Steve Hott Announces Retirement

[Sandgnats]

CRYSTAL LAKE HERALD

SPORTS – GNATS NOW
Steve Hott Announces Retirement
Updated: December 10, 2033 – 11:30 AM

By Howard Heskin, Gnats Beat Writer and ESPN PEBA Correspondent – Twitter @HowardHeskin1

Pitcher Steve Hott, who pitched 6 seasons with Crystal Lake, Florida and Duluth announced his retirement.

"Everything in life has a beginning, middle and end. The real art is to know when that end is upon us," Hott, 35, said in at a press conference today. "I feel like I’ve got life and everything in perspective now. I’m in a bit of a happy place now. Baseball is probably been a bit of a mental battle as much as a physical battle. I’m proud of the way that I’ve attacked it. It’s going to be sad to go but it is what it is. If you can take anything out of my story, it’s just play every game like it’s your last because you never know."

Charles Dole, IV, president and CEO of the Crystal Lake Sandgnats, said, “Steve has had a long and outstanding career in PEBA. We will miss his leadership but even more so we will miss him as a friend and colleague in the daily life of baseball. We want to thank him for all he has done and we will miss Steve’s leadership, dedication and bright sense of humor. We wish Steve the very best in his retirement. It is well deserved.”

As a 2019 college all star, Hott began his career drafted in the 2020 first-year player draft (Round 6, Pick 5, 131st overall pick) by the Tempe Knights. After some injuries he was released by the Long Beach Oliers (Tempe) in 2024 and quickly signed by Crystal Lake that same year. The following year in 2025 he was then traded by the Crystal Lake Sandgnats to the Bakersfield Bears. Florida then claimed Hott off waivers in the 2028 season where later that year he was traded by the Florida Featherheads to the Duluth Warriors. He was then released by Duluth in 2031 where he signed on with Crystal Lake again that same season. Hott then signed and played in the WIL with the Victoria Orcas. He then returned to the Sandgnats for one final minor league season in AA.

The 2030 season with Duluth was Hott's finest work where he posted a 3.25 ERA with 152.1 innings pitched. His WHIP was 1.12 with an ERA+ of 121.

Steve was well known for not having the best attitude during the early years of his career but in the last few years completely remade his reputation for one of the great leaders and students of the game.

Former Teammate Neil Maes who helped Hott to return to Bakersfield for a second stint with the team in 2030, called him “an amazing mentor” who was wrongly labeled a “bad teammate” and “troublemaker.”

“The relationships I have developed over these years with so many of you are those things I cherish the most in my life,” Hott said.

Last Saturday, Hott's University, the Houston Shastas named its bullpen "the Hott Penn" in honor of Steve.

Hott said he plans to return to coaching baseball in the near future.