2015 Hot Stove Banquet Flyer

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The University of Illinois baseball team and the Fighting Illini Dugout Club will host the annual Hot Stove Banquet presented by First Federal Savings Bank of Champaign-Urbana to kick off the 2015 season with 13-year MLB veteran Hal Morris as the keynote speaker. Morris, who won the 1990 World Series with the Cincinnati Reds, will headline the banquet, which will be held Saturday, Jan. 24, at the I Hotel and Conference Center, with cocktails and silent auction at 5 p.m., and the banquet at 6 p.m.

Morris was drafted in 1986 and debuted with the New York Yankees in 1988, beginning his 13-year MLB career in which he played for four teams. The first baseman spent two years with the Yankees (1988-89) followed by the bulk of his career with the Reds (1990-97, 1999-2000). He also played for the Kansas City Royals (1998) and Detroit Tigers (2000).

Morris finished with a .304 career batting average and .361 on-base percentage along with 76 home runs. He collected a 32-game hitting streak from 1996-97, which still ranks as the longest streak by a first baseman in MLB history.

Following his baseball career, Morris earned a Masters of Business Administration from Stanford University. He became involved with real estate and private equity investments before returning to baseball as a professional scout. Morris currently works for the Los Angeles Angels as Director of Professional Scouting.

Banquet tickets can be purchased by filling out this PDF form and mailing it to Fighting Illini Dugout Club, P.O. Box 6777, Champaign, IL 61826-6777 prior to Jan. 21 or by calling the baseball office at 217-333-8605 by Jan. 23. A table of 10, including an Illini player, can be purchased for $500; a table of nine, including an Illini player, can be purchased for $450; or a table of eight, with an Illini player, can be purchased for $400. Also, individual tickets are available for $50 and an Illini player's meal can be sponsored for $50 each.