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The Ted Williams Award ceremonies will include the lauding of Paul Molitor, Jim Rice, Dave Winfield and Robin Yount.
By CAREY FREEMAN
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 17, 2001
Part celebrity roast, part induction ceremony, part weekend getaway, the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame will give North Suncoast residents an opportunity many in more populous parts of the country don't get:
An up-close and personal look at some sports heros.
As it does every year, the museum will welcome a bevy of former and current major-leaguers for its induction ceremony, which is scheduled for noon on Feb. 18.
The inductees into the hitters hall of fame are Paul Molitor, Jim Rice, Dave Winfield and Robin Yount.
The Ted Williams Award for performance in the 2000 season will be given to Jason Giambi (Oakland) and Barry Bonds (San Francisco), and the Rookie of the Year awards will go to Rafael Furcal (Atlanta) and Mark Quinn (Kansas City).
The Splendid Splinter Award will be presented to Nomar Garciaparra, and pitchers Pedro Martinez, Jim Palmer and Tom Seaver will be added to the Wall of Great Achievements.
Though the museum has yet to get confirmations from all of its inductees, executive director John Kriston said he was confident most would attend. That list includes several former major-leaguers. One is last year's emcee, Tommy Lasorda.
"You never really know until it happens, but it looks like it should be a pretty good ticket," Kriston said.
"Molitor, Winfield, Rice, Yount, Seaver and Nomar. Their intentions are all strong, but it seems that every year we lose one or two. Something comes up or somebody gets sick. It's just one of those things. All the inductees into the Hitters Hall of Fame are planning to be here. Nomar is planning to be here, and the rookies usually always come."
Tickets for the event are $35 for general admission and $75 for preferred seating. They can be purchased from the Ted Williams Museum. For more information, call (352) 527-6566.
The museum will have several preliminary events for the guests, including a celebrity golf tournament at World Woods, a fishing tournament and a celebrity dinner Saturday night.
Tickets for the entire weekend cost $1,000 apiece, but none are available.
"For the $35, you get a $15 program, admitance into the museum and 21/2 hours of pure baseball fun," Kriston said. "You just don't find that anywhere."