Board of Directors — We currently have
eight members on the TBHOF Board of Directors, all of whom are
volunteers. As we tend to wear several hats, some of our Board members also
serve on our staff, which manages the daily TBHOF activities.
Advisory Board — Our Advisory Board is in its early
stages, but includes several key volunteers who contribute special
expertise for the TBHOF.
- Eddie Robinson — Chairman
- Carroll Beringer
- Richard Coselli
- Jim Gilligan
- Debb Harris
- Jeanene Jones
- Carl Warwick
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Staff — Our staff is responsible for running the TBHOF
on a daily basis.
- George Scroggins — Executive Director
- Bill McCurdy — Historian
- Debb Harris — Web Site Designer/Coordinator
- J-Mag Guthrie — Web Server Administrator
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Bill McCurdy, President
— Bill McCurdy is a Houstonian who from age 5 grew up playing
sandlot baseball with the Pecan Park Eagles of his east end
neighborhood—and also living and dying each summer with the
variable fates of his beloved Houston Buffs, Colt .45’s, and
Astros. A mental health professional today, Bill’s life as a
passionate student of baseball history was sealed forever when
his grandmother gave him a subscription to the Sporting News
for his 10th birthday. Bill is a long-time member of SABR and
the author of A Kid From St. Louis: Jerry Witte’s Life in Baseball.
McCurdy is dedicated to seeing the TBHOF thrive in Houston as
a public institution that rivals Cooperstown on the state level.
George Scroggins,
Secretary — A native Houstonian and SABR member, George
carries on the family tradition with a passion for baseball
and community service. His father pitched for the same minor
league club that was home to Nolan Ryan and the immortal Joe
Jackson. George began his career as a computer programmer and
network engineer in the 1980s, eventually starting his own computer
business. After a brief stint as a professional bowler, George
moved into the newly developing online gaming industry. His
pioneering efforts included designing and managing several major
online volunteer programs. Inspired by his parents and family
of Sabertooths, George’s dedication to baseball history and
decades of working with charitable organizations make for a
natural fit with the TBHOF.
Fred Burley, Treasurer
— As a slugging outfielder for the 1939 LSU Tigers, Fred Burley
was a member of the first SEC baseball championship club. In
1940, Burley set a still-standing LSU season batting mark of
.429. Joe Adcock, Albert Belle, and Todd Walker followed, but
never matched Fred’s record. Burley is modest about the homer
he once hit off Carl Hubbell in a spring game with the New York
Giants. “Even the great ones make mistakes,” Fred reasons. Fred
left baseball to serve in WWII. His playing days were over,
but his love of the game remained. This current CFO for HomeVestors,
Inc. in Dallas helped start the Showcase program that has generated
over 200 college scholarships for baseball players. Fred is
a member of SABR, and was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall
of Fame in 1995 for his service to the game.
Bob
Aspromonte
— Obtained by the Houston Colt .45’s from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the original October 10, 1961 expansion draft, “Aspro” immediately made his presence felt in Houston as a player for the winning NL club in an October 15, 1961 All-Star game played at Busch (Buff) Stadium on the Gulf Freeway. Aspromonte remained with the club through 1968, finishing his 13-season MLB career (1956, 1960-1971) with the Braves and Mets. At the time of his 1971 retirement, Bob left the game as the last active ex-Brooklyn Dodger. Few have protected the 3rd base line better than Bob. In his 1st season with the original 1962 Colt .45’s, Aspro set an NL record for 3rd basemen with 57 consecutive errorless games. In 1964, he set NL records for fewest errors (11) and fielding percentage (.973) at 3rd base. Bob Aspromonte was also a clutch power hitter. In 1965 he posted 14 game-winning hits. He also set the current franchise career record of 6 grand slams (Jeff Bagwell now shares it), and once held the club record for consecutive hits (7).
Dene Hofheinz
Anton
— As a Houston Buff fan, little Dene Hofheinz spent her childhood watching the games with her
Dad at old Buff Stadium. After too many rain checks , she asked her Dad, the
legendary Judge Roy Hofheinz, "Why can't we play baseball inside?"
Good question. Thirteen years later, the Astrodome opened. The World's First!
Dene's career as a songwriiter began writing and singing the jingle for
the Astroworld commercial. Dene's had four hits as a country writer: #1 "Saying Hello Saying I Love You Saying Goodbye," Lynn Anderson's "He Ain't
You," and Terry Gregory's "Just Like Me." "Even God Must Get
the Blues" is featured on Jo Dee Messina's triple platinum album "I'm Allright."
She co-founded Tin Pan South in Nashville (now the largest music festival on the map).
She was given the White Hat Award and the Helen King Award for her contributions to songwriters'
rights, and has a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in California.
She brings that same kind of passion to the first love she shared with her visionary
Dad: Baseball! She comes from a family where dreams do come true,
and she looks forward to the day when all baseball fans can share our
Major League memories at the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame.