The Texas Baseball Hall of Fame is proud to announce our class of inductees for 2007. This year we will be honoring MLB stars Don Baylor, Cesar Cedeno, Phil Garner, and Juan Gonzalez; pioneer sports journalist Anita Martini; and Negro League star Willie Wells. In addition, the Jimmy Wynn "Toy Cannon" Award for community service will be presented to Astros Vice President of Community Development, Marian Harper.
 

• Induction Banquet Date: Friday, November 9, 2007

• Site: J. W. Marriott (near Galleria)

Don Baylor — Austin native Don Baylor began his 19-year career with the Baltimore Orioles in 1970 and continuing with Oakland Athletics, California Angels, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Minnesota Twins. In 1979 his career-high 36 HR, 139 RBI, and 120 R earned the power-hitting OF/1B/DH the AL MVP and an All-Star selection. Baylor held the modern day record for HBP with 267, which was tied in 2005 by Craig Biggio on Baylor's birthday (June 28) and eclipsed the next day (June 29). Baylor's managerial career with the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs has spanned a total of nine years. He was named NL Manager of the Year in 1995.

Cesar Cedeno — Cesar Cedeno made his debut in 1967 with the Astros at the age of 19. His 17-year career included 12 seasons with the Astros, followed by the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Cedeno was primarily a CF, but also spent time at 1B, RF, and LF. This 5-tool player had three consecutive seasons of 20 HR and 50 SB, six consecutive seasons with 50+ SB, five consecutive Gold Glove awards, and hit for the cycle twice. Cedeno's 550 SB rank him 26th all-time, and his 487 SB is still an Astros record.

Phil Garner — Current Astros manager Phil Garner enjoyed a 16-season MLB career (1973–88) as a 2B/3B with the Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Houston Astros, plus brief stints with the Los Angeles Dodgers San Francisco Giants. "Scrap Iron" played a major role in the 1979 World Series championship season for the Pirates, contributing a career-high .293 AVG in the season and .472 in the postseason. Garner's 15-year managerial career includes the Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers, and Houston Astros. He will always be remembered as the first Houston manager to lead an Astros team to the World Series (2005).

Juan Gonzalez — Juan Gonzalez made his debut with the Texas Rangers in 1989 at the age of 19. His 17-year career includes 13 seasons with the Rangers, plus stops with the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, and Kansas City Royals. The slugging OF is a two-time MVP and three-time All-Star with a career .295 AVG and 434 HR. In 1996, his .314 AVG, 47 HR, and 144 RBI led the Rangers to their first AL West title and earned Gonzalez his first MVP award. In 1998, Gonzalez had 101 RBI at the All-Star break, finishing with a career-high .318 AVG and 157 RBI, and earning him his second MVP award and the Rangers a second AL West title.

Anita Martini (Deceased) — The late Anita Martini, a native of Galveston, was a pioneer for women in sports journalism. Martini began her career with Houston radio station KTRH during the 1960s and became the nation's first woman sports anchor in the early 1970's, at Houston television station KPRC. In 1974, she took on the establishment, challenging Major League Baseball for the right to join her male colleagues in the clubhouse for post-game interviews with the players. Martini won her fight when she interviewed Jimmy Wynn in the Los Angeles Dodgers clubhouse after a game at the Houston Astrodome. By the 1980s, Anita Martini was hosting one of the first call-in sports shows on Houston AM radio station KPRC. She died of cancer in 1993 at the age of 54.

Willie Wells (Deceased) — The late Austin native, Willie Wells, was known as the first shortstop in baseball history to combine dazzling fielding with home run power. His Negro League career started with the San Antonio Black Aces in 1923, and continued with the St. Louis Stars, Detroit Wolves, Homestead Grays, Kansas City Monarchs, Cole's American Giants, Newark Eagles, Chicago American Giants, New York Black Yankees, Baltimore Elite Giants, Indianapolis Clowns, and Memphis Red Sox. Wells set a single-season Negro League record with 27 homers in 88 recorded games for the St. Louis Stars in 1926. Wells also had a prolific career in Latin America, where Mexican League fans dubbed him "El Diablo." As player/manager of the Newark Eagles in the 1940s, he became known as an extraordinary leader and teacher, with several of his young players later becoming stars in the majors. Wells died in 1989 at age 83, and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997.

The Jimmy Wynn “Toy Cannon” Award

Marian Harper — The selection committee has chosen Astros Vice President of Community Development, Marian Harper as the 2007 Toy Cannon Award recipient for distinguished community service. "The Toy Cannon" Jimmy Wynn, Houston’s first home run star and member of the TBHOF Board of Directors, will present the award personally. Wynn’s own contributions to charity are the reason the Toy Cannon Award was created to honor baseball people who give back and pay forward to the community in meritorious ways.

  The 2007 Texas Baseball Hall of Fame induction banquet will be held for the fourth straight year at the Houston J. W. Marriott in the Galleria area on Friday, November 9. Table and ticket sales will begin later this summer, so stay tuned to www.TBHOF.org for updates. For sponsorship information, please contact TBHOF Executive Director, George Scroggins.