Voting open for Arizona Sports Hall of Fame 2020 class
May 26, 2020, 9:56 AM
Voting is now open for the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame’s 2020 induction class.
Forty former athletes and contributors to the high school, college and pro ranks are on the ballot. The public can cast a vote for as many names on the list as they like, but only one vote per person is allowed.
Last year, six inductees were added to the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame.
The polls for the 2020 class close at 11:59 p.m. on June 5. The ballot can be found here, and a list of candidates and their accomplishments are listed below.
ANDRE ETHIER | BASEBALL
• Chandler-Gilbert Community College
• Arizona State University
• Los Angeles Dodgers
• Native Arizonan
ANN MEYERS DRYSDALE | BASKETBALL/BROADCASTING/SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR
• Legendary basketball player
• Sports broadcaster
• VP Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury
ANNE MONTGOMERY | MEDIA
• Pioneer in sports broadcasting
• Phoenix sports anchor, one of the first female SportsCenter anchors
• Former AIA football referee
ARTE MORENO | BASEBALL/ SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR
• Owner, Los Angeles Angels
• Has made significant impact in sports within the communities of Arizona
• Vietnam veteran
BILL KAJIKAWA | FOOTBALL
• Former ASU football player
• Former ASU football, baseball and basketball coach
• World War II vet
BILL NIXON | MEDIA
• Former sportswriter with the Arizona Daily Star, Arizona Republic and Phoenix
Gazette
• Former president of the Phoenix Press Box Association
BILLY HATCHER | BASEBALL
• World Series champion with Cincinnati Reds
• Current first base Coach of the Miami Marlins
• Native Arizonan
BOB BRENLY | BASEBALL/MEDIA
• Former MLB catcher
• Former manager, Arizona Diamondbacks
• Current sportscaster, Arizona Diamondbacks
CHANNING FRYE | BASKETBALL
• Former University of Arizona basketball player
• Former NBA player
• St. Mary’s High School (Phoenix) graduate
CHARLI TURNER THORNE | BASKETBALL
• Former Northern Arizona University basketball coach
• Current Arizona State University basketball coach
• Winningest women’s basketball coach in ASU history
GREG HANSEN | MEDIA
• Longtime sports columnist for the Arizona Daily Star
GREG SCHULTE | MEDIA
• Current radio play-by-play voice for the Arizona Diamondbacks
• Fifteen seasons with the Phoenix Suns as a producer/color commentator
• Original pregame, postgame host for the Arizona Cardinals
HENRY CEJUDO | WRESTLING/MMA
• Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling
• Youngest American to become an Olympic champion in freestyle wrestling
• MMA Champion
JERRY KINDALL | BASEBALL
• Legendary University of Arizona baseball coach
JOE CALDWELL | BASKETBALL
• USA Basketball gold medalist in 1964
• Former Arizona State University basketball player
• Former American Basketball Association player
JOE GARAGIOLA SR. | MEDIA
• Legendary announcer and sports personality
• Early face of the Arizona Diamondbacks
JOHN BRIDGER | GOLF/SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR
• Former executive director of the Phoenix Thunderbirds
• Instrumental in helping the Thunderbirds turn the Waste Management Phoenix
Open into an event juggernaut
LANCE BRIGGS | FOOTBALL
• Former University Arizona football player
• Former All-Pro linebacker, Chicago Bears
LOPEZ LOMONG | TRACK & FIELD
• Two-Time USA Olympian
• NCAA champion for Northern Arizona University
• One of the Lost Boys of Sudan
LORENA OCHOA | GOLF
• Former University of Arizona women’s golfer
LYNDSEY FRY | HOCKEY
• U.S. hockey silver medalist
• Arizona Coyotes as a Hockey ambassador and advisor to the President/CEO
• Native Arizonan
MATT WILLIAMS | BASEBALL
• Played for the Arizona Diamondbacks
• World Series champion
• Current Manager for the KIA Tigers
MELISSA BELOTE RIPLEY | SWIMMER
• Three-time Olympic gold medalist
• 1976 College Women Swimmer of the Year for Arizona State University
MICHAEL BATES | TRACK & FIELD/FOOTBALL
• 1992 bronze medalist in the 200-meter dash
• Five-time NFL Pro Bowler
• Native Arizonan
MICHAEL BIDWILL | FOOTBALL/SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR
• Owner, Arizona Cardinals
• Community leader/contributor
• Engineered team’s move to Glendale
• Helped secure three Super Bowls in 15 years at State Farm Stadium
MICHAEL BUDENHOLZER | BASKETBALL
• High school and college basketball Player
• Current head coach Milwaukee Bucks
• NBA and NBCA coach of the year
• Native Arizonan
MUHAMMAD ALI | BOXING/COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTOR
• Legendary boxer
• Founded Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix in 1997
• Helped raise millions for Parkinson’s disease with Celebrity Fight Night
• Made Arizona his home in his later years
OSCAR SORIA | MEDIA
• Spanish radio play-by-play for the Arizona Diamondbacks
• Columnist for Hermosillo’s daily newspaper, and writes a weekly column for
La Estrella De Tucson
PAT MURPHY | BASEBALL
• Former college baseball player
• Former head baseball coach, Arizona State University and Notre Dame University
• Former manager, San Diego Padres
• Current bench coach, Milwaukee Brewers
PAUL KONERKO | BASEBALL
• Six-time MLB All-Star and World Series champion
• Played high school ball at Chaparral High in Scottsdale
• Native Arizonan
PAUL WESTPHAL | BASKETBALL
• Phoenix Suns player and coach
• Member of the basketball Hall of Fame
• NBA champion
PEGGY KENNEDY | BASKETBALL
• Northern Arizona women’s basketball player
• Trailblazer for women’s basketball
• Member of the WBL Hall of Fame
PHIL MICKELSON | GOLF
• Legendary golfer for Arizona State University
• Three-time Masters champion
• PGA Championship
• US Open Championship
RICHARD JEFFERSON | BASKETBALL
• Former University of Arizona basketball player
• Former NBA basketball player
• NBA champion with Cleveland Cavaliers
• Native Arizonan
ROLAND HEMOND | BASEBALL
• Legendary baseball scout/executive
• Three-time winner of Major League Baseball’s Executive of the Year award (1972, 1983, 1989)
• World Series champion
STEVE KERR | BASKETBALL
• University of Arizona basketball player
• NBA basketball player and coach
SUSIE PARRA | SOFTBALL
• University of Arizona softball player
• Gold Medal USA Pan-American Team
• Native Arizonan
TEDY BRUSCHI | FOOTBALL
• University of Arizona football player
• Two-time NCAA All-American
• Three-time Super Bowl champion
TOM DILLON | MEDIA
• Voice of the Arizona State Sun Devils
• Seventeen-time Arizona Broadcaster of the Year
• Former play-by-play announcer for the Arizona Cardinals
TOM JURICH | SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR
• Former football player, Northern Arizona University
• Former athletic director, Northern Arizona University
• 2007 SportsBusiness Journal National Athletic Director of the Year