Lugnuts establish Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame

Tom Dickson was shocked upon discovering last year there was nothing established to honor the tradition of baseball in Michigan.

The Lansing Lugnuts owner decided to change that.

The Lugnuts announced Wednesday the establishment of the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame during a press conference at Cooley Law School Stadium.

"We think we stole one here with the fact that there wasn't one," Dickson said.

The Hall of Fame will be similar to Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. The plaques of the inductees will be on permanent display beyond the wall in left-center field of the renovated Cooley Law School Stadium, which will feature a new 360-degree walkway around the stadium this season.

"We think it's nice to have it outside and really part of the experience of watching a game," Dickson said. "I envision people every night walking outside along the outer railing of the ballpark in center field and looking at these plaques. They're going to be transparent so you can see the green grass right through the plaque and look out into the ballpark. I just think it's going to be a really cool way to do it."

Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero said the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame is another piece of good fortune for the city and praised the vision of Dickson for his role in helping redefine downtown.

"He's a guy that's not content with the status quo," Bernero said. "He's a guy that said let's build apartments in the outfield and be one of the first in the nation to do such a thing. You've got to have leadership that's cutting edge and willing to take a chance, and he saw that there was no Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame and said let's grasp this for Lansing."

The inaugural class will have 10 inductees that will be determined by a nine-member committee of baseball experts that includes Detroit Tigers broadcaster Mario Impemba, longtime Tigers scout Clyde Weir, former Tigers radio broadcaster Paul Carey, longtime area baseball coach Jake Boss Sr., MSU grad and Milwaukee Brewers broadcaster Joe Block, local sports anchors Fred Heumann and Tim Staudt, MHSAA assistant director Mark Uyl and former Michigan baseball coach Rich Maloney.

The Hall of Fame will officially open Saturday, June 27, which is when the inaugural class will be inducted.

"To be able to host the legends of Michigan baseball I think is great," Lugnuts general manager Nick Grueser said. "I love the fact that it's not just the big names. It's going to be anybody that's had any significant impact to Michigan baseball whether it's a Little League player or coach who has been around for 40 years or the Ernie Harwells of the world of broadcasting."