AUBURN - It didn't take long for the Auburn Doubledays Hot Stove Dinner to become a local sports institution.
Falcon Park may be covered in snow but Doubledays fans will get a chance to dream about summer nights at the ballpark during the team's annual Hot Stove Dinner Friday night at the Sunset Restaurant. Jason Rearick / The Citizen
Three years - that was it.
Doubledays fans will gather at the Sunset Restaurant at 5:30 p.m. Friday to talk baseball with Auburn manager Dennis Holmberg, new general manager Carl Gutelius, new pitching coach Tom Signore and former major-league pitcher and West Genesee High alum Frank DiPino.
"It's a great gathering of the people who walk and talk baseball and let's you keep things up on a cold night," Holmberg said. "It's an indication of what baseball means (to the fans)."
Gutelius said about 140 tickets have already been sold for the dinner, which will benefit the Hillside Children's Center, the New York-Penn League Charitable Foundation and the Leo A. Pinckney Scholarship Fund.
"Hillside's been a great partner with us," Gutelius said, "they've supported us and we in turn support them. They are a vital resource for the community. Leo's scholarship is a perfect tie-in."
The new NY-P Charitable Foundation was formed by the league to give back to the communities where its teams play.
For Gutelius, this will be his coming-out as Doubledays general manager since taking over for Jason Smorol last October.
"It's exciting, it's a feeling of representing the team and myself as best as I possibly can," he said. "It's got a different focus (then being the assistant general manager) for me. I was more behind the scenes last year."
The cost is $25 a ticket for season-ticket holders, sponsors and groups of eight or more. The regular price is $30. The dinner is limited to about 200 people.
There will also be a silent auction of baseball items, such as four New York Yankee box seat tickets not available to the general public and four Toronto Blue Jays field-level tickets paired with a two-night stay in Toronto.
There will also be many autographed items and items donated by team photographer Glenn Gaston up for bid.
One of the highlights for Doubledays fans will be another appearance by the popular Holmberg. The manager, entering his fourth year in Auburn, makes the now annual trip up north from his Florida home and will be the dinner's featured speaker.
It's a trip the manager, who won his 1,000th-career game last season, makes eagerly to see the Doubledays' loyal fans.
"Auburn is a great little city, that is very fortunate to have professional baseball," he said. "Great city, great people, great board of directors."
"Dennis isn't too fond of the cold, he's very gracious," Gutelius said. "There's never been any doubt once we learned he was manager that he would be willing to come up here. He's always fun to listen to. He loves coming out for the fans."
Holmberg said he was anxious to see Auburn's famous crow population but he isn't too disappointed they are almost gone.
"That's like saying I'll be glad when all the seagulls are gone from Florida," Holmberg said.
Doubledays fans will gather at the Sunset Restaurant at 5:30 p.m. Friday to talk baseball with Auburn manager Dennis Holmberg, new general manager Carl Gutelius, new pitching coach Tom Signore and former major-league pitcher and West Genesee High alum Frank DiPino.
"It's a great gathering of the people who walk and talk baseball and let's you keep things up on a cold night," Holmberg said. "It's an indication of what baseball means (to the fans)."
Gutelius said about 140 tickets have already been sold for the dinner, which will benefit the Hillside Children's Center, the New York-Penn League Charitable Foundation and the Leo A. Pinckney Scholarship Fund.
"Hillside's been a great partner with us," Gutelius said, "they've supported us and we in turn support them. They are a vital resource for the community. Leo's scholarship is a perfect tie-in."
The new NY-P Charitable Foundation was formed by the league to give back to the communities where its teams play.
For Gutelius, this will be his coming-out as Doubledays general manager since taking over for Jason Smorol last October.
"It's exciting, it's a feeling of representing the team and myself as best as I possibly can," he said. "It's got a different focus (then being the assistant general manager) for me. I was more behind the scenes last year."
The cost is $25 a ticket for season-ticket holders, sponsors and groups of eight or more. The regular price is $30. The dinner is limited to about 200 people.
There will also be a silent auction of baseball items, such as four New York Yankee box seat tickets not available to the general public and four Toronto Blue Jays field-level tickets paired with a two-night stay in Toronto.
There will also be many autographed items and items donated by team photographer Glenn Gaston up for bid.
One of the highlights for Doubledays fans will be another appearance by the popular Holmberg. The manager, entering his fourth year in Auburn, makes the now annual trip up north from his Florida home and will be the dinner's featured speaker.
It's a trip the manager, who won his 1,000th-career game last season, makes eagerly to see the Doubledays' loyal fans.
"Auburn is a great little city, that is very fortunate to have professional baseball," he said. "Great city, great people, great board of directors."
"Dennis isn't too fond of the cold, he's very gracious," Gutelius said. "There's never been any doubt once we learned he was manager that he would be willing to come up here. He's always fun to listen to. He loves coming out for the fans."
Holmberg said he was anxious to see Auburn's famous crow population but he isn't too disappointed they are almost gone.
"That's like saying I'll be glad when all the seagulls are gone from Florida," Holmberg said.
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