On Tuesday morning, the Charleston RiverDogs announced that the organization’s 18th Annual Hot Stove Banquet will be headlined by 12-year Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder and current Atlanta Braves television analyst Jeff Francoeur. The event, held in the Segra Club at Riley Park on January 14th, is nearly sold out.
Francoeur, who previously spoke at the event in 2008 as an active player, returns as the lead color commentator on television broadcasts for the World Series champion Atlanta Braves. The 2007 Rawlings Gold Glove award recipient, will sign autographs, pose for pictures, and deliver a keynote address as part of the evening's festivities.
The Atlanta native was a first-round pick of the hometown Braves in 2002 out of Parkview High School. He advanced quickly through the team's farm system, making his Major League debut in 2005 at the age of 21 when he finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. Francoeur played three more full seasons with the Braves before being traded to the New York Mets in 2009.
Including the Mets, the outfielder played for seven other organizations in a career that lasted until 2016. Francoeur was part of the 2010 Texas Rangers team that played in the World Series. He also returned to Atlanta in 2016 for a final stint with the Braves, hitting .249 with seven home runs in 99 games.
Following his playing career, Francoeur joined the Braves as a color analyst for select games during the 2017 season. In 2018, he became the team's lead television analyst, a role he continues to hold. In addition, he is an analyst for TBS during the postseason.
The event will open with a cocktail hour and silent auction that includes baseball memorabilia from past Hot Stove speakers, collectibles from RiverDogs Director of Fun Bill Murray, vacation packages, and more, beginning at 6 pm. A program, including an address from the keynote speaker, concludes the evening.
The Hot Stove Banquet has become one of the most highly anticipated offseason events hosted by the RiverDogs each year. Past speakers have included Hall-of-Famers Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, Ryne Sandberg, Wade Boggs, and Goose Gossage.
Individual tickets to the Hot Stove Banquet can be purchased for $125 or groups can reserve a table of eight for $800. Purchase tickets here.
The RiverDogs will open the 2022 season at home against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on Friday, April 8. Season tickets, flexible ticket plans, and group tickets, including options to the Segra Club at Riley Park, are available at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS). The Segra Club is also open for events year-round. Visit segraclub.com for more information.
