2006 Banquet Paves an Overdue Road into Texas Baseball History
By Bill McCurdy

On Friday night, Nov. 10, 2006, the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame’s 29th Annual Induction Banquet proved itself again to be far more than just another once-a-year baseball dinner. Loaded to the bear with a double theme of honor for the Houston Colt .45s (on the 45th anniversary of their creation as the first Major League team in Texas) and “Texas Women in Baseball,” the evening’s celebration seemed destined for extra innings from the start.

There are no clocks in baseball and, sometimes, the clocks we attempt to impose upon baseball banquet speakers similarly go unheeded. Such was the case on Friday night at the J. W. Marriott, across the street from the Galleria in Houston, For the most part, none of the deeply committed 600 baseball fans who attended this year’s event seemed to mind at all in the presence of so much Houston and Texas baseball history all gathered in one room for a single night of celebration in the name of baseball.

Look at the living presence of Texas baseball history that gathered with us in banquet attendance on Friday. It reads as a virtual timeline on Texas Baseball history:

Jo Russell, the widow of former Texas Baseball Hall of Fame member and Houston Buffs President Allen Russell (1946-53): The Buffaloes, or Buffs, as they were mostly known, served from 1889 to 1961 as Houston’s professional baseball team in the minor leagues.

Solly Hemus, former pepper pot 2nd baseman of the 1947 Dixie Series Champion Houston Buffs, former Major Leaguer, former manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, and member in good standing of the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame.

Larry Miggins, former slugging left fielder of the 1951 Texas League Champion Houston Buffs and Texas Baseball Hall of Fame member in good standing.

Mickey Herskowitz, Houston’s iconic sportswriter. Mickey’s career spans from the era of the post World War II Buffs, playing at old Buff Stadium, through the current era of the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Herskowitz is also a member in good standing of the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame. Mickey joined us this year as the 2006 recipient of the 3rd annual Jimmy Wynn “Toy Cannon” Award for community service.

Marie “Red” Mahoney, former star player in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (1947–48) that existed from 1943–1954. Along with the posthumous inductions of fellow AAGPBL Texans Alva Jo Fischer and Ruth Lessing, “Red” was present as a 2006 inductee into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame.

Tal Smith, current President of Baseball Operations for the Houston Astros and a member of the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in good standing too. Tal was one of the original “Cincinnati Kids” who came to Houston with new General Manager Gabe Paul in 1962 to help shape the future of the new Houston National League franchise. Tal joined us Friday night as Houston’s senior baseball man to present three of the Houston franchise’s fabled founders (Roy Hofheinz, R. E. “Bob” Smith, and George Kirksey) for induction as new members.

Eddie Robinson, great former Major Leaguer, member in good standing of the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame and current member of the organization’s executive board, and former front office executive for both the Houston Colt .45s and Texas Ranger franchises.

Jimmy Wynn, the first great slugging outfielder for the Houston Colt .45s and Astros, Jimmy remains as the 4th leading home run hitter in franchise history behind only Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, and Lance Berkman. Jimmy joined us Friday to present Mickey Herskowitz with the Toy Cannon Award for community service that is presently annually by the TBHOF in his name. Wynn also is a current member of the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame.

Larry Dierker, former Colt .45s/Astro pitcher and successful Houston Astros manager (1997-2001). This legendary TBHOF member came Friday to present his old teammate Rusty Staub for induction.

Bob Aspromonte, the original stellar 3rd baseman for the 1962 Colt .45s, Bob set many “1st” records for the new franchise, including the club’s 1st hit and 1st run scored. “Aspro” was a 2005 TBHOF inductee and he currently serves on the TBHOF executive board.

Carl Warwick, good hitting outfielder for the 1962–63 Colt .45s. This TBHOF member later had a World Series field day in 1964 by cranking out 3 pinch hits for the St. Louis Cardinals in their 7-game triumph over the New York Yankees.

Rusty Staub, Houston’s 1st great rookie hope (1963-68) as an outfielder-1st baseman. Rusty’s 2006 induction into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame closes the book on another long overdue action of honor.

Craig Reynolds, former Houston Astros shortstop (1979-89), came to present his friend and former teammate, Terry Puhl, for induction into the TBHOF.

Terry Puhl, a great defensive outfielder and clutch hitter for the Astros (1977-90). Terry earned his way into this year’s induction class with both his bat and his glove. Puhl holds the all time MLB record for highest fielding percentage (.993) by an outfielder with 10 or more seasons off experience.

Casey Candaele, former utility infielder for the Houston Astros (1988-93). Casey was our link to the AAGPBL, where his own mother had been a player. Casey came Friday as the most logical person to introduce our three Texas-born and raised inductees from the AAGPBL, Marie “Red” Mahoney and deceased peers, Alva Jo Fischer and Ruth Lessing.

Our special guests from A League of Their Own, Patti Pelton and Anne Ramsay, came all the way from Los Angeles to honor the Girls of Summer by being a part of the AAGPBL reunion and TBHOF induction banquet.

Drayton McLane, dynamic current owner of the Houston Astros (1993–Present). Drayton came Friday to present Pam Gardner, President of Business Operations for the Houston Astros, for induction into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame. McLane also is a member in good standing of the TBHOF.

Milo Hamilton, Ford Frick Award winner and the “Voice of the Houston Astros” on radio for the past twenty years. A Texas Baseball Hall of Fame member, Milo served as our Master of Ceremonies for the 3rd year in a row. As for as we are concerned, Milo has the same job with us every year for as long as he wants it and is able to do it. We both enjoy and appreciate his legendary presence behind the mike at our banquets. A very special thanks goes arrow-straight to you, Milo, for another wonderfully run program!

Others who came Friday to participate in our program may not have bourn famous names with them to the podium to speak, but their roots in Texas baseball history are true and deeply grounded. Dene Hofheinz Anton came as the title sponsor of our banquet to make some touching opening remarks about one of the inductees—her father, the late Judge Roy Hofheinz. “My father always stressed that it was important for us kids to have a goal that we went after with our whole heart,” Dene said in so many words.

Dinn Mann, the son of Dene Hofheinz Anton and the grandson of Houston Colt .45s founder Roy Hofheinz, and now the Editor in Chief for MLB.com, accepted induction tenderly in behalf of his late grandfather, using measured words of sweet childhood memory to frame the great man as he made himself lovingly known to his own grandson by practical example. Once, when Mann was about 18, he was pushing his grandfather in a wheelchair when he suddenly made a wrong move that displeased The Judge. “There's a difference between motion and progress,” Roy Hofheinz told his grandson. “Work hard all your life. Work smart all your life."

Mimi Dompier accepted induction for her father, the late R. E. “Bob” Smith, one of the other legendary founders of Major League baseball in Houston, along with Roy Hofheinz, Craig Cullinan, and George Kirksey. Mimi spoke late in the program, and she spoke as one who understands that greatness needs no embroidery. She simply said “thank you.”

Good friend and former teammate Helen Filarski Steffes accepted induction in behalf of the late Alva Jo Fischer and Nick Anderson accepted TBHOF membership in behalf of his late aunt, Ruth Lessing.

It isn’t possible to report all the other notable baseball people who came to this year’s banquet, but I’ll give it a try at the risk of leaving out someone I did not see. First of mention is Col. Fred Burley, another deserving TBHOF member and also a member of our executive board. One of our 2004 inductees, Houston Astros television play-by-play announcer, Bill Brown, was present, as was another TBHOF media inductee, Greg Lucas of FOX Sports Net. Greg also previously served on the TBHOF executive board and he was extremely instrumental in our organization’s move to Houston in 2004. Thanks also to Greg Lucas and Hank Garcia of FOX Sports Net for producing the beautiful tribute videos that highlighted this year’s induction class.

TBHOF 2005 inductee Rob Matwick of the Houston Astros administrative staff was also present, as was Houston Astros General manager Tim Purpura. Also present from the Astros administrative staffs were Marian Harper and Jay Lucas (no relations to Greg.)

Some of the former Houston Colt .45s were present, including Hal Smith of Columbus, Texas, J. C. Hartman of Houston, and Jim Campbell, who flew all the way to Houston from California just to be here for the banquet. As Milo Hamilton so adeptly pointed out Friday, catcher Hal Smith’s home run for the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series was the blow that made it possible for Bill Mazeroski to later blast his famous Series walk-off home run against the New York Yankees. In 1962, Hal Smith was behind the plate to catch the first pitch in Houston’s Major League history from lefty pitcher Bobby Shantz.

Robert Reed, the author of Six Gun Salute, the definitive history of the Houston Colt .45s, was present also as one of our principal TBHOF financial supporters. Other prime TBHOF supporters include Chris & Don Sanders, the Houston Astros, R. E. Smith Interests, Sterling Bank, Hercules Offshore, Cranks Rooters & Fans, Zita Witte-Maxwell, McDonald's, the Northern Indiana Center for History, and Nancy & Ted Reynolds. We appreciate all of them for their generous contributions.

It’s also hard to recall all the others who make each year’s banquet so wonderful, but let’s start with the Rev. Drew Garner, who’s inspiring invocation got us all started right spiritually for the evening. And let’s not forget Glennie Scott, who’s beautiful and often-whimsical piano work unfailingly nails each banquet night presentation in appropriate thematic melody. Playing “Canadian Sunset” for inductee Terry Puhl stands out as a primary example.

What would we do too without the generous offerings of people like restaurateur Frankie  Mandola to our live auction, or, for that matter, what we would do without the successful staging of our silent auction by Houston’s baseball-integrity dealer, Larry Dluhy? Thanks to you both.

Thanks also to Jo Russell and Marty Cunningham for their annual assistance on the big job of the banquet hall set up—and thanks to the Houston Astros for their contributions to the auction and to table decorations and souvenirs. The red Astros caps were a major hit this year. I didn’t even wait for the 2006 banquet to end before I started wearing mine. In fact, I put mine on as soon as I found it.

Appreciation is extended also to Catering Service Director Georgia Graugnard and her J. W. Marriott staff for working extra hard with us this year to help make our 2006 banquet the best one ever in terms of food, service, and comfort.

Thanks too to Patti Humphrey, the President of the Texas Association of Business and Professional Women, for addressing our banquet and taking due pride in our recognition of the achievements of Texas women in baseball. We also appreciate Ms. Humphrey’s strong acknowledgement of us, the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame, for taking this step in behalf of women. We accept her kind words in humble recognition of the truth. The Texas Baseball Hall of Fame has now gone further than any other organization in the country to honor the past, present, and future of women in baseball.

Very special appreciation also goes out to Alyson Footer of Astros.com/MLB.com for her ongoing coverage and support of the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame’s efforts to honor excellence in Texas baseball history. If all the media gave us the same fair and full coverage, we would have our museum by now because people would then know what we’re about and what we plan to do. Thanks for doing your part to help, Alyson. It is genuinely appreciated and, more invaluably, it is essential to the effort of building our museum in Houston.

As per usual, but never taken for granted, artist Opie Otterstad came to present prints of his beautiful artwork to all recipients. The originals of these works by Opie, from 2004–2006, have been donated by this fine artist for display in the Houston-based museum we shall someday operate—and our children and their children and our grandchildren’s children—shall someday be blessed by the dual gifts of talent and generosity that are the artist and man known to us as Opie Otterstad. In time, we shall also find a clear way to capitalize our gratitude to this man who has given so much of himself to the vision of a Texas Baseball Hall of Fame that truly remembers its great people and great events.

Thanks again to all of you who came and made this year’s banquet in Houston our most successful event on record and lastly, thanks go out to fellow executive board member George Scroggins for the superb job he again did this year. Not only did George have to plan the banquet activities, but he also took on the additional task of coordinating our efforts with the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League so that both our groups could expand upon the ways we honored their three former Texas players into our Texas Baseball Hall of Fame.

In brief, the 2006 TBHOF Induction Banquet paved an important road to a couple of old neighborhoods in Texas baseball history, the coming of Major League baseball to Texas and the contributions of three Texas women to that place we know best as “A League of Their Own.” Today the increasing role of Texas women in baseball is personified best by inductee Pam Gardner, who’s administrative position extends to taking responsibility for bringing order and reason to the bottom line of an industry that cries out for fiscal order and reason.

For the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame to do its best job of helping people remember the past, we must have your help building new roads to the future. Please step up to the plate and go to bat for the museum. Become a steward of Texas baseball’s historical preservation by joining the Houston-based home team that builds that connecting path between yesterday and tomorrow through the greatest museum presentation of baseball history west of Cooperstown.

We will have that museum someday. With your help, we will get there faster.