headed to Cooperstown? Evan Grant He said he didnt compartmentalize his career while he was in the midst of it because he was working so hard to reach a certain level that he just didnt have or make the time to take a step back and really appreciate what hed accomplished. WebSo, you are eligible for the Hall of Fame 5 seasons after you retire. Here's a look at every first-ballot Hall of Famer in baseball history. You had the dream, it was maybe always in the back of your mind, but the circumstances were so different a generation ago. I mean, particularly when youre in your late 30s, its like, wow, Ive been going at this for a while. But then you look back when you retire and now five years removed and you kind of reflect on it all, it does seem like it all went by pretty fast. Ozzie SmithClass of 2002Smith's acrobatics at shortstop made him arguably the greatest at the position that requires such skill. A finalist needs 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. To fully articulate Hills dominance at his zenith, well play a different what if game. With Jason Kidd the only other player with more than six over that same stretch, Hill was doing things as a playmaker that nobody else his size could match. 2nd Class of the Curley Athletic Hall of Fame Youre just so focused and the direction is forward. Enshrinees from the Direct Elect Committees are also recognized at the NCAA Mens Final Four and include Early African-American Pioneers, International, Contributors and Veterans. WebThe Hall of Valor is the worlds largest public database of American military award citations, collected by Doug Sterner, a Vietnam veteran and Military Times contributing editor. But perhaps his most prominent milestone was helping the Red Sox snap the 86-year Curse of the Bambino with their World Series title in 2004. His 521 homers are tied for 20th on the all-time list, and his 18 grand slams were second only to Lou Gehrig's 23 at the time. No other player had more than three. He spent four years playing for the Blue Devils and was inducted into the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2016 for his contributions to the program. LOS ANGELES - The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today, at NBA All-StarWeekend, eight phenomenal players, three standout Golden State's star sharpshooter enjoys another historic moment, which also set his playoff career high. Tightwad Hill on Twitter: "RT @CalFootball: In honor of His crossover wasnt like Allen Iversons, but for a 6-8 guy, it was like Iversons.. But then when this all came about and I got that call (from the Hall of Fame), you realize that you might have suppressed some things. Hall of Fame Hall of Fame During his remarkable 1972 campaign, he compiled a 1.97 ERA and struck out 310 batters over 346 1/3 innings and remains the last pitcher to exceed 300 innings in a single season ('80). Over his 18 seasons, he posted a .328/.415/.443 slash line. Looking back, that looked like a one sided deal back then, but the Pistons wound up winning a title and went to the Finals twice due to Ben Wallaces play. In order to fully appreciate his transcendent talent and ahead of his official enshrinement into the Basketball Hall of Fame, lets examine Hills prime relative to some of the games biggest stars. Hill Hall of Fame Tony GwynnClass of 2007In terms of pure hitting acumen and ability, Gwynn is recognized as perhaps the greatest ever. Im in Detroit and youve got Elton Brand and Shane Battier and Corey Maggette and that whole crew and Jeff Capel, Im not that far removed in terms of my age differential from those guys. After missing 65.3% of possible games with the Orlando Magic, in his five full seasons in Phoenix, Hill missed only 8.8% (35 games), and even tied for the league-lead in games played (82), in 2008-09, only the second time in his career he appeared in every game in a season, the first being the 1998-99 lockout shortened year (50 games). Though the MVP voting for the 1996-97 season is most remembered for Karl Malone controversially edging Michael Jordan, Hill quietly finished third while averaging 21.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. Athletics You just dont. This will allow the Honors Committee to evaluate a larger body of work for thosecoaches nominated. You dont have time to dwell on what did or didnt happen in the past. And I remember the hard times, the struggles. LOS ANGELES - The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today, at NBA All-StarWeekend, eight phenomenal players, three standout coaches, one exceptional referee, and one record-setting team as finalists from the North American and Womens committees to be considered for election in 2018. Grant and young Tracy McGrady were supposed to be the new Jordan and Pippen in Disneyworld, but it didnt quite work out that way. Mr. Nice Guy, as I referred to him even then, was in town. Fair or not, its part of his legacy. Dennis EckersleyClass of 2004Eckersley is one of just three relievers in MLB history to win the MVP Award -- and he did so in his 18th season after transitioning from a starting role over his first 12 seasons. Hill, a Basketball Hall of Famer and seven-time NBA All-Star, made $2.75 million in 1994, his rookie year with the Detroit Pistons. The four finalists from the Womens Screening Committee includes: players Katie Smith and Tina Thompson, coach Kim Mulkey, and Wayland Baptist University as a team. Honus WagnerClass of 1936Considered by many to be the greatest shortstop in baseball history, Wagner won eight batting titles in his 21-year career, primarily for his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates, and was not only one of the best hitters and baserunners of the era, but also an able defender at virtually every position. Pedro MartinezClass of 2015If it wasn't Johnson, then Martinez was the most dominating pitcher of their era. During that 1996-97 season, Hill finished third in league in total win shares while averaging .223 win shares per 48 minutes. Which positions are most often honored on the first ballot? Stan MusialClass of 1969Not only did Stan "The Man" win three NL MVP Awards, three World Series championships and seven batting titles, but he did it all in St. Louis, where he spent his entire 22-year career and became the face of the franchise. An amazing four-year career at Duke, Rookie of the Year, Olympic gold medalist and 7-time All-Star, Hills career arc includes the injuries which prematurely ended his prime and derailed any potential best player chatter. ), (For fun: Hill earned $456,000 per regular season appearance in Orlando. and our He spoke with NBA.com about his journey from the Washington D.C. suburbs to his college and pro days and now Springfield, where the Hall of Fame class will be enshrined Sept. 7: NBA.com: Do you look back at your basketball life, from high school to Duke to the NBA and nearly two decades in the league, and feel like it went by in a flash? He won 13 straight Gold Glove Awards from 1980-92 and was an All-Star in all but one season in that stretch. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner's 305 wins are the fourth most by a left-hander. The two-time AL MVP Award winner would remain there for two decades, playing shortstop and center field for the Brewers. Jones, who spent his entire 19-year career in Atlanta, was the cornerstone player in its run to a record 14 straight division titles. Eagles Trade for Lions RB D'Andre Swift - NFL Tracker 2018 Hall of Fame: How good was Grant Hill. The outstanding numbers he put up in Detroit were far in the rear-view mirror for many fans, and eventually Hills run in Orlando would be labeled a disappointment. In perhaps his final chapter as a pro, Hill currently is playing with the Phoenix Suns, where he is meshing well with Shaq, Steve Nash and company. Hill: (Laughing) Exactly. So again, I wanted to play with my friends on the freshmen team, who by the way went 22-0 that year, so if I had played with them I might have messed them up (laughing). During his senior season he crushed the course record at Herring Run Hall of Brooks RobinsonClass of 1983Robinson won an AL MVP Award in 1964 and was an 18-time All-Star, but was best known for setting the defensive standard at third base, where he became known as "The Human Vacuum Cleaner" and won 16 consecutive Gold Glove Awards. Hall of Fame In addition to the two national titles, he also led the Blue Devils to a third Final Four during his career from 1990-94. In 2010, Halladay threw a perfect game on May 29 at the Marlins. Of course his scoring statistics were never as high as they were with the Pistons, and although lower than they were with Orlando, not that much lower (Hill averaged 19.9 points per-36 minutes for Detroit, 18.3 pp-36 with Orlando, and 14.5 pp-36 with Phoenix). He played super defense, hit for power and average and played every day. 2023 NFL Draft Round 1 grades for all 31 picks: Two As That game with Patrick Ewing and Sleepy Floyd for Georgetown and James Worthy and of course Michael Jordan as a freshman hitting that shot to win the game. I certainly wasnt thinking NBA or anything like the Hall of Fame back then, you didnt go there. He is the first former Blue Devils player to receive Hall of Fame honors. 1 overall pick in the 1987 Draft and perhaps one of the most touted prospects ever, "The Kid" lived up to the hype and more. One of Basketball-Reference.coms most unique features is a Hall of Fame probability calculator which considers the statistics, accolades and awards most correlated with getting selected into the Hall of Fame. He also earned National Defensive Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and first-team All-American honors as a Blue Devil. The son of former NFL Pro Bowl running back Calvin Hill and Janet Hill, Grant Hill insists hes best known to the new generation of basketball fans for his work as an analyst for Turner Sports NBA and March Madness coverage. And I wonder, too, if todays era and generation of players will have a different perspective, will they have more awareness because of social media. And when Grant Hill came in he was basically anointed by the league, players and everyone, he was anointed to be the next face of the league, former Pistons great and Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas said after Hill was announced as one of the selections for the, . The hoop dream was there, but it seems like its gotten bigger, if that makes sense, in the years since you were a McDonalds All-American and going along on your journey? There arent many people who get anointed to carry the crown of being the face of the league. Wade BoggsClass of 2005Boggs wasn't the most athletic, didn't have the strongest arm and was never a threat on the basepaths, but during his peak, a 12-year stretch from 1985-96 during which he was an All-Star 12 times, Boggs was arguably the game's best hitter. A subreddit dedicated to NBA news and discussion. After the 1999-00 season, Grant Hill and Detroit were both ready to go in a different direction. If you played out Grant Hills career 100 times, theres a world that exists where Kobe or Hill dominates the debate landscape. Hill would have settled for at least a brief return to his pre-injury form. Grant was named the 2017 recipient of the NCAA Presidents Gerald R. Ford Award, recognizing his significant leadership as an advocate for college sports. Ivan RodriguezClass of 2017"Pudge," as he became iconically known, was a 14-time All-Star and 13-time Gold Glove Award winner, both benchmarks for catchers in MLB history. And when Grant Hill came in he was basically anointed by the league, players and everyone, he was anointed to be the next face of the league, former Pistons great and Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas said after Hill was announced as one of the selections for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2018. Henderson also owns MLB's all-time record for runs scored (2,295) and is second in walks (2,190) over his 25-year career and in 1990 was the AL MVP Award winner after swiping 65 bases and posting a 1.016 OPS -- the type of season that will almost assuredly never be matched again. The Bad Boys era was done, and as Michael Jordan had just stepped away from the game the first time after the Bulls three-peat, the Pistons had their new face. I dont know, Hill recently told Sekou Smith of NBA.com. When we think of bankable perimeter NBA stars in the immediate post-Jordan world, most gravitate towards Kobe Bryant who came closest to fulfilling the Next Jordan moniker tossed around loosely in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Tarkenton was a No. Grant also serves as an occasional studio analyst on TNT's Inside the NBA. Now David Ortiz has joined this exclusive club. Regardless of where you stand on Bryant, its undeniable that hes generally viewed higher on the pecking order than Hill when it comes to pure ability between the lines. WebRT @CalFootball: In honor of this years NFL Draft in Kansas City, lets throw it back to 1997 when our first-ballot Hall of Famer @TonyGonzalez88 was selected 13th overall by the @Chiefs #ProBears . NBA.com: You mentioned your healthy years in Detroit and it must seem like another lifetime. And my dad had always been a fan of Dean Smith really based on a lot of what he did in the 1970s, integrating the ACC and just his stance on a lot of social issues more than just what hed done as one of the greatest coaches in the history of the game. The first time Hodges was on the BBWAA ballot was for the 1969 Hall of Fame class. I took one visit, one official visit, and when I came back from it I knew thats where I wanted to be. A little more than five years after authoring a record-breaking final season, Ortiz punched his ticket to Cooperstown. Had it not been for the three seasons he spent overseas, Spahn -- the winningest left-handed pitcher of all time (363), a 17-time All-Star and a 13-time 20-game winner -- might have joined Cy Young and Walter Johnson in the 400-win club. One of the most accomplished NBA and college players of his generation, Grant Hill was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a first-ballot member of the 2018 class. Then Nos. The two-time Cy Young Award winner and the '68 NL MVP Award winner quite literally changed the game. WebGrant Hill weighed 225 lbs (102 kg) when playing. Willie StargellClass of 1988Stargell spent his entire 21-year career in Pittsburgh, topping 20 homers in 13 straight seasons and winning a pair of home run crowns after the Pirates moved to Three Rivers Stadium in 1971. Hill signed a two-year $3.8 million deal with Phoenix, pennies on the proverbial dollar compared to what he was earning as a former superstar with Orlando. Just the Quarterback and Running Back positions account for 35% of First Ballot inductees. Eagles Trade for Lions RB D'Andre Swift - NFL Tracker A 12-time All-Star, Winfield hit 465 home runs and is a member of the 3,000-hit club. He also was particularly critical during Minnesota's World Series championship runs in 1987 and '91, hitting .309/.361/.536 over 24 playoff games. This is all from a player who picked up baseball as a summertime hobby, and who nearly opted for a career in basketball. Paul MolitorClass of 2004Molitor had multiple monikers -- "Molly" and "The Ignitor" to name a few -- over a remarkable 21-year career. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. ESPN Willie McCoveyClass of 1986McCovey terrorized the NL for the majority of 22 seasons, leading the Senior Circuit in homers three times and winning the 1969 NL MVP Award. And it was a little different for him growing up in Oakland and the Bay Area. What if rather than an All-American career at Duke which included a pair of national championships and an ACC Player of the Year award, Hill began his NBA career with a relatively blank slate in the form of Hall of Fame credentials. Hall of Fame ballot first Wisconsins Joe Thomas was 33 , but he stayed at left tackle and become a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But to hear him talk about me and to hear what he thought of me back in the 90s, even now, not to say that I was overly sensitive, but somebody like him remembers. Announced in December, two distinct modifications have been made to the election process. A typical Hall of Famer was dominant at their position during their playing career, but First Ballot Hall of Famers separated themselves into the conversation for the best of all-time. This years list includes six first-time finalists: two-time NBA ChampionRay Allen, two-time NCAA ChampionGrant Hill, 10-time NBA All-StarJason Kidd, two-time NBA MVPSteve Nash,three-time Olympic gold medalistKatie Smithand four-time WNBA ChampionTina Thompson. Those who want to jab McGrady's first ballot Hall of Fame selection might point out this defining moment was in a regular-season game. A more detailed explanation is here along with current odds for players, just know that its based entirely on the NBA and does not take into account college or international experience. Hill also served as his teams primary scorer, leading the Pistons in each of his first six seasons while topping out at 25.8 points per game his final season in Detroit. Babe RuthClass of 1936The Bambino's powerful left-handed swing and 714 homers ushered baseball out of the Dead Ball Era, and the former ace pitcher and home run king's larger-than-life persona transcended the limits of the baseball field and cemented his place not only in baseball lore, but also in American legend. I wanted to play with my friends but my varsity coach asked me to play and my dad told me to play, and keep in mind I started high school when I was 13 so I was young. Hall of Fame Players who make the semifinalists stage (top 25) in their first eligible year almost always eventually get enshrined, even if it takes multiple years. The 1977 AL MVP Award winner was a seven-time batting champion. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. NBA.com: It does. He was a 13-time All-Star and won five World Series with the Yankees. CANTON, Ohio (WJW) The one and only Joe Thomas has officially made the Pro Football Hall of Fame vote for 2023, his first year of eligibility. Grant Hill and Jason Kidd are two players that were included in the 2018 Hall of Fame class that can easily be compared to Love resume-wise. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. Ken Griffey Jr.Class of 2016As the son of a successful 19-year big leaguer, the No. I didnt get a chance to see it through, to see what could have been. Heres the thing, though: Hill was every bit as productive as Kobe. Herrin native Steve Fisher up for Naismith Basketball A winner of four straight Cy Young Awards and a finalist three other times, Maddux was the No. First Ballot Hall of Famers An eight-time NL batting champion, Gwynn is one of few to sniff the .400 batting average mark since Ted Williams in 1941, clipping .394 in '94. Grant is also a studio analyst on NBA TV's GameTime. Missing a total of 374 games over that stretch, by the summer of 2007, Grant Hill was a shell of his former self, nowhere near the superstar he had been proclaimed as when a member of the Detroit Pistons (when he was the air apparent to air Jordan), and as far as anyone could possibly have surmised, if he had retired just then, he too never would have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Nolan RyanClass of 1999Ryan played a record 27 years in the Majors, pitching for the Mets, Angels, Astros and Rangers, and he is baseball's all-time leader in no-hitters (seven) and strikeouts (5,714). Jim ThomeClass of 2018The blue-collar slugger from Peoria, Ill., was drafted in the 13th round by Cleveland in 1989 and went on to headline an era defined by power with 612 home runs, the eighth-most all-time. His name? He piled up 9,393 points, 3,417 rebounds and 2,720 assists in the first six seasons of his career. He was able to see it through. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. In 2017 as the Twins' skipper, Molitor joined Frank Robinson as the only Hall of Famers to be elected as players and go on to win the Manager of the Year Award. Step 2 - Read local news sources: If you're unable to find information about a Hill: You really dont have that time when youre in the middle of it. The following is a list of players who immediately made the semifinals and their current Hall of Fame status. But yeah, I forget sometimes, even my kids remind me. For more information, please see our When I was in Phoenix, my daughter Myla would go on YouTube and look at old highlights and she said, oh dad, you werent always a scrub. And you repair your ego a little bit, you look at it and go, oh yeah, I was pretty good at one time. Ive had more of those sort of moments now that reflect and get a chance to look back over the years to see some of the things I was fortunate enough to do. Then, in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Reds -- in his first career postseason start -- Halladay threw a no-hitter. Although he never won an MVP, his last All-Star appearance came eight years prior to his retirement (he made seven total, playing in six), he never won a title, and only made it out of the first round of the playoffs once, Grant Hill is a Hall of Famer because of his five seasons with the Phoenix Suns. first Cannon Safe Shelf Setup, East Grinstead Observer Archives, Articles W
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