It has been announced that the 2001 Williamsport Crosscutters team will be inducted into the Bowman Field Hall of Fame. The induction will take place at the Cutters Hot Stove Banquet, Monday, January 18 in the Grand Ballroom of the Genetti Hotel in Williamsport. The event is presented in part by WRAK 1400AM, Woodlands Bank, and the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the James V. Brown Library.
The 2001 team, managed by Texas Rangers 3rd base coach Tony Beasley, made it to the NYPL Championship Series against the Brooklyn Cyclones. After losing Game 1 by the score of 7-4 in Williamsport on September 10 of that year, the remainder of the series was canceled due to the events of September 11 and Brooklyn and Williamsport were declared co-champions of the league. It marked the first championship for a Williamsport professional baseball team since 1960. That year, Williamsport also shared a championship with Springfield when the championship series was canceled due to heavy rains.
Returning to Williamsport to represent the team and be part of the induction will be outfielder Chris Duffy. Duffy was a major part of the team’s success, leading the squad with a .317 average, pacing the league with 30 stolen bases while being named a NYPL All-Star. Duffy went on to appear in over 200 MLB games with Pittsburgh and Milwaukee. He was one of eleven players from that team to appear in the major leagues.
In addition to a special appearance by the Phillie Phanatic, other guests at the event include Phillies manager Pete Mackanin and catcher Cameron Rupp as well as Cutters manager Pat Borders and Montoursville’s Tom O’Malley.
The evening will consist of a full-course dinner, along with interviews and question and answer segments with many of the special guests, giving fans the opportunity to hear from Phillies players and staff about the upcoming season. There will also be both live and silent auctions of sports memorabilia from the Phillies, Crosscutters and other various teams.
The dinner and entertainment portion of the event will begin promptly at 6:30 PM, preceded by an hour of mingling, fun and games with Boomer and the Phillie Phanatic. A limited autograph session will take place at the close of event.
A limited number of tickets are still available. Tickets are priced at $50 and can be purchased by calling the Cutters offices at(570) 326-3389 or ordering online at www.crosscutters.com. This event is a virtual sell-out every year, so fans are encouraged to purchase tickets now. Seating will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The Crosscutters 2016 season opens on Friday, June 17 against State College. Season tickets and Bonus Book mini-plans are now available by phone, online or in-person at BB&T Ballpark.
