This breakfast event helped raise funds for the Jamie Daniels Foundation and its support of youth substance use disorder prevention and recovery programming.
By Stacey Winconek
The frigid temperatures and snowfall didn’t stop metro Detroit sports enthusiasts from gathering at the MotorCity Casino Sound Board on Tuesday, Jan. 14 for Hot Stove Stories, rounding the bases with Mike Tirico.
The sold-out breakfast event welcomed more than 220 people and helped raise over $100,000 for the Jamie Daniels Foundation. Proceeds from the Hot Stove Stories event support the foundation’s work in substance use disorder prevention and recovery programming.
In baseball, the term “hot stove” refers to the off-season period when teams, players, and fans actively discuss trades, free-agent signings, and other team changes. The term originated in the early 20th century when baseball fans would gather around stoves in public spaces—such as bars or general stores—to talk baseball during the cold winter months. By the 1920s, “hot stove” had become a widely used metaphor for the lively off-season speculation and conversation about player moves and team developments, even when no games were being played.
Tuesday’s breakfast event offered attendees a unique opportunity to hear stories and insights from some of the most iconic voices in baseball broadcasting, including Jason Benetti (Detroit Tigers TV play-by-play), Dan Dickerson (Detroit Tigers Radio play-by-play), Len Kasper (Chicago White Sox play-by-play), and Dan Shulman (Toronto Blue Jays play-by-play).
A torn Achilles tendon didn’t stop host Mike Tirico from taking the stage to engage in lively discussions with the four announcers. The panel shared career-defining moments, behind-the-scenes sports stories, and much more.
Guests enjoyed a gourmet breakfast sponsored by the Michael and Marian Ilitch Foundation and participated in an engaging paddle-raise fundraiser, in addition to a silent auction, sponsored by Trinity Health.
Before the baseball conversation began, co-founders Lisa Daniels-Goldman and Ken Daniels took the stage to share Jamie’s story, discuss the work of the Jamie Daniels Foundation (including its collegiate recovery programming), and highlight snippets of family videos set to a song Jamie’s cousin wrote in his honor.
Watch this short video from FanDuel to get a peek at the action!
