New Members Inducted for 2010

Edgar Martinez (Baseball)

Photos courtesy of Seattle Mariners Baseball Club

Considered by many to be the greatest designated hitter in history, Edgar Martinez

played 18 seasons for the Seattle Mariners and finished his career with a lifetime

batting average of .312. A three-time All-Star and a two-time Mariners MVP, Edgar

is Seattle's all-time leader in doubles and won two American League batting titles-1992

with a .343 average and 1995 with a .356 average. 

Martinez won five Silver Slugger Awards in his career as well as the Roberto Clemente

Award in 2004. Upon Edgar's retirement in 2004, the Outstanding Designated Hitter

Award was renamed the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award, an

award he won five times. 

Edgar, Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, Stan Musial, Rogers Hornsby, and Lou Gehrig are

the only players in history with 300 home runs, 500 doubles, a career batting average

higher than .300, a career on-base percentage higher than .400 and a career slugging

percentage higher than .500.

Emmett Watson (Sportswriter)

Emmett Watson was Seattle's preeminent newspaper columnist for more than 50 years,

covering sports for both the Seattle Times and P-I. Baseball was his particular passion. He

was Fred Hutchinson's catcher at Franklin High School before Hutchinson went on to a

storied career as a Major League pitcher and manager. Watson played for the University

of Washington and later had a cup of coffee with the Seattle Rainiers. The curve ball, he said,

ended his career, despite his manger's opinion that behind the plate Watson "had a good squat." 
 
He was more skilled behind the typewriter. Through his influential column, Watson campaigned

for Major League baseball in Seattle. When it arrived, it stayed for a single season, 1969, and

the Seattle Pilots then absconded to Milwaukee. Subsequently, Watson provided stalwart support

to his friend, U.S. District Judge Bill Dwyer, who sued the American League on behalf of city,

county, and state citizens for taking their team away. As a result of that landmark suit, Seattle

was awarded the franchise that became the Seattle Mariners in 1977. 
 
The Mariners, the Seahawks, and the Huskies never had a better friend than Emmett Watson.

Jim Whittaker (Mountaineering)

Jim Whittaker is best known as the first American to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, the

highest point on earth, a feat accomplished on May 1, 1963. Jim also led Senator Robert

Kennedy on the first ascent of Mt. Kennedy in 1965, a peak in the Canadian Yukon named

for his slain brother.  

In 1978 Whittaker organized and led the first American ascent of K2, the world's second

highest mountain, succeeding after five American failures spanning 40 years.  

Against formidable political and logistical odds, Jim organized and led the spectacularly

successful 1990 Mt. Everest peach Climb which put 20 men and women from three

superpowers---the U.S., China and the Soviet Union---on the summit of Everest.  

As a former guide and climbing instructor on Mt. Rainier and a member of the National

Ski Patrol, Mountain Rescue, and the Mountaineers, Whittaker has led life-saving rescues

of skiers, climbers and aircraft.  

Jim was also the first full-time employee of Recreational Equipment Inc and was the

company's CEO in the 1960's. He is now Chairman of the Board of Magellan Navigation

a company that produces handheld global positioning system (GPS) units.

Lou Whittaker (Mountaineering)

Lou Whittaker began climbing mountains with twin brother Jim as a way for the pair to

battle asthma. 

His list of climbing accomplishments is impressive, starting in 1963 with a three-day

ascent of Mount McKinley in Alaska and including a 1965 winter climb of Mt. Fuji. In 1975

he was a member of an American team attempting to climb K2, the world's second

tallest peak. In 1984, two years after an unsuccessful attempt, Lou led the first American

team to summit Mt. Everest by climbing the mountain's north wall. One year later, his

climbing expertise was crucial in reaching many intact burial sites on a 1,000-foot cliff

face in the Peruvian Andes.  

In the spring of 1989 and going by way of the North Wall, Lou led the first successful

ascent by an American team to the top of Mt. Kangchenjunga in Nepal, the world's

third-tallest mountain. Six Americans reached the summit that day. 

Lou has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and many peaks in Europe with his wife Ingrid, who

is from Munich, Germany.  They have also trekked in Nepal and Bhutan. 

Lou was born in Seattle in 1929, graduated from West Seattle High School in 1947.

He and Jim had Basketball scholarships to Seattle University. They graduated in 1952. 

Lou and brother Jim started guiding for the Rainier National Park Company in 1951, but

in 1952 they were drafted into the Army following their college graduation.  He incorporated

his company, Rainier Mountaineering Inc., in 1968. It is the largest guide service and

climbing school in the United States. Lou was the Chief Guide on Mount Rainier for over

30 years. With the Army, Lou was an instructor at the Mountain and Cold Weather Training

Command. He is now an honorary member of the 10^th Mountain Division, an elite

mountaineering corps of the U.S. Army.  

Lou is a charter member of the Mountain Rescue Council and was one of youngest

members of the National Ski Patrol.

In 1994 Lou gathered his memories into his first book: "Lou Whittaker, Memoirs of a Mountain Guide" 

Lou and Ingrid live in Ashford, at the entrance to Mt. Rainier in an underground passive solar

house they built with their own hands.   

Lou has also restored the old loggers bunkhouse in Ashford and made it into a very

successful Motel and Espresso shop popular with climbers on the way to Mt. Rainier. 

He recently added an annex by rescuing a building from Longmire and turning it into

guest rooms.

Dean Nicholson (Basketball Coach)

Photos courtesy of The Yakima Herald

Dean Nicholson enjoyed a stellar high school and college coaching career and combined

with his father, Leo, to win 1,114 games at Central Washington University---the most

ever by a father-son combo in college basketball history.   

Since he first stepped onto campus as a student-athlete in 1946, Dean brought with him

a winning spirit and a sense of pride to Central Washington University.  On April 11, 1987,

a state of Washington Senate resolution was passed declaring the day as

"Coach Nicholson Day", recognizing Dean & Leo's accomplishments.   

Dean Nicholson started his illustrious coaching career at Puyallup High School, where he

served from 1950-64. He led the Vikings to four league championships.  After 14 years at

the helm of the Vikings, Nicholson guided the Wildcats of Central Washington to a

609-202 record in his 26 years which included 22 NAIA District 1 titles, six NAIA Final Four

appearances and a runner-up finish in the 1970 national championship to Kentucky State.   

Dean then spent one season with the Yakima Sun Kings of the CBA before concluding

his career with three years at the helm of the Yakima Valley College basketball team

where they won two NWAACC Region 2 titles. In 1972 / 73, he was the NAIA

representative to the U.S. Olympic Basketball Committee and coached at the Olympic

camp and trials. He was elected to the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1986, joining his father

in that institution.   

Dean always took a special interest in the lives of his former players, with over 60 of them

becoming active in the profession of education & coaching at various levels. 

In 1983 he was recognized by Central Washington with the

"Most Distinguished Teacher's" award.

New Members Inducted for 2009

Michelle Akers (Soccer)

Michelle Akers Induction at Qwest Field - August 29, 2009 (Windows Media Video)

Video courtesy of: Seattle Sounders FC
 

Michelle Akers was the most dominant player on the U.S. Women's National soccer

team from 1985 until retirement in 2000. She was named the FIFA Women's Player of

the Century. A member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, she was a three-time prep

All-America at Shorecrest High School in Seattle and later a four-time All-America at the

University of Central Florida. She was named the USSF Female Player of the Year in

1990, 1991, and 1999. She was also a member of the 1996 Gold Medal Olympic team

and the 1991 and 1999 World Cup championship teams. 

Photos courtesy of Michelle Akers

Wee Coyle (Football)

Photos courtesy of David Eskenazi collection

William "Wee" Coyle quarterbacked the University of Washington football team on their

undefeated teams in 1909-11. He played on the baseball team at Seattle High School

in 1907 and his teammates included Ten Million, Charley Mullen and Charley Schmutz.

John Stockton (Basketball)

John Stockton Utah Jazz photos:
Courtesy of the Utah Jazz/NBA Photos

John Stockton's athletic accomplishments during his high school, career at Gonzaga

Preparatory (1980 graduate) in Spokane, Washington, and his college and professional

career are astonishing.

Most basketball fans have come to know Stockton because of his phenomenal 19-year

National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Utah Jazz. During Stockton's

career with the Jazz, he established himself as one of the top point guards in the history

of the NBA.

Stockton's accomplishments during his prep career mirror that of his storied professional

career. He was a wonderful teammate who made every one around, him a better player.

During Stockton's senior season (1979-80), he averaged over 23 points per game.

Throughout his career he shot better than 56 percent from the floor and recorded 264

steals, 295 assists and. amassed nearly 800 total points.

His aptitude for success on the basketball court continued at Gonzaga University from

1980-1984. While at CU, John scored 1,340 points and dished out 554 assists. During

the 1983-84 season, Stockton led the West Coast Conference in scoring (20.9),

assists (201) and steals (109). He received many awards and honors, including being

named, the West Coast Conference Most Valuable Player for the 1983-84 season.

Stockton's sensational professional career includes being named a member of the men's

basketball "Dream Team" that won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in

Barcelona, the 1996 Dream Team that won gold in Atlanta, being selected in 1996 as one

of the "50 Greatest Players in NBA History" and becoming the NBA's all-time leader in

assists (15,806) and steals (3,265). He was also selected to play in ten NBA All-Star games.

John's achievements were capped off with his induction into the Naismith Memorial Hall of

Fame in September of 2009.

Stockton has continued to own a residence in his hometown of Spokane and has established

himself as a vital part of the Spokane community by funding capital projects and donating

funds that focus on youth development and training.

Jud Heathcote (Coach-Basketball)

                                                                                                                      Heathcote & guard Scott Stiles

All Jud Heathcote photos:
Courtesy of Michigan State University

A 1945 South Kitsap grad who grew up along the shores in Manchester, WA, Jud Heathcote

spent 14 years as head coach at West Valley high before joining the staff at Washington State

University under Marv Harshman. After seven years as a Cougars assistant, Heathcote began

his head coaching career at the University of Montana in 1971, leading the Grizzlies to their first

Big Sky Conference championship.

He left after five seasons to take over for the next 19 years at Michigan State, where he guided

MSU to three Big Ten titles, seven 20-win seasons and the NCAA championship in 1979.

"I'm proud to be involved with what's been called the greatest game in history and pleased that

two of the prime players in that game (Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Larry Bird) are here to be

inducted at the same time as I am," Heathcote said on the eve of his induction into the National

Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in November of 2009.  

During his tenure at MSU, the Spartans compiled a record of 340-194 with nine NCAA tournament

berths. Noted for his excellent defensive strategies as well as being one of the most entertaining

coaches ever in the game, Heathcote earned national coach of the year honors in 1990.  He has

been a leader among college coaches, serving as president of the National Association of

Basketball Coaches and has won numerous national awards including the NIT Man of the Year

in 1995. He was also Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1978, 1986, and 1990. 

Jud Heathcote and Marv Harshman

Jud Heathcote (bottom row, far left) was an assistant coach at Washington
State University from 1964-71 under head coach Marv Harshman (bottom row,
far right).

New Members Inducted for 2008

Guyle Fielder (Hockey)

"Golden" Guyle Fielder was the greatest minor league hockey player ever! Fielder

played 21 seasons in the Western Hockey League, 15 of them with the Seattle

Bombers (1953-54), Americans (1955-57 and Totems (1957-1969). During his tenure

in Seattle the club played in five WHL finals and won three championships. He also

enjoyed his best years during this period, leading the league in assists 12 times and

points nine times, was an 11-time all-star team selection and won six MVP awards.  

Fielder became the first pro player anywhere to accumulate 100 point sin a seasons,

totaling 122 for the Americans during the 1956-57 season. He tallied a total of 2,037

points in his career and was the first professional hockey player to score 2000 points.

He was later joined by NHL star Wayne Gretzky.

Photos courtesy of Guyle & Georgia Fielder
 

Pete Gross (Media)
 

Photo courtesy Bev Gross Mauser

Inducted into the Seahawks Ring of Honor in 1992, Pete Gross served as the radio

play-by- play "Voice of the Seahawks" for 17 seasons: from the Seahawks inaugural

1976 season through 1992. One of the most beloved people to have ever been

associated with the Seahawks franchise, fans will never forget his numerous

"touchdown Seahawks" calls. Over his 17 seasons, Gross called all but the five

games he missed in 1992 while battling cancer. His career included eight playoff

games, and in the 1983 season Gross came within one game of the Super Bowl

when Seattle faced the Los Angeles Raiders in the AFC Championship game. The

Seahawks lost that game 30-14.

Gross was diagnosed with cancer in 1989, and he succumbed to the disease in

1992, just three days after his induction. He was inducted into the Ring during a

Monday Night Football game against the Denver Broncos, a game the 2-14 Seahawks

won in overtime.

Prior to moving to the Seahawks, Gross was the play-by-play voice of the University of

Washington in both football and basketball. He came to Seattle after calling
play-by-play for the University of the Pacific. Gross' legacy remains; the Seahawks are

actively involved with the Pete Gross House. The Pete Gross House, which opened in

November of 1999, is a 69-unit apartment complex that provides housing for families

undergoing treatment at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The Pete

Gross House is also the location of the Hutch School, a fully accredited K through 12

school for cancer patients and their siblings.

The Seahawks took an active roll in seeing the project through to completion and

annually hold the "Pete Gross House Luncheon" to raise funds for the continued

upkeep of the facility.

Mark Rypien (Football)

After completing one of the most illustrious sports careers in the history of Washington

high school athletics, Rypien brought his talents as the nation's top prep quarterback

to Washington State University. During his prep career at Shadle Park high in

Spokane, he earned All-State honors in football, basketball and baseball and led them

to state championships in baseball and basketball.  

The former Cougar co-captain earned All-America honors in 1984 and 1985 and was

named the top quarterback in the Pacific-10 Conference in 1985.  He completed his

collegiate career playing in the East-West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl.    

A sixth round draft pick by the Redskins in the 1986 NFL draft, Rypien became a

fixture at quarterback for Washington, earning MVP honors in the 1992 Super Bowl. 

His play also earned him two Pro Bowl selections.

Photos courtesy of Washington State University Athletic Department

Jack Sprenger (Official)

Jack Sprenger, a Tacoma native and Lincoln High of Tacoma and College of Puget

Sound grad (1934), officiated football for over 40 years and became only the third

official to be in inducted into the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of

Fame when he was so honored in 1986.

Sprenger earned four football letters at CPS during the 30's where he was an

all-conference guard selection twice, won the school's scholarship trophy three times,

and was named the Loggers' most valuable player. He was named to the school's

Athletic Hall of Fame in 1974.

Sprenger envisioned a coaching career for himself until he broke his back in an accident

on Mt. Rainier. He was flat on his back in a body cast for three months but recovered.

"I ended up in the insurance business and decided to officiate as a substituted for the

coaching," he said in a 1986 interview.

Sprenger, while a resident of Auburn, went on to officiate Washington State High

school football for over 30 years and served as the official State football rules

interpreter for the WIAA for more than 10 years.

He began officiating high school games in 1930 and college games in 1942 and worked

a full schedule of Pacific Coast Conference and Pac-10 games for 27 years. He was

chosen to be referee for the "Grandaddy" of the bowl games, the Rose Bowl, in 1953,

1959 and 1967, and also worked in three East-West Shrine games, and refereed the

1964 Sun Bowl game.

He became the Pac-10's Supervisor of Officials in 1971, a position he held for 15 years.

During that time he helped write and interpret the official NCAA football rules while

serving on the NCAA Football Rules, Editorial Committee. He also helped write the

original NCAA Mechanics Manuel for Seven Man  Officiating Crews.

Photos courtesy of Jack Sprenger family

Lenny Wilkens (Coach)

Lenny Wilkens Salute Video (Windows Media Video - No Audio)

Born October 28, 1937 in Brooklyn, NY, Lenny Wilkens was an All-America for Providence

as a senior in 1960 and earned MVP honors in both the NIT and the East-West College

All-Star Game before embarking on his NBA career. Playing in 1,077 regular season

games during 15 seasons he averaged 16.5 points and when he retired in 1975, Wilkens

ranked second on the NBA all-time assist list with 7,211 (6.7 apg). He was a member of

the NBA All-Star team in 1963-1970, 1971, and 1973 and was named MVP of the 1971

All-Star Game.

Wilkens had the uncanny ability to serve as a player and coach simultaneously, logging

three seasons with Seattle and one with Portland before moving on to concentrate solely

on coaching. He utilized his knowledge and experience to methodically establish himself

as one of the NBA's premier coaches and he holds the rare distinction of having coached

all the teams that he played for during his 15 seasons as an NBA player-the Seattle

Super Sonics, Portland Trailblazers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Atlanta (St. Louis)

Hawks.  

He began his coaching career in 1969 with the Seattle Super Sonics as their player-coach

through the 1971-72 season and coached the Sonics again from 1977-85. After piloting

Seattle to the Western Conference crown in 1978, he led his 1978-79 Supersonics to the

NBA championship. During his 11 season as the coach of the Sonics he amassed a

478-402 record. Wilkens also served as General Manager of the team and his jersey

No. 19 was retired by Seattle in 1979.

Besides being named NBA Coach of the Year in 1994, he earned a pair of Olympic

gold medals as an assistant coach with the original 1992 "Dream Team" in Barcelona and

as head coach of the American squad at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. When the NBA

celebrated its 50th anniversary season in 1996-97, Wilkens was the only NBA member

lauded for both his coaching and playing talents - he was named as both one of the NBA's

Top Ten Coaches in league history as well as one the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history.

Wilkens was also president of the NBA Coaches Association for 18 years.

Lenny received Honorary Doctorate Degrees from Providence Collage, St. Francis

Collage of NY, Seattle University, and New York State University. He served in the U.S.

military from August 1961 through November 1962 as a 2^nd LT. in the Army

Quartermaster Corp.

Noted for his calm, understated approach to an often frantic game, Wilkens was

elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1989 and as a

coach in 1998, sharing that unique double honor with John Wooden and Bill Sharman.

Photos courtesy of Lenny Wilkens

Jim Zorn (Football)

Photos Courtesy of the Seattle Seahawks Football Club and Corky Trewin

Jim Zorn, a left-handed quarterback, is perhaps best known as the youthful and charismatic

leader of the then-expansion Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League, for their

first seven-and-a-half seasons.

Zorn was named NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year by the NFLPA following the team's

inaugural 1976 season and was also the Seahawks' team MVP, throwing for 12

touchdowns and rushing for 4 more. In 1991 he became just the second Seahawk to be

inducted into the team's "Ring of Honor", right behind his favorite passing target, Hall of

Fame wide receiver Steve Largent.

In the NFL, Zorn threw for 21,115 yards and 111 touchdowns, completing 53% of his

passes. He also ran for another 17 touchdowns.

Zorn moved up to the pro coaching ranks in 1997-98 as an offensive assistant for the

Seahawks under Dennis Erickson, and after two years in Detroit, he returned to the

Seahawks in 2001 as their quarterbacks coach, and retained that position through

the 2007 season.