The evening begins with a reception at 6 p.m., followed by dinner, and the program will start at 7 p.m.
Wheelersburg resident and Cincinnati Reds senior special assistant to the general manager, Gene Bennett, is one of the honorees of this year's banquet, along with former MLB pitcher and one-time Cincinnati Reds pitching coach Don Gullett, of South Shore, Ky.
Gullett's image also is featured on the baseball mural on the floodwall near Second Street.
Joining Bennett and Gullett in honors will be MLB umpire and Portsmouth native, Terry Craft, along with former Detroit Tiger scout Billy Doyle, baseball executive Frank Rickey, and hitting coach Wayne Blackburn.
The evening also will feature a special tribute to the late Rocky Nelson - a Portsmouth native who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1960 World Series, and who died last year.
Cincinnati Reds television announcer George Grande will be the featured speaker. Grande was supposed to speak at last year's banquet, but he could not leave his home in Connecticut because of severe weather.
His broadcast partner and former Reds pitcher Chris Welsh took his place.
Besides announcing for the Reds, Grande is the master of ceremonies for the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony each summer in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Tickets for the banquet are $50 and are available at the Scioto County Welcome Center at 342 Second St., in Boneyfiddle. However, the Portsmouth Area Chamber of Commerce said on Wednesday that tickets are now in limited supply. For more information on tickets, call (740) 353-7647.
“The proceeds will go toward annual mural maintenance and production of future murals,” PMI President Bob Morton said in a statement. “For example, the next mural will be painted on the west side of the Scioto County Welcome Center building and will picture the old Norfolk and Western Railroad Terminal.”
JEFF BARRON contributed to this article, and can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 236. RYAN SCOTT OTTNEY can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 235.
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