While baseball is in a struggle between labor and management as to whether or not there will be a 2020 season, we know now that Denard Span won’t be a part of any 2020 campaign regardless.

Span, who did not play in 2019, announced that he is officially retired due to what he considered unimpressive offers from Major League teams.  

The Outfielder made his Major League debut in 2008 with the Minnesota Twins, where he played five seasons, peaking on 2009, where he led the American League in Triples (10) with a .311 Batting Average.  Span would later play for Washington, again leading his league in Triples (11 in 2013), and would finish first in Hits with 184 in the 2014 Season. Span also saw action with San Francisco, Tampa Bay and Seattle.

Span ends his career with 1,498 career Hits, 185 Stolen Bases and a .281 Batting Average.  He is unlikely to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame in his year of eligibility, 2024, but it will be a win for him to make the ballot.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Denard Span the best in his post-playing career.

One of the greatest players in the history of the Cincinnati Bengals passed away today, as it was announced that Ken Riley died at the age of 72.  

Playing collegiately at Florida A&M, the Bengals selected the then Quarterback in the Sixth Round of the 1969 Draft.  The Bengals management converted him to Cornerback, where he would become the most prolific Defensive Back in franchise history.

Riley played his entire pro career with the Bengals, accumulating 65 Interceptions with five Touchdowns over 207 Games.  

Despite his high amount of Interceptions, Riley was never voted on to a Pro Bowl team. He would make a First Team All-Pro in his final season (1983), but a deeper look at his career shows a player deserving of more.  

Following his playing career, Riley returned to his alma mater, where he became Florida A&M’s Head Coach.  He took the Rattlers to two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Titles and he was also a two-time MEAC Coach of the Year.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends, fans and Family of Ken Riley.

The sad days keep on coming.

In a statement from his family, it was announced that Wes Unseld passed away at the age of 74.  According to his family, he had battling health issues for some time, namely pneumonia.  

A two-time All-American at Louisville, Unseld was drafted by the then Baltimore Bullets with the second overall pick in 1968.  He played his entire career with the team, as they moved from Baltimore to Washington, and the Center was the unquestioned leader of the team during his tenure.

A five-time All-Star, Undeld was the Rookie of the Year, and was the MVP the season after.  His crowning achievement in the NBA, was leading Washington to the NBA Championship in 1978, where he was the MVP of the Finals.  Following his playing career, he would work for the Bullets as a Coach, General Manager and an Executive.

Unseld was inducted into Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.  The Bullets retired his number 41, and Louisville retired his number 31.  He was also named to the NBA 50^thAnniversary Team.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends, fans and family of Wes Unseld.

The Mid-American Conference has announced the six new members of their Athletic Hall of Fame.

The new members are:

Bryan Bullington – Ball State, Baseball (2000-02):  Bullington holds the career record in Strikeouts in the MAC (357), and has the most Wins in Cardinals history (29).  The Pitcher was an All-American in 2002, and he was a two-time MAC Player of the Year. Bullington was the first player from the MAC to be drafted number one, and he would go on to play in the Major Leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals.

Ellen Herman-Kimball – Ohio, Women’s Volleyball (2006-09):  Herman-Kimball was the MAC Freshman of the Year, and she would be the MAC Player of the Year as both a Junior and a Senior.  She is the all-time Conference leader in Kills (1,984).

Margo Jonker – Central Michigan, Softball Coach (1980-2020):  Jonker retired as the most successful Softball Coach in the history of the MAC, and she retired with a record of 1,246-780-6.  Jonker took the Chippewas to ten MAC Championships and she was also a ten-time MAC Coach of the Year.  Internationally, she was the Assistant Coach on Team U.S.A.’s 2000 Gold Medal winning team at the Sydney Olympics.

Stevi Large Gruber – Akron, Women’s Track & Field (2006-09):  Large Gruber was a three-time Female Athlete of the Year at Akron and she won nine MAC Championships.  Her best event was the Hammer Throw, where she won the National Championship in 2009. Large Gruber also competed in the Shotput, Discus and Weight Throw.

Briana Shook – Toledo, Women’s Track & Field and Cross Country (2000-04):  Over her career with the Rockets, Shook won 11 MAC Titles, and she led her school to back-to-back Cross Country Championships in 2001 and 2002.  

Wally Szczerbiak – Miami, Men’s Basketball (1996-99):  Szczerbiak is the RedHawks second leading scorer in school history and in 1999, he was the MAC Player of the Year.  Also, a Naismith Finalist, Szczerbiak took Miami to the Sweet Sixteen.  

The MAC Hall of Fame inducted their first class in 1987, but after 1994 (there was no induction ceremony in 1993), they ceased to add new members until it was resurrected in 2012.  This induction brings the total amount of members to 102.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com congratulate the newest members of the MAC Hall of Fame.