MPTLL To Be Recognized at Hot Stove Dinner

February 5th will be a big night for Myers Park Trinity. That's when the 4th Annual Greater Charlotte Hot Stove League Awards Dinner will be held at Carolina's Baseball Center (CBC). Hosted by the South Charlotte Sports Report and CBC, the Hot Stove Dinner is a celebration of youth baseball and softball in the Charlotte area. Awards are presented each year to the finest high school and youth players and teams the city has to offer.

This year our own 2010 District 3 Champion 11-12-Year-Old All Star Team has been selected as a finalist for Youth Baseball Team of the Year. This is the only age group to go through our Little League program and win two district titles (2008 and 2010). The team became Myers Park's first 11-12-Year-Old Major League District Champ in 23 years.

Even more special, the Hot Stove Committee has also voted unanimously to recognize the late Zan Copeland with its Contributions to the Game of Baseball Award for his lifetime of service to youth baseball. Zan proudly represented Myers Park Trinity for most of his life. He was a player for the Hotpoint team; a manager for the Trinity team; an All-Star manager for dozens of teams including district champions; he was a longtime board member; he created our Fall Ball program and Baseball Fever summer camp; he was a passionate and tireless advocate for the children of the Grier Heights community.

Zan died tragically in a house fire in June. He will be missed tremendously by the people of our league for years to come. But it is nice to know that he will be remembered, not only by Myers Park Trinity, but by the entire youth baseball community of Charlotte.

For more information on the Hot Stove Dinner, visit their website. Tickets for the February 5th event are being sold online. Finalists for all the awards will be announced in the days to come, and I will post more information here as I get it.