Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB. Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players, coaches and executives.  As such it is huge news that the Detroit Tigers will be retiring the number 1 of former Second Baseman, Lou Whitaker.

Playing at Second Base, Whitaker played his entire career with the Tigers.  The five-time All-Star won the 1978 Rookie of the Year Award, where he also won three Gold Gloves and four Silver Sluggers.  He was an integral part of Detroit’s last World Series Championship in 1984.  He would overall accumulate 2,369 Hits with 244 Home Runs and 1,084 Runs Batted In.

The official retirement will take place on August 29, during Detroit’s home game against the Boston Red Sox.

Whitaker becomes the 10^thplayer to have his number retired.  He joins Charlie Gehringer (#2), Alan Trammell (#3), Hank Greenberg (#5), Al Kaline (#6), Sparky Anderson (#11), Hal Newhouser (#16), Willie Horton (#23), Jackie Robinson (#42) and Jack Morris (#47).

Along with Anderson, Trammell & Morris, he is the fourth member of the 1984 World Series winning team to have his number retired.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Lou Whitaker for earning this prestigious honor, and thank the Detroit Tigers for honoring their former star.

Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB. Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players, coaches and executives.  As such it is huge news that the Miami Heat have announced how they will honor the retirement of Dwyane Wade’s #3; and it will be incredible!

Wade’s career will be celebrated over three days.

On February 21, a tribute to some of best moments will be held, which will celebrate his greatest moments.

On February 22, during their home game against Cleveland, his number will be retired.

On February 23, a documentary of his last season will debut at their home arena.

Playing 14 ½ of his seasons with Miami, Heat is the team’s all-time leading scorer.  He went to 13 All-Star Games, and won the scoring title in 2008-09.  The Guard went to eight All-NBA Teams (two First Team, three Second Team and three Third Teams), and led them to three NBA Championships.

Wade becomes the fifth player in Heat history to have his number retired.   He joins Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal and Chris Bosh.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Dwyane Wade for earning this prestigious honor, and the Miami Heat for doing this right.

Chicago Bears Offensive Guard had announced that he is retiring from the National Football League, ending a seven-year career spent entirely in the Windy City.  He made the announcement on Twitter.

Playing his college ball at Oregon, Long was drafted by Chicago 20^thoverall in 2013.  The son of Pro Football Hall of Famer, Howie Long, and brother of former NFL star, Chris Long, made an immediate impact, going to the Pro Bowl as a rookie, and he would repeat that accolade in 2014 and 2015.

Long’s career stalled when a brutal ankle injury cost him half of the 2016 season and two games in 2017.  More injuries would pile up and he would only play 12 Games total in 2018 & 2019.  Overall, he would play 77 Games and started in 76 of them.  

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to thank Kyle Long for his gridiron memories, and we wish him the best in his post-playing career.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com thought it would be fun to take a look at the major awards in North American team sports and see how it translates into Hall of Fame potential.

Needless to say, different awards in different sports yield hall of fame potential.  In basketball, the team sport with the least number of players on a roster, the dividend for greatness much higher.  In baseball, it is not as much as a great individual season does not have the same impact.

Last time, we looked at the MVP in Major League Baseball.  This time, we go back to the rink with Vezina Trophy.