Guest Speaker: Jake Wood of Elizabeth, former Detroit Tigers Second Baseman
The Union County Baseball Association will induct new members into the Union County Baseball Hall of Fame and honor local student athletes for their achievements in 2013 during award ceremonies on Sunday afternoon, February 9.
The 78th Annual Hot Stove League Baseball Dinner on Feb. 9th begins at 1:00 p.m. at the L’Affaire Banquet Center, 1099 Route 22 East, in Mountainside. The dinner is sponsored by the Union County Baseball Association, in cooperation with the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Union County Department of Parks and Community Renewal.
Jake Wood, who played for Thomas Jefferson High School in Elizabeth, will be the special guest speaker. Wood signed with the Detroit Tigers in 1957 as a 20-year-old from Delaware State University. He played four years in the minor leagues before making his debut with Detroit in 1961 – the first African American player to advance through the Tigers minor league system and play in the major leagues. Jake played second base with the Tigers from 1961 to 1967 and led the American League with 14 triples during his rookie year.
Tickets for the dinner are $40 each. Proceeds will help fund the Union County Summer Youth Baseball League for youngsters 8 to 15 years, and the Fall Teen League.
Since 1937, the Hot Stove League Dinner has been the primary fund-raising effort for the Union County Baseball Association’s summer and fall programs. Over the years, the awards dinner has honored many local and national baseball luminaries – including Phil Rizzuto of Hillside, Don Newcombe of Elizabeth, Joe Collins of Union, Jeff Torborg of Mountainside, Willie Wilson of Summit, and Elliott Maddox of Union.
Tickets for the 78th Annual Union County Baseball Association Hot Stove League Dinner on Feb. 9th are available from the Union County Baseball Association by visiting www.UCBA-NJ.org. For more information, please call Jim Iozzi at 908-917-2523.
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