The Sports Hall of Fame Encyclopedia: Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey Soccer Scarecrow Press, Incorporated, 2009 In 1936, the Baseball Hall of Fame was established to honor the legends of the sport. The first inductees were some of the greatest names of the dugout, including Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth. Less than ten years later, in 1945, the Hockey Hall of Fame inducted its first members. The Soccer Hall of Fame was established in 1950, followed by the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959, and the Football Hall of Fame in 1963. In all, more than 1,400 inducteesplayers, teams, and behind the scenes personnelhave been enshrined in these five halls of fame. The Sports Hall of Fame Encyclopedia is a comprehensive listing of each inductee elected into one or more of these major sports halls of fame. From Hank Aaron to Fred Zollner, this book contains biographical information, sport and position(s) played, and career statistics (when applicable) of each of the more than 1,400 honorees. The book also includes specific appendixes for each shrine, in which inductees are listed alphabetically and by year of induction. Also included are appendixes briefly describing the history of each hall of fame. Entries Include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Yogi Berra Larry Bird Joe DiMaggio Julius W. Erving Wayne Gretzky Gordon "Gordie" Howe Earvin "Magic" Johnson Alexi Lalas Mario Lemieux Joe Montana Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr Pel Walter Payton Cal Ripken Jr. Don Shula John B. Souza Archibald M. Stark Roger Staubach Ted Williams |
