the Pond Giants and I’m thankful for each of you,” Petree said.

Petree is especially grateful to his late wife, Ida.

“(Ida) was the backbone of our family and I know she is here in spirit today,” he said.

The evening was also highlighted by the awarding of the first annual Winston-Salem / Forsyth County baseball scholarship to Jacob Martin of RJ Reynolds High School. Martin was one of 10 finalists for the $2,500 scholarship present.

Warthogs President Guy Shuman would like to thank all those who helped make the Hot Stove Banquet such a success.

“We would like to thank our guests for their tremendous support of this years Hot Stove Banquet,” he said. “It was the largest event to date with over 600 in attendance. Through their contribution of time and resources we will be able to continue the growth of our charitable giving to the youth baseball programs throughout our country.”