2010 Induction Weekend

The July 16-18 Reds Hall of Fame Induction Weekend witnessed the official addition of Pedro Borbon, Tony Mullane and Chris Sabo to the exclusive collection of Reds greats honored with induction into the club's Hall of Fame. The oldest continually operating Hall of Fame in baseball, the Hall's ranks swelled to 78 with the inclusion of the Class of 2010. Thousands of fans and dozens of Hall of Famers, Reds alumni and the entire 2010 Reds roster were on hand throughout the weekend to celebrate the Hall's newest members.

The weekend kicked off with a meet and greet with Reds Hall of Famers, during which fans wound their way through the Museum to say hello and have a picture taken with the Reds legends. The evening was highlighted by a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Reds' 1990 World Championship that featured ceremonial first pitches from "Nasty Boys" Norm Charlton and Randy Myers, an on-field reunion of members of that memorable team and a questions and answer session with Reds broadcaster Marty Brennaman. MC Hammer, whose 1990 hit single "U Can't Touch This" became the unofficial theme song of the '90 Reds, performed pregame and post-game concerts.

On Saturday, activities at the Museum commenced with the Hall of Fame's inaugural Fame Fest which included baseball instructional sessions, caricature artists, baseball-themed games and meet and greet sessions with 1990 Reds Glenn Braggs, Keith Brown, Norm Charlton, Hal Morris, Randy Myers and Ron Robinson. The second Hall of Famer meet and greet session took place later in the afternoon and a line of fans that stretched the length of the Museum building filed past the Hall of Famers positioned throughout the Museum's galleries. A sold-out crowd for the Reds/Rockies game was on-hand to witness the official induction of Borbon, Mullane and Sabo during pregame ceremonies.

Steve Schott, former Reds vice president and the nephew of former Reds owner Marge Schott, kicked off the final day of festivities with a ceremonial first pitch prior to Sunday afternoon's Reds/Rockies game. The 2010 Reds Hall of Fame Induction Gala Presented by Reds Extra Bases was the capstone event of the weekend. More than 1,200 guests filled the Duke Energy Convention Center's main ballroom E and were treated to an elaborate and emotional celebration of Reds baseball that included special tributes to the 1975 and 1990 Reds and segments on the 75th anniversary of Major League Baseball's first night game ( which was played in Cincinnati on May 24, 1935), the 25th anniversary of Pete Rose's breaking of Ty Cobb's all-time hit record and the 70th anniversary of the Reds' 1940 World Championship team. Much to the delight and surprise of the audience, Rob Dibble arrived just in time to participate in the 1990 tribute, marking the first time since 1991 that the famed Nasty Boys were reunited. The evening also included the presentation of the 2010 Powel Crosley Award to Louis and Louise Nippert. The award was accepted by longtime Nippert family representative Carter Randolph.

The festivities concluded with extended acceptance speeches from the 2010 honorees including pointed and heartfelt remarks from Cairil Mills, a descendent of Tony Mullane who thanked the Reds Hall of Fame for helping to "rescue Tony from obscurity." Pedro Borbon described Cincinnati as being "the best baseball city anywhere" and assured an amused audience that the story of the hex he was supposed to have placed on the club when he was traded by the Reds was just that, a story. He guaranteed a Reds victory the next night and win the Reds did. Chris Sabo, in his typically understated way, thanked the many coaches who had helped him throughout his career and pointedly highlighted Pete Rose for Rose's willingness to take a chance on him as a rookie in 1988. He also thanked the many members of the 1990 Reds who made their way to Cincinnati to help celebrate his Hall of Fame induction.

Perhaps the most emotional moments of the evening occurred when the grizzled visage of Reds Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson appeared on the two giant video monitors that dominated the event's stage. Sparky was not able to attend the event so the Hall of Fame arranged for a special interview with Sparky at his home in California. Sparky spoke candidly about his love for the 1975 team and his deep affection for Pedro Borbon. The emotional impact of the legendary manager's comments about his team and his players was palpable and served as unmistakable reminder of the deep ties baseball fosters between players, managers and the fans that support them.

The 2010 Reds Hall of Fame Induction Weekend produced numerous unforgettable moments and priceless memories. The Hall of Fame extends its sincere gratitude to all of the weekend's participants and looks forward to another unforgettable induction weekend when the Hall of Fame welcomes the Class of 2012.