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Summary
Summary
In 1936, the Baseball Hall of Fame was established to honor the legends of the sport. The first inductees were some of the greatest names of the dugout, including Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth. Less than ten years later, in 1945, the Hockey Hall of Fame inducted its first members. The Soccer Hall of Fame was established in 1950, followed by the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959, and the Football Hall of Fame in 1963. In all, more than 1,400 inductees--players, teams, and behind the scenes personnel--have been enshrined in these five halls of fame. The Sports Hall of Fame Encyclopedia is a comprehensive listing of each inductee elected into one or more of these major sports halls of fame. From Hank Aaron to Fred Zollner, this book contains biographical information, sport and position(s) played, and career statistics (when applicable) of each of the more than 1,400 honorees. The book also includes specific appendixes for each shrine, in which inductees are listed alphabetically and by year of induction. Also included are appendixes briefly describing the history of each hall of fame.
Author Notes
Dave Blevins is a full-time writer and author of several reference books, including Halls of Fame: An International Directory (2004), Television Networks (2006) and American Political Parties in the 21st Century (2006).
Reviews (3)
Booklist Review
This two-volume set contains more than 1,400 biographic entries on the male and female inductees (as of 2010) into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Museum, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Hockey Hall of Fame, and National Soccer Hall of Fame. The short biographies mostly provide details of the inductees' accomplishments, with a brief summation of their post-sports careers. Relevant statistics are provided for most entries. Appendixes to the work provide a complete inductee listing by year as well as a history of each Hall of Fame and its selection processes. The entries are strictly fact and statistics based, without any analysis of how the athlete impacted his or her sport. This lack of analysis is unfortunate, because that would have made this resource stand out. Some entries, such as the piece on baseball player and manager Casey Stengel, end abruptly, with an anecdote about the cabdriver who hit Stengel in 1943 being voted Sportsman of the Year by a Boston newspaper. Although the addition of an anecdote (along with some preceding unique quotes from the manager that highlight his unique gift of gab) gives the entry some life, the information would make more sense in the middle of the entry or with some additional context surrounding it. Entries on lesser-known figures, such as women's basketball pioneer Bertha Frank Teague, provide a glimpse into an important piece of sports and gender history, but the entries are so brief, with the bibliographies referring either to the specific sports Hall of Fame or such websites as Baseball-Reference.com, that the book is not a useful resource for students who are beginning biographical research. As it is, it is a handy if costly resource for the ultimate sports fan to have on hand, something that could be quickly referred to if you needed to look up where Scottie Pippen went to college (University of Central Arkansas) or Rickey Henderson's on-base percentage in 1990 (.439). In an era of tight collection-development budgets, especially for reference sources, this work is not a necessary purchase.--Elliott, Julie Copyright 2010 Booklist
Choice Review
This two-volume reference work features biographical entries and career statistics for some 1,400 enshrinees in what editor Blevins refers to as the "five most popular halls of fame": the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Hockey Hall of Fame, and the National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum. Entries for all members are included in one integrated alphabetical sequence, rather than in separate chapters for each hall of fame, as one might expect. The entries consist of brief biographical narratives focusing on the sports careers of individuals and omitting most information that is not directly part of the sports career. Joe Namath's entry, for example, barely mentions his celebrity status beyond the playing field. Seasonal and career statistics are included for most, although the depth of statistical information varies by sport, with hockey including junior and minor league statistics but other sports including only major league statistics. Appendixes group the inductees by hall of fame and year, providing a quick reference for those looking for hall of fame members for only one sport. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through professionals/practitioners; general readers. J. R. Bailey Arkansas State University
Library Journal Review
Blevins (Halls of Fame: An International Directory) provides short biographies of those inducted into baseball's, basketball's, football's, hockey's, and soccer's halls of fame from the mid-1930s to 2010. The entries are prefaced by a list of abbreviations of various leagues, professional associations, and federations, and alphabetized by last name or, in some cases, by team. Each entry covers basic facts, including birth and death dates, teams that the athlete played for, accolades, and sometimes career statistics. The listings also indicate the national and any additional halls of fame into which the athlete was inducted and provide a short bibliography. Appendixes in the second volume include complete inductee listings from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Hockey Hall of Fame, and the National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum, organized both alphabetically and by year. The set is comprehensively indexed. VERDICT Overall, this encyclopedia will be useful in libraries that serve patrons with a special interest in sports or that are located in a city with a sports team. It will also come in handy when students or others are looking to profile an athlete but lack a clear vision or starting point for their research. While not a comprehensive study of each athlete or team, the encyclopedia is a great statistical and factual reference offering basic information that can kick-start further study.-Annette Haldeman, Dept. of Legislative Svcs. Lib., Annapolis, MD (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.