Following the announcement of Alex Gordon’s impending retirement only a few days ago, we have another career-ending statement from another significant retirement.

Hunter Pence announced on Twitter that he will be retiring after a 14-year career, last playing for the San Francisco Giants where he was designated for assignment early in August.

Pence made his Major League debut in 2007 with the Houston Astros as their starting Centerfielder, and he finished third in Rookie of the Year voting.  Moving to Rightfield the year after, Pence was named to the All-Star Game in 2009, and would be again in 2011, though he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies during the season.  Pence’s stay in Eastern Pennsylvania would be short-lived as he was dealt to the Giants during the 2012 season, and he went on to help them win the World Series that year. He would go to a third All-Star Game in 2014, and win a second World Series that year with the Giants, and with the exception of the 2019 season as a Texas Rangers, he completed his career with San Francisco.

Pence retired with 1,791 career Hits, 244 Home Runs and a lifetime Batting Average of .279.

Pence will be eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2026, and while he is unlikely to make Cooperstown, he should be on the ballot.  

We have a significant retirement that will take place within a week as Kansas City Royals Outfielder, Alex Gordon, has announced that he will be retiring at the season’s end.

Gordon was drafted second overall in 2005, and the Golden Spikes Award winner made his debut for the Royals in 2007.  Gordon would become one of the best defensive players in franchise history, winning eight Gold Gloves while becoming a three-time All-Star.  He led the American League in Doubles in 2012, and he had a pair of 20 Home Run campaigns.  Gordon helped Kansas City win the 2015 World Series, and he blasted a Home Run in Game 1 that forced extra innings and led to a Kansas City victory.

At present, Gordon has 190 career Home Runs with 1,641 Hits.

Gordon will be eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2026, and while he is unlikely to make Cooperstown, he will be on the ballot.  

The International Tennis Hall of Fame announced the nominees for the Class of 2021, and it consists of five former players, and two contributors.

The five player nominees are:

Jonas Bjorkman:  Bjorkman won six singles titles, but his real strength was on the doubles circuit where he won 54 championships including three Australian Opens (1998, 1999 & 2001), two French Opens (2005 & 2006), three Wimbledons (2002, 2003 & 2004) and one U.S. Open (2003).  Internationally, Bjorkman helped lead Sweden to three Davis Cup wins

Sergei Bruguera:  Bruguera won the French Open in 1993 and 1934 and he won the 1996 Silver Medal representing Spain in 1996.  Bruguera won 14 singles titles.

Juan Carlos Ferraro:  From Spain, Ferraro won the French Open in 2003 and was in the Finals in the U.S. Open the same year.  Ferraro won 16 Singles Titles and led Spain to three Davis Cups (2000, 2004 & 2009).

Lleyton Hewitt:  After winning the 2001 U.S. Open, 20-year-old Lleyton Hewitt made history as the youngest tennis player to be ranked #1.  He would later win the 2002 Wimbledon, and he captured 30 ATP Championships.  The Australian would also lead his country to two Davis Cup Championships (1999 & 2002).

Lisa Raymond:  Raymond was a doubles specialist who won the Australian Open (2000), French Open (2006), Wimbledon (2001) and U.S. Open (2001, 2005 & 2011).  She also won in Mixed Doubles at the French Open (2003), Wimbledon (1999 & 2012) and U.S. Open (1996 & 2002).  Representing the United States, Raymond was a Bronze Medalist at the 2012 London Games.

The Contributor Nominees are:

The Original 9 – Peaches Bartkowicz, Rosie Casais, Judy Tegart Dalton, Julie Heldman, Billie Jean King, Kristy Pigeon, Kerry Melville Reid, Nancy Richey & Valerie Ziegenfuss:  50 years ago, they created their own non-sanctioned event, which was a costly risk considering they would be no longer eligible for rankings, Grand Slams or playing on their national team.  It led to the Virginia Slims Tournament and pay equity in the sport.

Dennis Van der Meer: Van der Meer was a junior player who became a very successful coach.  He would standardize teaching methods and create his own Tennis University.

To be elected into the Hall, a candidate must receive an affirmative vote of 75%.  The Class of 2021 will be announced in early 2021, with the Induction Ceremony scheduled for July 17.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the Nominees for making it to this stage.  

It is a sad day in the world of pro wrestling as it was announced this morning that Joe Laurinaitis, who performed as Road Warrior Animal passed away at the age of 60.  It was not revealed at this time how he died.

From Minnesota, Laurinaitis was trained to wrestle by Eddie Sharkey, who also mentored Rick Rude, Barry Darsow and Mike Hegstrand, who would later become Laurinaitis’ tag team partner.  Laurinaitis originally competed as the “Road Warrior” but he would paired with Hegstrand, where they would compete forever more as Animal and Hawk.

With their jacked-up bodies, studded leather outfits, and face paint, no other tandem looked like them.  

In 2011, along with the Hawk (posthumously) and Paul Ellering, Animal was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.  They cut their teeth in Georgia as the Road Warriors, destroying every team in sight.  They won the NWA National Tag Team Titles, and would later win the NWA World and AWA World Tag Team Titles in the 1980s. 

As phenomenal as they were, they often were not in tag title pictures, as they were a draw without the belts.  They main evented everywhere in the United States, and also in Japan, where they were just as popular.

The Road Warriors finally entered the WWF in 1990, and would win the Tag Team Titles, but they were no longer presented as the dominant team of old.  The 90s were turbulent for the team, as Hawk left Animal in 1992, and he sat out for a few years recovering his back.  The team reunited in WCW in 1996, but went back to the WWF, winning the belts again in 1997.  Hawk suffered from drug addiction (which was used in a tasteless angle) and the team only made sporadic appearances after.  

Hawk died in 2003, and Animal would return to the WWE as part of a new Legion of Doom with Heidenreich.

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