25 Years of Hits

Tri-State Hot Stove Leagueโ€™s Night of Memories reaches a milestone.

The Tri-State Hot Stove Leagueโ€™s Night of Memories has raised more than $2 million since its debut 25 years ago, and itโ€™s still going strong.

An autograph signing and memorabilia auction, the Night of Memories fundraiser benefits school and youth sports and other organizations in the Evansville area. Numerous famous athletes in different sports โ€” some with local ties โ€” have participated.

The first-ever Night of Memories in 2000 was attended by St. Louis Cardinals legend Enos Slaughter, and the Jan. 25 silver anniversary event continues that tradition of star power. Baseball dominates this yearโ€™s lineup of guests, which includes Don Mattingly, Alan Trammell, Kyle Freeland, and more.

The Tri-State Hot Stove League began in 1992 as the Friends of Bosse Field as a group of baseball professionals devoted to preserving the Evansville baseball parkโ€™s history. (In baseball lingo, โ€œhot stoveโ€ refers to the chilly winter months, when teams are hard at work to shape their rosters for the upcoming season). Joe Unfried and Bill McKeon, who played for the Evansville Braves in 1956, are credited as being the organizationโ€™s founders.

The Night of Memories fundraiser was started to steer funds toward youth sports, using well-known athletes as the draw. The silent auction of sports memorabilia items also brings in big dollars.

All funding applications are considered โ€” the Tri-State Hot Stove League has even supported Habitat for Humanity home builds. But โ€œwe really try to focus on youth sports, giving the opportunity for kids who may not otherwise be able to play because of lack of funds,โ€ says Tri-State Hot Stove League president Ryan Berger.

A longstanding tradition of the fundraiser is the donation of two Super Bowl tickets, courtesy of Evansville native Bob Griese, the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback of the Miami Dolphins.

Berger says Griese โ€” a graduate of Rex Mundi, the Evansville high school that closed in 1972 โ€” again provided this yearโ€™s tickets, which are for the 2026 Super Bowl.

Photo of Don Mattingly and Ozzie Smith provided by Tri-State Hot Stove League

Those who donโ€™t want to pay for signatures but would like to browse the auction items and hear from the guests can attend the chat session after the autograph time.

โ€œIt’s nice that it’s in January, and we can come into this warm environment and hear the stories of all these athletes that we watched on TV,โ€ Berger says.

The University of Evansville has hosted the Night of Memories for four years, and Wes Carroll, UEโ€™s head baseball coach who led his team to its first NCAA Super Regional in June 2024, is among those who will roll out the red carpet.

Carroll cited the importance of the Tri-State Hot Stove Leagueโ€™s mission, and he notes that his friend Tracy Archuleta, the former University of Southern Indiana head baseball coach now in the same role at Indiana State University, remains on the organizationโ€™s board.

Carroll says he also looks forward to seeing Freeland, a University of Evansville alumnus who donated $3 million in May 2024 for a new baseball clubhouse.

โ€œThe community will show how proud we are that he has performed so well for so many years on the big league stage, and how he represents our community and university through a lot of philanthropy,โ€ Carroll says.

Those scheduled to appear at this yearโ€™s Night of Memories include:

  • Don Mattingly: A name synonymous with Evansville and baseball, the Reitz Memorial High School alumnus was a six-time All-Star first baseman with the New York Yankees and the 1985 American League Most Valuable Player. His number 23 is retired by the Yankees. He later managed the Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Marlins, and heโ€™s currently the Toronto Blue Jaysโ€™ bench coach. Mattingly frequently attends Night of Memories while residing in his hometown during Major League Baseballโ€™s offseason. This year, he will sign a basic item for $65 and $100 for a premium, larger item, such as bats or helmets.
  • Alan Trammell: The legendary Detroit Tigers shortstop was an All-Star six times and MVP of the 1984 World Series, won by the Tigers. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017. Trammellโ€™s signature will cost $50 on a basic item and $80 on a premium item.
  • Chris Chambliss: The first basemanโ€™s career with the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, and Atlanta Braves ran from 1971 to 1988. He was an All-Star in 1976 and a member of the 1977 and 1978 World Series champion Yankees. Chambliss will sign for $40.
  • Kyle Freeland: A Colorado Rockies pitcher since 2017, Freeland is a Denver, Colorado, native who played for the University of Evansville. On Jan. 24, UE will break ground on The Freeland Clubhouse, made possible by that $3 million donation from Freeland and his wife, Ashley, a former UE soccer player. Freelandโ€™s signature is $40.
  • Ryan Klesko: The first baseman and outfielder played for the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants from 1992 to 2007. He was an All-Star in 2001 and a member of the World Series champion Braves in 1995. Kleskoโ€™s autograph will go for $25.

Other expected guests areย Jerad Eickhoff, a Mater Dei High School graduate who pitched in the major leagues from 2015-22, mostly with the Philadelphia Phillies; and Brandon Gaudin, a Harrison High School alum who is the television play-by-play announcer for the Atlanta Braves and the voice of Madden NFL for EA Sports.

When you go

Jared Eickhoff jersey photo provided by the Tri-State Hot Stove League

The Tri-State Hot Stove Leagueโ€™s 25th Night of Memories is Jan. 25 at the University of Evansvilleโ€™s Meeks Family Fieldhouse.

The autograph session is from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., and the cost of signatures varies per athlete.

Doors open at 5 p.m. for a chat session, and live and silent auction items will be on display. To browse silent auction items online, download the Handbid app and search Tri-State Hot Stove League 2025 Night of Memories.

Live auction items will be auctioned off Saturday evening, and you have to be present to bid of those.

Admission to the autograph session is $25, and the cost of that also covers the chat session and auction, provided youโ€™re 21 or older.

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