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Summer Sanders Inducted Into Hall of Fame

On Friday, May 10th, the International Swimming Hall of Fame inducted its Class of 2002. Summer Sanders, a resident of New York City, will be among this year's inductees. An Olympic Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medalist, Sanders accomplishments more than qualify her for this honor. Summer won the gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly at the 1992 Olympic Summer Games in Barcelona. She also won the silver in the 200-meter individual medley and the bronze in the 400-meter individual medley that year. In 1991, Summer won gold (200-meter butterfly), silver (200-meter individual medley), and bronze (400-meter individual medley) at the Perth World Championships. To add to her many medals, she remains the current American record holder in both the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley. Sanders will join a class that includes Melvin Stewart, Jill Sterkel, and Coach Eddie Reese.

New York's Retired Numbers
MLB Retired NHL Retired
Jackie
Robinson		 Wayne
Gretzky

Giants Yankees Knicks Rangers Mets Jets
GIANTS YANKEES KNICKS RANGERS METS JETS


League Retired Numbers
42 - Jackie Robinson Jackie Robinson was an exciting, versatile competitor as well as an electrifying baserunner. Combining these qualities with his superb batting and fielding skills enabled him to beat the opposition in a variety of ways. Robinson broke baseball's color barrier when owner Branch Rickey brought him to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Despite the challenges he faced off the field, he was voted the National League's MVP in 1949 when he hit a league-leading .342 and drove in 124 runs. His 10-year batting average was .311, as he also set several fielding records for second basemen. Jackie Robinson’s number was retired by Major League Baseball in a ceremony held at Shea Stadium on April 15th, 1997. As a result, no major league team will ever issue the number 42 to another player again.
99 - Wayne Gretzky Never has a player dominated a sport the way Wayne Gretzky did. “The Great One” was like no other player that hockey had ever seen. After entering the league in 1979, Gretzky began his onslaught of every major record in NHL history. His career began with the Edmonton Oilers where he won four Stanley Cup Championships. He also spent time with the Los Angeles Kings, the St. Louis Blues, and ultimately with the New York Rangers. Gretzky currently holds or shares 61 records listed in the NHL's Official Guide and Record Book. Some of those major records include: most goals (894), most assists (1,962), most points (2,856), playoff goals and assists (122 goals, 260 assists), most 100-or-more point seasons (15), and most goals in a single season (92 in 80 games). In all of NHL history, no player other than Gretzky has recorded a 200-point season-he has achieved that mark four times in his career. In his 20-year career, Wayne Gretzky never missed an All-Star game. Named League MVP 10 times in his career, it is clear that he has lived up to his nickname. For this reason, the NHL decided to retire his number in the final game of his career at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 1999.


Retired Yankees
1 - Billy Martin He had as much "Yankee Pride" as any player or manager to wear pinstripes. His .333 lifetime World Series batting average is fourth with at least 75 ABs on the all-time series list. A player and manager for the Yankees, Martin was a brilliant baseball strategist and a legend in Yankee history.
3 - Babe Ruth His number was retired in 1948. Ruth was baseball's greatest slugger and the most colorful figure in the game's history. He hit 714 career home runs, won 12 home run titles, hitting 60 in 1927. He won four World titles and was a member of the inaugural class of Hall of Fame inductees in 1936.
4 - Lou Gehrig His number was retired and he was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1939. He played in an amazing 2,130 consecutive games between 1925 and 1939. Gehrig drove in at least 100 runs for 13 straight seasons, had a .340 lifetime batting average, and had 493 home runs in a career that was shortened by terminal illness. On July 4, 1939, in Yankee Stadium, Gehrig made the memorable "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth" speech.
5 - Joe DiMaggio The "Yankee Clipper" is still considered by many experts as the best all-around baseball player in history. He compiled a .325 lifetime batting average, was a two-time batting champion, a three-time MVP, and many believe his 56-consecutive-game hitting streak in 1941 as the top baseball feat of all time. His number was retired in 1952 and he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1955.
7 - Mickey Mantle Known as "The Mick", he was the most feared hitter on the most successful team in history. He lead the Yankees to 12 World Series in 14 years and 7 World titles. In 1956 Mantle had one of the best batting seasons ever, hitting 52 homers, 130 RBIs, and an average of .353 which won him the Triple Crown. His number was retired by the club in 1969, and he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1974.
8 - Yogi Berra He was just the third man to win three Most Valuable Player awards, as he was selected to play in 15 successive All-Star games. Berra won 10 World Championships, more than anyone in history, and led the Yankees to the 1964 pennant as manager. His number was retired in 1972 and he was elected to the Hall of Fame in that same year.
8 - Bill Dickey Regarded as one of the best catchers of all time, he set the American League records for catching more than 100 games in 13 consecutive seasons, and for not allowing a single passed ball in 125 games behind the plate. He played on eight World Series teams, and won a total of seven championships. Dickey's number was retired by the Yankees in 1972.
9 - Roger Maris Known best for breaking Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs in a season, Maris hit 61 in 1961 to set a Major League record, which stood until 1998. He was a two-time American League Most Valuable Player and is also still considered to be one of the best fielding right fielders in Yankee history.
10 - Phil Rizzuto Known as "The Scooter", in his 13 year career he played in 10 World Series. He was named the American League Most Valuable Player in 1950, and won World Series MVP honors in 1951. He spent 40 years as a Yankee broadcaster, had his number retired by the team in 1985, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1994.
15 - Thurman Munson Was a tremendous defensive catcher, winning the Gold Glove Award in three consecutive seasons, and capturing two World titles. He hit the first Yankee home run in the "new" Yankee Stadium. There is no more tragic date in Yankee history than August 2, 1979, when Thurman Munson crash landed a plane he was flying and did not survive. His number was retired in 1979.
16 - Whitey Ford "The Chairman of the Board" was the ace pitcher on the great Yankee teams of the 1950's and early '60's. He won the Cy Young Award in 1961, had a lifetime record of 236 wins and 106 losses. Ford holds World Series records for 10 wins and 94 strikeouts. He led the AL in wins three times, and in ERA and shutouts twice. His number was retired and he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1974.
23 - Don Mattingly Known as "Donnie Baseball", he was only the 10th captain to be named in Yankee history. He was a nine-time Gold Glove Award winner, and was the 1985 American League MVP. He set records for most grand slams in a season with 6, most home runs in seven consecutive games with 9, and most home runs in eight consecutive games with 10. The Yankees retired Mattingly's number in 1997.
32 - Elston Howard He became the first black player in Yankee history when he made the ball club in the spring of 1955. Howard was a two-time Gold Glove Award winner, and was named the 1963 American League Most Valuable Player. He was a true clubhouse leader and the Yankees retired his number in 1984.
37 - Casey Stengel "The Old Professor", Casey Stengel had a 54-year professional career that led him to become one of the greatest managers that the game has ever seen. Leading the Yankees to 10 pennants and 7 World titles in a 12-year span ranks as the most amazing managerial accomplishment of all time. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1966, and the Yankees retired his number in 1970.
44 - Reggie Jackson "Mr. October" had 563 career home runs, and is currently sixth all-time. He is best known for the 1977 World Series, where he hit three home runs, all on the first pitch, as the Yankees went on to win the World title. Jackson had a career slugging percentage of .490, and was named the 1973 American League MVP. His number was retired and he was also elected to the Hall of Fame in 1993.
49 - Ron Guidry Also known as Louisiana Lighting, he had one of the greatest seasons in baseball history in 1978. A season in which he won the A.L. Cy Young award, his record of 25-3 led the Yankees to their 22nd World Championship. Guidry was a 20-game winner three times during his illustrious 14-year career, all spent with the Yankees. He was honored on August 23rd, 2003 at Yankee Stadium when his number was officially retired.


Retired Mets
14 - Gil Hodges Spending 18 seasons in the Major Leagues as a player, Hodges began his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers, where he was a member of seven pennant-winning teams. He finished his playing career with the New York Mets in 1963. Upon retirement, Hodges had posted a .273 career batting average, 370 home runs and 1,274 RBI. Hodges later became the manager for the Miracle Mets from 1968-1971. During that time, he led the club to a World Championship in 1969 and posted a .522 winning percentage.
37 - Casey Stengel The only man to have his number retired by both the Mets and the Yankees. Casey Stengel's distinguished 54-year professional career spanned from the early days of the New York Giants to the later days of the Amazin' Mets. He played 14 seasons in the majors hitting .284 and in the 1923 World Series he accounted for both Giant victories with home runs. It was as a manager, though, that earned Stengel Hall of Fame recognition. He was the New York Mets' first manager and although the club was not as successful as his other clubs, he coined the term "The Amazin' Mets" and served as an icon to both New York teams.
41 - Tom Seaver Tom Seaver was a franchise power pitcher who changed the New York Mets from lovable losers into World Series Champions. He won 311 games with a 2.86 ERA over 20 seasons and set a National League career record for strikeouts by a right-handed pitcher (3,272). Seaver had ten 200-plus strikeout seasons and once fanned 19 in a single game. He was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1967 and a three-time Cy Young Award winner.


Retired Rangers
2 - Brian Leetch Brian Leetch ranks first on the Rangers' all-time scoring list for defensemen and is one of only seven NHL defensemen with at least 1,000 career points (1,028). He was a major factor in the Rangers’ Stanley Cup championship in 1994, bringing the Cup to NYC after a 54-year drought. His number 2 was retired by the Rangers on January 24, 2008. Not only was Leetch an 11-time All-Star (11 selections, 9 appearances), but he was also the captain of the Rangers from 1997-2000. He has received the Calder Memorial Trophy for the top rookie in 1989, the James Norris Trophy for the league’s top defensemen twice, and was the first American born player to receive the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs in 1994. He also played for the United States in the 1988, 1998 and 2002 Olympic Hockey teams.
11 - Mark Messier During his storied 25-year NHL career, Mark Messier played in 15 All-Star games and won six Stanley Cup Championships (Edmonton Oilers 1984, 85’, 87’, 88’, 90’and New York Rangers 1994). Messier is second on the all-time NHL list in regular season games played (1,756), regular season points (1,887), playoff points (295), playoff goals (109), and playoff assists (186). He is also third all-time in regular season assists (1,193) and seventh all-time in regular season goals (694). During Messier’s 10-year career with the Rangers, he helped bring the Stanley Cup back to New York in 1994 and is the only professional athlete to have captained two different championship teams (Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers). Not only does Mark Messier now have a monthly NHL leadership award named after him, but he had his number 11 retired by both the New York Rangers and Edmonton Oilers in 2006 and he was selected into the National Hockey League Hall of Fame in 2007.
35 - Mike Richter Mike Richter holds the record for being the winningest goaltender in franchise history with 301 wins during his 14-year career with the Rangers. During his career as a Blueshirt, which spanned from 1989 to 2003, Richter played 666 games, and was the goaltender for the Rangers in 1994 when they won the Stanley Cup. His highest save percentage was .917 and the most wins he had in a season topped out at 42. Richter’s personal career records include his longest winning streak of 11, his longest unbeaten streak at 20, and his longest shutout streak at 160:05. The Rangers retired Richter’s number on February 5, 2004.
1 - Ed Giacomin Giacomin joined the New York Rangers in 1965-66. In his second NHL season, he led the Rangers into the playoffs, earned a First Team All-Star selection, and posted nine shutouts. He went on to become one of the NHL's best and most durable goalies, playing in almost every game. In his 11-year career with the Rangers, Giacomin won 266 games, had 49 shutouts and recorded a 2.76 goals-against per game average.
7 - Rod Gilbert During his 18-year career with the New York Rangers, Rod Gilbert set or equaled 20 team-scoring records. He had 406 goals and 615 assists in 1,065 scheduled NHL games, plus 34 goals and 33 assists in 79 playoff encounters. Gilbert played in nine All-Star Games during his career and in 1976, he was awarded the Masterton Trophy, which is awarded annually to the player "who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."


Retired Jets
12 - Joe Namath "Broadway Joe" was the Jets quarterback from 1965 to 1976. During his career, Namath completed 1,886 of 3,762 passes for 27,663 yards along with 173 touchdowns. In 1967, Namath became the first player to throw for over 4,000 yards in a 14-game season. He is best known for orchestrating one of the greatest upsets in football history, when he led the Jets to a 16-7 win over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III in 1969.
13 - Don Maynard After a 13-year career (1960-1972), Maynard retired as the NFL's all-time leading receiver. He caught 633 passes for 11,834 yards (18.7 yards per catch) and 88 touchdowns. He was a four-time AFL All-Star and was chosen to the All-Time AFL team (selected by the Pro Football Hall of Fame).


Retired Giants
1 - Ray Flaherty Flaherty was with the organization as both an end and an assistant coach from 1928 to 1935. While with the team, Flaherty helped the Giants reach three NFL Championships. After he retired, he introduced the screen pass in the 1937 title game.
4 - Tuffy Leemans Leemans played for the Giants from 1936 to 1943 as a back. Personally scouted by Wellington Mara, the Giants co-owner, Leemans rushed for 3,142 career yards, passed for 2,324 yards, and had 442 yards receiving. Leemans also threw for 16 touchdowns during his career.
7 - Mel Hein Both a center and a linebacker, Hein enjoyed a 15-year career after joining the Giants in 1931. Named League MVP in 1938, he was also a member of the All-NFL team for eight straight years (1933-1940). Hein was one of the most durable players of all time, as he never missed an NFL, college, or high school game.
11 - Phil Simms Simms spent fifteen years with the Giants as their quarterback (1979-1993). He currently owns 19 records for the club along with a .589 winning percentage as a starter. Simms was also named the Super Bowl XXI MVP after leading the Giants to a victory over the Denver Broncos.
14 - Y.A. Tittle Tittle was the Giants quarterback from the 1961 season to the 1964 season. In 1962, Tittle completed 200 passes for 3,224 yards. He also threw 33 touchdown passes during the season, setting an NFL record. However, his best year came in the following season when he completed 221 out of 367 passes for 3,145 yards and 36 touchdowns.
32 - Al Blozis After arriving in 1942 with the Giants as a tackle, Blozis made an immediate impact. Blozis played with the Giants in the 1944 Championship game, but left the team shortly following to join the army in World War II. He was killed while overseas just six weeks later.
40 - Joe Morrison Morrison was one of the most dominating figures during his 14-year career with the Giants. He played both as an end and a halfback from 1959-1972. Morrison accumulated 2,472 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns during that time. However, not only was Morrison dominating, he was extremely versatile, playing six different positions.
42 - Charlie Conerly The Giants' quarterback from 1948 to 1961 represented the club in the Pro Bowl three times during his career. Named League MVP in 1959, Conerly ended his career with 1,418 completions and 19,488 yards.
50 - Ken Strong As both a fullback and a kicker, Strong ended his 12-year career (1933-1935; 1939-1947) as the Giants' all-time leading scorer with 324 points (13 touchdowns, 35 field goals, and 141 extra points). He led the Giants to victory in the 1938 championship game with 17 points against Chicago.
56 - Lawrence Taylor After finishing a 13-year career with the Giants (1981-1993), "L.T." retired as number two on the all-time NFL sack list with 132.5. During his career Taylor established an NFL record by appearing in 10 consecutive Pro Bowls from 1981-90. In 1986, "L.T." earned the honor of being named the NFL's Most Valuable Player by posting 20.5 sacks, 105 total tackles, five deflected passes, and two forced fumbles.


Retired Knicks
33 - Patrick Ewing Patrick Ewing was a center for the Knicks from 1985-2000. During his 15-years with the team, he led them to 13 straight playoff appearances, including two Eastern Conference Championships and two trips to the finals. He was NBA Rookie of the Year, an 11-time All-Star, a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, and named one of the 50 Greatest Players in the history of the NBA. The Knicks retired Ewing’s number on February 28, 2003.
10 - Walt Frazier "Clyde" was a 7-time NBA All-Star, a 4-time all-NBA first team selection, named one of the 50 Greatest Players of the NBA's first half century, and helped the Knicks win their first NBA title in 1970. As a Knick, he is the all-time leader in assists with 4,791, and is second in total points with 14,617. Frazier has been a Knicks broadcaster for ten years. The Knicks retired his number in 1979, and he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1987.
12 - Dick Barnett Started playing for the Knicks in 1965 and instantly made an impact as a guard. He averaged 15.6 points per game in nine seasons with the Knicks and was an NBA All-Star in 1968. He is the seventh highest scorer in Knick history with 9,442 points, and was a member of the 1970 championship squad.
15 - Earl Monroe "The Pearl" played nine seasons with the Knicks where he averaged 16.2 points per game. He won an NBA championship in 1973, was an All-Star twice as a Knick, is the Knicks sixth all-time highest scorer with 9,679 points, and was named one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players of the first half-century. Earl Monroe's number was retired by the Knicks in 1986. He also had the honor of being elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990.
15 - Dick McGuire "Tricky Dick" played 8 seasons for New York, led them to three straight appearances in the NBA Finals, and was named an NBA All-Star five times. He is currently third on the Knicks all-time assist list with 2,950. McGuire has been involved with the organization for over 40 years as player, assistant coach, head coach, chief scout, and director of scouting services. The team retired his number in 1992, and he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1993.
19 - Willis Reed "The Captain" was the first Knick to have his uniform number retired. He had ten great seasons with the Knicks that earned him the 1965 Rookie of the Year Award, 7 All-Star Game appearances, 5 All-NBA team selections, and 2 Finals MVP Awards. He was the first player in history to win the "Triple Crown" as MVP for the NBA season, the All-Star Game, and the Finals. Reed was named one of the 50 Greatest Players of the NBA's first half-century, and had his number retired by the Knicks in 1976. He was inducted in to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1981.
22 - Dave DeBusschere Played more than five seasons with the Knicks where he earned NBA All-Defensive honors six times, and was an All-Star selection five times. He is currently sixth on the Knicks all-time rebounding list with 4,671, and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players of the NBA's first half-century. An important part of the Knicks first championship team, his number was retired by the team in 1981, and a year later he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
24 - Bill Bradley "Dollar Bill" played ten seasons for the Knicks where he was named a 1973 NBA All-Star, and was a member of two championship teams. He had a career free throw average of .840, which led the team for 8 straight seasons, and is currently ranked eighth on the Knicks all-time scoring list with 9,217. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982, and the team retired his number in 1984.
613 - Red Holzman The Knicks retired Red Holzman's regular season victory record in 1990. He was the winningest coach in Knicks history with a record of 613 wins and 484 losses. He led the team to both their championships and was named the 1970 NBA Coach of the Year. With his 696 career wins, he is ranked the 11th winningest coach in NBA history. He was named one of the NBA's ALL-Time Top 10 Coaches of the NBA's first 50 years, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1985. The Knicks retired Red Holzman's number 613 in 1990.


Last Updated On: Friday, February 8, 2008

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