Lugnuts establish Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame

LANSING, Mich. - True greatness isn't restricted to Cooperstown - it can be found everywhere from Little Leagues to the Major Leagues.

To this end, the Lansing Lugnuts proudly announce the establishment of the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame, giving fans a voice in honoring the very best in both baseball and Michigan.

Know a ballplayer, coach, team or contributor who is Hall of Fame worthy? Send us your nomination via MichiganBaseballHall.org before the March 13th deadline!

The inaugural class of Hall of Famers will be chosen from a ballot compiled from public nominations. Nominees may range from all levels of baseball and may include both native Michiganders and those individuals who came to Michigan and contributed positively and significantly.

"Michigan has a golden tradition of baseball excellence," said Lugnuts owner Tom Dickson. "The Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame will honor those heroes of summer while inspiring young baseball fans and future All-Stars for years to come."

The Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame is part of the Lugnuts' 20/20 Visionary Partnership, joining seven select founding partners - Auto-Owners Insurance, LAFCU, Dan Henry Distributing, Dean Trailways, Delta Dental, Granger and Fifth Third Bank - to build Lansing for 20 more years.

The Hall of Fame will be incorporated into the $11.5 million renovation of Cooley Law School Stadium, to be located along the new 360-degree walkway beyond the center field wall. It will officially open during Hall of Fame weekend, on Saturday, June 27th.

The ten inaugural inductees will be determined by a distinguished nine-member committee of Michigan Baseball Experts:

• Joe Block, Michigan State alumnus, Milwaukee Brewers broadcaster
• Jake Boss, Sr., MHSBCA Hall of Fame coach
• Paul Carey, Detroit Tigers radio broadcaster from 1973-1991
• Fred Heumann, WLNS TV-6 sports director
• Mario Impemba, Detroit Tigers television broadcaster since 2002
• Rich Maloney, University of Michigan baseball coach from 2003-2012
• Tim Staudt, WILX TV-10 sports anchor, 730 The Game sports talk host
• Mark Uyl, MHSAA Assistant Director,
• Clyde Weir, Detroit Tigers scout entering his 30th season

For more information or to nominate a Hall of Fame candidate, visit MichiganBaseballHall.org or call 517-485-4500.