Albuquerque Hall welcomes six

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The Albuquerque Professional Baseball Hall of Fame, which was created in conjunction with last year's Triple-A All-Star Fiesta, will welcome six new members as chosen by a special Albuquerque Professional Baseball Hall of Fame Selection Committee.

The new class includes former Dukes manager Del Crandall, former general manager Pat McKernan, the 1981 Dukes Team, Dukes Triple Crown outfielder Mike Marshall, former manager and outfielder Hershel Martin and executives Tom Bolack/John McMullen.

A committee of 14 Albuquerque Baseball experts, spanning seven decades, chose the inaugural Hall of Fame class based on contributions to baseball in Albuquerque, both on and off the field. The induction ceremony will take place at Isotopes Park as part of Dukes Retro Night on July 23 and each inductee will have a plaque commemorating their achievements posted in the Albuquerque Baseball Hall of Fame display in McKernan Hall located in Isotopes Park.

Crandall managed the Dukes for five years, posting an impressive 471-314 (.600) record while winning four Pacific Coast League championships. The 1981 team Crandall helmed is considered one of the best in Minor League History, going 94-38 en route to a PCL title. A key component of that squad was Marshall, who won the Triple Crown after batting .373 with 34 homers and 137 RBI.

McKernan was a three-time PCL executive of the year, serving as general manager of the Dukes for 21 years from 1979-2000, a period that is considered one of the team's best. Representing the era before the Dukes were a Triple-A team is Hershel Martin, who was an outfielder/manager for the Dukes from 1948 to 1951, leading the team to two West Texas-New Mexico League crowns while also making the League's All-Star team three seasons and leading the circuit in hitting in 1948 with a mark of .425.

Bolack and McMullan, who will be inducted together, were both instrumental in establishing the relationship between the Dukes and Los Angeles Dodgers, which flourished for 35 years. Martin, Bolack and McMullan will be inducted posthumously.

Last year, Tommy Lasorda became the inaugural inductee to the Albuquerque Professional Baseball Hall of Fame, which was created to honor professional baseball players, coaches, executives and media that set the tremendous legacy of baseball in the Duke City.