The 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, which one newspaper called “the greatest Canadian sports spectacle ever,” thrust Vancouver onto the world stage for the first time. The BC Sports Hall of Fame is proud to present this signature exhibition celebrating the Games’ 60th anniversary. Elements of the exhibit include the making of the games, the sport competions and highlight events such as the Miracle Mile run by Roger Bannister and John Landy.
LUBBOCK, Texas — The National College Baseball Hall of Fame announced today that it will honor the coaching career of legendary University of Texas coach Cliff Gustafson with an event in Austin.
Titled “A Salute to Coach Gus,” the event will honor Gustafson, who served as skipper of the Longhorns from 1968 to 1996. A member of the Hall of Fame’s inaugural induction class in 2006, he guided his teams to an impressive 1,466 wins, with a record 17 College World Series appearances and two national titles in his 29 seasons at the helm.
“The time is now to honor Coach Gus,” said Mike Gustafson, president and CEO of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame and no relation to the coach. “This will be our first campus event to honor one of our inductees, and he is a fitting choice.”
The evening will feature several of his Hall of Fame players, including Greg Swindell, Roger Clemens, Burt Hooton and Keith Moreland. Players from the 1975 and 1983 national championship teams also will be part of the program.
“With so many of his guys scheduled to be on stage with Coach Gus, I’m sure the evening will be part roast and part ‘This Is Your Life’,” Gustafson said.
The event will take place at the Oasis Restaurant in Austin on Jan. 30. Tables of eight start at $500 and are on sale now.
The National College Baseball Hall of Fame, based in Lubbock, Texas, is a non-profit organization dedicated to recognizing and preserving the history of college baseball. In addition to the annual induction of the Hall of Fame class, the organization presents numerous awards to current college baseball players, coaches and umpires, including the Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Award and the National Pitcher of the Year Award, during its annual Night of Champions event. The organization was founded in 2004, and the first Hall of Fame class was inducted in 2006. Currently, a capital campaign is underway to raise the $13 million needed to construct the George H.W. Bush National College Baseball Hall of Fame building and create an endowment.
For more information on “A Salute to Coach Gus” or to purchase tables for the event, contact Mike Gustafson at [email protected] or call (806) 749-2233.
The USGA Museum will open the Jack Nicklaus Room on Wednesday, May 27, 2015. The room will feature a painting by the artist Harold Riley, a bronze statue by the sculptor Zenos Frudakis and more than 75 artifacts from Nicklaus, including the 3-wood he used to win both of his U.S. Amateur titles and all 18 of his professional majors. Nicklaus, who turned 75 in January, won eight USGA championships, designed more than 390 golf courses and has raised tens of millions of dollars for charity. In addition, the USGA, in partnership with Rolex, produced a film, “Nicklaus: The Making of a Champion,” that debuted on FOX in January and continues to be broadcast on FS1.
Notre Dame hired Dimensional Innovations to create an unforgettable Experience Center at Notre Dame Stadium. By telling the ND story through environmental graphics, technology and signage, DI was able to help the organization create an emotional connection to dedicated fans that will drive revenue and garner excitement around the Campus Crossroads Project (a multi-building renovation centered around the stadium). The space also provides a venue for premium seat offerings at the school’s $400 million stadium expansion.
The consistent use of high-end materials, cutting edge technology, fine finishes, graphic style and language complement other areas of the facility to help seamlessly integrate the new space.
One of the biggest project challenges was creating a unique and on-brand experience that fit within a tight budget and timeline. DI delivered just that – on time and on budget.
In the spirit of the Campus Crossroads Project, the Experience Center is open to the general public for all to experience the rich history and traditions of the Blue and Gold.
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (January 9, 2015) – It’s not often that just showing pride in a team can mean big savings, but that’s the case this month for football fans at the World of Little League®: Peter J. McGovern Museum and Official Store.
Fans can prepare for “the big game” by wearing any merchandise with a professional football logo when visiting the Museum, and receive free admission any day during the month. The Museum is open every day in January, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the exception of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 19), when it will be closed.
The sport on many peoples’ minds this month is football, and many current and former professional football players are Little League graduates, including several who are members of the Museum’s Hall of Excellence.
Among items on display at the Museum is a football signed by Ozzie Newsome, a 1999 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee who is now General Manager and Executive Vice President of the Baltimore Ravens. Mr. Newsome played all 13 seasons of his career with the Cleveland Browns. He played Little League Baseball® in Muscle Shoals, Ala., and was inducted into the World of Little League Hall of Excellence in 2008.
The Hall of Excellence honors Little League graduates who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in their chosen profession, and have become role models for children.
Three other members of the Hall of Excellence played professional football.
George H. “Billy” Hunter, former executive director of the National Basketball Players Association, played professional football with the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins. He was named to the Hall of Excellence in 2000. He led his Delaware Township (N.J.) Little League team to the finals of the Little League Baseball World Series in 1955.
Brian Sipe, inducted in 1999, was a member of the 1961 Little League Baseball World Series Championship team from El Cajon, Calif. Mr. Sipe went on to a 10-year NFL career with the Cleveland Browns, earning a Most Valuable Player Award in 1980.
Tony Dungy, inducted in 1998, is accomplished on and off the playing field – first as a player for the Steelers and 49ers, then as a Super Bowl-winning head coach at Tampa Bay, and now as a football analyst for NBC. Before that, however, he played in the Southeast Little League of Jackson, Mich.
Several current NFL players have strong connections to Little League. Julian Vandervelde, of the Philadelphia Eagles, played in the Little League Baseball World Series in 2000 for Iowa. Matt Cassel, quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, played in the 1994 Little League Baseball World Series for the U.S. National Champions from California.
A fullback for the New York Giants, Henry Hynoski, played at Southern Columbia High School and the University of Pittsburgh. As a youngster, he played Little League near Elysburg, Pa.
Two former NFL players with local ties, Gary Brown, now the running backs coach for the Dallas Cowboys after an eight-year NFL career as a player, and Jack Losch, who played for the Green Bay Packers, are also Little League graduates. Both grew up in Williamsport, Pa., and played football at Williamsport High School. Mr. Losch played in the first Little League Baseball World Series in 1947 for the Maynard Midgets, the champions of the inaugural World Series.
Notable professional football players who are Little League graduates include: Joe Montana, a 2000 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee who played his youth baseball in the Monongahela (Pa.) Optimist Little League; East Brady (Pa.) Little League product Jim Kelly, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002; two Pennsylvania natives, 1988 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Mike Ditka and 2005 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Dan Marino; John Elway, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004, played with Sentinel Little League in Missoula, Mont.;12-year NFL quarterback Joe Theismann, who played youth baseball in the South River (N.J.) Little League; 2006 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Troy Aikman, a graduate of Frontier Little League in Cerritos, Calif.; and Western Hills Little League (Austin, Texas) graduate Drew Brees.
Other Little League graduates who went on to NFL careers include Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick, Richard Sherman, Doug Flutie, Drew Bledsoe, Adam Vinatieri, Tom Brady, Steve Breaston, Bob Greise, Bill Parcells, Boomer Esiason, Brett Favre, and Aaron Rodgers.
In February the Museum will observe World of Little League Loves Teachers Month. At that time, educators showing their teaching identification will receive free admission for themselves and up to two guests.
The World of Little League, 525 Montgomery Pike (US 15), is open daily from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. with the exception of Monday, Jan. 19. General admission is $5. It is $2 for children (ages 5 through 12) and $3 for senior citizens (62 years and older). Children four and younger are admitted free of charge.
More information about the Museum is available at LittleLeagueMuseum.org or you can contact the Museum at 570-326-3607. Follow World of Little League on Facebook (facebook.com/LittleLeagueMuseum) and Twitter (twitter.com/LLBMuseum).
About Little League®
Little League® Baseball and Softball is the world’s largest organized youth sports program, with 2.4 million players and one million adult volunteers in every U.S. state and more than 80 other countries. Founded in 1939, more than 35 million people around the world, from a U.S. president to community leaders to professional athletes, can call themselves Little League graduates. And every year, millions of people follow the hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship that the Little Leaguers display at our nine baseball and softball World Series events, the premier tournaments in youth sports. For more information, visit LittleLeague.org, or follow Little League on Facebook (facebook.com/LittleLeague), Twitter (twitter.com/LittleLeague), and Instagram (Instagram.com/LittleLeague).
St. Marys, Ont. – For the third time in his major league career, New Westminster, B.C., native Justin Morneau will be honoured with the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Tip O’Neill Award.
The St. Marys, Ont.-based shrine presents this honour annually to the Canadian player judged to have excelled in individual achievement and team contribution while adhering to baseball’s highest ideals.
To determine the winner, the Hall takes into account a number of criteria, including each candidate’s on-the-field performance, contributions to their team, community and charitable endeavors and support in fan voting. Starting on November 18, the Hall had encouraged fans to vote for their top three candidates and they responded by casting their votes via e-mail and on the Hall’s website.
Morneau, who captured the National League batting title in his first season with the Colorado Rockies, becomes the fourth player to win the award three times, joining Maple Ridge, B.C., native Larry Walker (a nine-time winner), Etobicoke, Ont., native Joey Votto (four-time winner) and Trail, B.C., native Jason Bay, a three-time recipient.
“Justin Morneau represents everything you want in an ambassador for the game of baseball and for the sport in our country,” said Scott Crawford, the Hall’s director of operations. “Yes, he’s a batting champion and a Gold Glove finalist on the field, but he’s also a passionate supporter of the national program and he quietly and selflessly supports a long list of charities. We’re proud to present this award to such a great all-around player and humanitarian.”
After 10 successful seasons with the Minnesota Twins and a little over a month with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Morneau signed with the Rockies and enjoyed an outstanding comeback season. The left-handed hitting first baseman, who won the American League MVP Award in 2006, secured his first batting title (.319) in 2014. In doing so, he became only the third Canadian (along with Walker and Tip O’Neill) to accomplish that feat.
A participant in this year’s Home Run Derby at the all-star game, Morneau led Canadian big leaguers in most offensive categories and was second amongst National League first basemen in slugging percentage (.496) and on-base plus slugging percentage (.860). His offensive output catapulted him into second place amongst Canadians in several all-time offensive categories, including hits, RBI, doubles and total bases.
On top of his offensive accomplishments, Morneau was a Gold Glove finalist, a NL Comeback Player of the Year nominee and he finished 24th in NL MVP voting. He was also selected to suit up for a post-season all-star team that travelled to Japan.
Off the field, Morneau and his wife, Krista, are active in numerous charities. For the past six years, they have organized a Casino Night to raise money for the Arthritis Foundation, a cause that’s close to Morneau’s heart because his niece, Madelyn, suffers from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Also in recent years, the couple has spearheaded the Winter Warm-Up Coat Drive for the Salvation Army in Minneapolis. Last year, they collected over 1,500 coats for people in need.
The New Westminster Firefighters’ Charitable Society, the Starkey Hearing Foundation and the Ronald McDonald House are among the other charities that Morneau has supported in recent years. For his humanitarian efforts, he has been nominated for Major League Baseball’s Roberto Clemente Award three times (2010, 2012, 2013).
“I would like to start by saying thank you for being named the winner of the 2014 Tip O’Neill Award. With the high quality of Canadian baseball and softball players that now hail from Canada, it is truly one of the great honours of my career,” said Morneau. “To be mentioned amongst the great Canadian players in 2014, and to ultimately win the Tip O’Neill award is very special. When you look at the list of past winners, it is truly humbling to be listed with them again. I would also like to thank the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame for not only this award, but also for doing such a great job of promoting and developing the game of baseball in Canada.”
Morneau will be presented with the award in a ceremony at a Rockies home game during the 2015 season.
Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.), Dalton Pompey (Mississauga, Ont.) and James Paxton (Ladner, B.C.) also garnered significant support for the award, as did Team Canada Women’s MVP Stephanie Savoie (La Pocatière, Que.) and Jamie Romak (London, Ont.)
The Hall’s Tip O’Neill Award is named after Woodstock, Ont., native James “Tip” O’Neill, who was one of Major League Baseball’s first legitimate stars. With the American Association’s St. Louis Browns in 1887, O’Neill set big league records in hits, doubles, slugging percentage and total bases, while compiling a .492 batting average. Walks were counted as hits in 1887, but if O’Neill’s average was calculated by today’s standards, it would be .435, the second highest in big league history to Hugh Duffy who hit .440 in 1894.
Past winners of the James “Tip” O’Neill Award:
1984 – Terry Puhl
1985 – Dave Shipanoff
1986 – Rob Ducey
1987 – Larry Walker
1988 – Kevin Reimer
1989 – Steve Wilson
1990 – Larry Walker
1991 – Daniel Brabant
1992 – Larry Walker
1993 – Rob Butler
1994 – Larry Walker
1995 – Larry Walker
1996 – Jason Dickson
1997 – Larry Walker
1998 – Larry Walker
1999 – Jeff Zimmerman
2000 – Ryan Dempster
2001 – Corey Koskie
2001 – Larry Walker
2002 – Eric Gagné
2002 – Larry Walker
2003 – Eric Gagné
2004 – Jason Bay
2005 – Jason Bay
2006 – Justin Morneau
2007 – Russell Martin
2008 – Justin Morneau
2009 – Jason Bay
2010 – Joey Votto
2011 – Joey Votto
2011 – John Axford
2012 – Joey Votto
2013 – Joey Votto
2014 – Justin Morneau
Two of golf’s greatest golfers of all time and one of St. Louis’ most prestigious country clubs will be inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame during a special enshrinement ceremony on Monday, April 27, 2015, at the beautiful 1,000-seat Chaminade Skip Viragh Center for the Arts.
South African Gary Player, who topped off his 1965 Grand Slam by winning the United States Open in a playoff at Bellerive Country Club, and Nick Price, winner of the 1992 PGA Championship at Bellerive, will be honored along with Bellerive, which has hosted numerous other significant golf events at the club.
To qualify for the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame, an individual or site, must have an area connection.
For Player, who is known as the “Black Knight” because of his signature black attire, and Bellerive, the year 2015 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Open championship. In all, Bellerive has hosted nine national golf championships.
In addition, a “local legend” in St. Louis golf, esteemed golf professional Dick Shapier, who has touched so many golfers over the years, will be inducted into the St. Louis Shrine. Shapier is credited with founding the concept for charities to raise money through golf tournaments. In fact, he has been involved with raising more than $25 million for hundreds of needy causes. At one time, Shapier managed some 55 charity tournaments a year at Norwood Hills Country Club.
Also being honored that night will be two more “local legends” – Jim Holtgrieve and Ellen Port. Besides their incredible playing records each coached a United States amateur team to a World Championship – Jim the mens’ Walker Cup team and Ellen the ladies’ Curtis Cup squad.
Two new awards also will debut on April 27. The Jim Holtgrieve Trophy and the Ellen Port Trophy will be awarded to a boy and girl between the ages of 17-21 from the metro area who have excelled on the course and in the classroom. Those winners will be announced at a later date.
In addition, the great Lee Trevino has also been invited to be inducted for his 1972 St. Louis Open win at Norwood Hills and his participation in Junior League charity events here in the past.
Player, Price and Trevino will be participating in a PGA Champions Tour event the weekend prior to the induction.
A nationally known golf broadcaster will lead the discussion in our interview format at the enshrinement event. The round-table conversation will be a golf fans dream evening!
Tickets for the 7 p.m. event will be available shortly and will be sold at the Chaminade Theater box office. A limited number of sponsorships will also be available. More information about the event may be obtained by calling Kristie at 314-479-7100, or the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame office at 314-753-1570.
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (December 5, 2014) – Santa Claus will visit the World of Little League®: Peter J. McGovern Museum and Official Store from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, December 14.
There will be free admission at the museum, 525 Montgomery Pike (US 15), during Santa’s visit. He will be joined by Mrs. Claus in the Museum’s Connections Gallery, Presented by ACTIVE Network. Not only will visitors have the opportunity to take their photographs with the Jolly Old Elf and see the recently renovated museum, they also will receive a free holiday gift (vintage Little League World Series pin) with any purchase at the Official Store.
Throughout the upcoming holidays, the museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and will be closed on December 24, 25, 31, and January 1. Contact the museum (570-326-3607) or check its Facebook page at Facebook.com/LittleLeagueMuseum for updates on store specials, weather alerts, and more.
Rates for the museum are $2 for children up to the age of 12, $3 for anyone 62 and older, and $5 for general admission. Children 4 and younger are admitted at no charge.
About Little League®
Little League® Baseball and Softball is the world’s largest organized youth sports program, with 2.4 million players and one million adult volunteers in every U.S. state and more than 80 other countries. Founded in 1939, more than 35 million people around the world, from a U.S. president to community leaders to professional athletes, can call themselves Little League graduates. And every year, millions of people follow the hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship that the Little Leaguers display at our nine baseball and softball World Series events, the premier tournaments in youth sports. For more information, visit LittleLeague.org, or follow Little League on Facebook (facebook.com/LittleLeague), Twitter (twitter.com/LittleLeague), and Instagram (Instagram.com/LittleLeague).
For more information contact:
Brian McClintock, Director of Media Relations, Little League Baseball & Softball
Office: 570-326-1921, ext. 2252; Cell: 570-772-2431;
E-mail: [email protected]; Website: LittleLeague.org