Wednesday is Scout Hall of Fame Night
August 4, 2009 - American Association (AA)
Sioux Falls Canaries News Release
Sioux Falls, SD - On Wednesday night, the Sioux Falls Canaries will induct Gary Hughes and Bob Fontaine into the Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame (PBSHOF). The ceremony inducting the scouts will take place at 6:30 p.m., a half hour prior to the start of the Canaries game against the Sioux City Explorers.
While, players, executives, umpires, writers, and broadcasters are honored annually in Cooperstown by the Baseball Hall of Fame, scouts were not recognized prior to the Goldklang Group and Topps teaming up to create the PBSHOF in 2008. The inductees are commemorated with their names on the walls at the six minor league clubs operated by the Goldklang Group (Charleston RiverDogs, Fort Myers Miracle, Hudson Valley Renegades, St. Paul Saints, Brockton Rox, and Sioux Falls Canaries).
In 2008, the Canaries inaugural inductees were Brad Sloan of the Los Angeles Angels and Art Stewart of the Kansas City Royals, while John Tumminia (White Sox), Tom Giordano (Rangers), Tom Kotchman (Angels), Rudy Santin (Giants), Lennie Merullo (MLB Scouting Bureau), Buzz Bowers (Red Sox), Lon Joyce (Dodgers), Donny Rowland (Yankees), Phil Rizzo (Dodgers), and Hep Cronin (Braves) were inducted by other Goldklang Group teams.
The first of the Canaries two inductees this year is Gary Hughes of the Chicago Cubs. Hughes started in baseball back in 1967 with the San Francisco Giants, and has spent time with six different major league clubs in his 40-plus year career. During his time with the Montreal Expos, Hughes was responsible for discovering Marquis Grissom, Cliff Floyd, Mark Grudzielanek, Ugueth Urbina, Carlos Perez, and Delino Deshields. In 2007, Hughes was honored by Baseball America with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Hughes has also been named by Baseball America as one of the Top 10 Scouts of the 20th Century.
Bob Fontaine of the Los Angeles Dodgers will be inducted alongside Hughes on Wednesday night. Fontaine started his near 40-year career with the San Diego Padres in 1974. In 1980, Fontaine moved north to the Expos where he uncovered one of the game's greatest left-handed pitchers of all-time, Randy Johnson. Fontaine joined the Los Angeles Angels organization in 1987, and with the Angels, Fontaine was responsible for signing Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez, who currently holds the single-season save record with 62 saves. While with the Seattle Mariners in 2006, Fontaine was honored with the Roland Hemond Award by the Society for Baseball Research (SABR), an award recognizing his meritorious service to scouting.
To purchase tickets to Wednesday's game, contact the Canaries box office at (605) 333-0179 or log-on to the Canaries website, www.canariesbaseball.com.
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