Florida State League Announces Hall of Fame and Inaugural Class

The Florida State League, where the Lakeland Flying Tigers compete, has announced the establishment of a Hall of Fame and have also announced the inaugural class that will be inducted on November 9 in Daytona Beach. We have talked about it here before, but the Florida State League has seen some of baseball’s best pass through and this inaugural class is proof of that. The induction will be open to the public and the FSL will be releasing details as they come in. Here are the inductees, including former Lakeland Tiger Manager, John Lipon.

Johnny Bench, 1965 Tampa Tarpons
Rod Carew, 1965  Orlando Twins
Gary Carter, 1972 West Palm Beach Expos
Rollie Fingers, 1965 Leesburg Athletics
James “Catfish” Hunter, 1964 Daytona Islanders
Freguson Jenkins, 1962/1963 Miami Marlins
Al Lopez, 1925/1926 Tampa Smokers
Eddie Murray, 1974 Miami Orioles
Stan Musial, 1940 Daytona Islanders
Jim Palmer, 1967/1968 Miami Marlins
Cal Ripken, Jr., 1979 Miami Orioles
Nolan Ryan, 1967 Winter Haven Mets
Joe Tinker, 1921 Orlando Tigers
Early Wynn, 1937 Sanford Lookouts

Two Field Managers, Stan Wasiak, 1983-86, Vero Beach, and John Lipon, 1988-92, Lakeland, distinguished themselves as the winningest managers in Minor League baseball and are also being honored.  Although deceased, they contributed tremendously to the hundreds of players who came through to league and had the benefit of their knowledge and leadership.

One Chief Executive who was General Manager of the Tampa Tarpons, and later became the President of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues is also being inducted.  Mike Moore, recently retired, gave baseball a new insight on promoting and revising its program to benefit clubs, players, communities, and most of all, the fans.

Umpires play a great part in this game of baseball, and the name Harry Wendelstedt, Jr. is well known not only as an umpire in the Major Leagues, but also for his umpire school in Ormond Beach, Florida.  He, along with Phil Cuzzi, whose stint in the Florida State League led to his comeback in Major League Umpiring are being inducted.

The Florida State League also voted to include one of the most outstanding owners who has been instrumental in keeping baseball in Florida.  That man is George Steinbrenner of the New York Yankees and the Tampa Yankees Baseball Clubs.

Later details will be available by calling the Florida State League Office at (386)252-7479.