The National Soccer Hall of Fame has announced four new members to their institution, Clint Dempsey, Linda Hamilton, Shannon Boxx and Hope Solo.

Beginning his pro career in MLS with the New England Revolution, Dempsey won the 2004 Rookie of the Year, and would help the team make two MLS Cup Finals.  Europe took notice, and Fulham offered MLS $4 million in transfer fees, a record for any MLS player at the time.  

Dempsey played five years at Fulham, scoring 50 Goals, and becoming the first American to score a hat trick in the EPL.  After a year with Tottenham, Dempsey returned to the United States with the Seattle Sounders, playing from 2013 to 2018.

Internationally, Dempsey represented the United States in 141 Games, scoring 57 Goals.

Hamilton is this year’s veteran inductee.  Playing for NC State, Hamilton represented the U.S. from 1987 to 1995, where the Defenseman won Gold in the 1991 World Cup.

Boxx played collegiately at Notre Dame, and the Midfielder had a long International career with the United States, scoring 27 Goals in 195 Games.  Her accolades include three Olympic Gold Medals (2004, 2008 & 2012), and an Olympic Gold in 2015 World Cup.

Solo is the most successful female goalkeeper in American soccer history.  Solo was the U.S. Goalie in their Gold Medal wins at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and the 2015 World Cup.  A 202-game veteran in international play, Solo was a controversial figure is some circles, her success between the pipes can not be argued.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the newest members of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Bob Elliott built an elite career by anchoring the intangible fabric of the clubhouse, long before his fame in New England. The California product was a quiet, efficient engine for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1940s, with a disciplined right-handed stroke and a team-first focus at Forbes Field. His situational skill made him a top run-producer in the National League, but his reputation as the ultimate unselfish teammate earned him the nickname "Mr. Team.”

Elliott made his Major League debut with the Pirates at the end of the 1939 season, playing a brief 32-game stint during which he quickly demonstrated his frontline potential by hitting .333. Initially breaking into the regular lineup as an outfielder, his career path changed significantly before the 1942 season when manager Frankie Frisch shifted him to third base to leverage his strong throwing arm.

The positional change led to an extraordinary multi-year peak, during which Elliott made run-production a regular-season habit. He achieved five straight summers batting over .290 while with Pittsburgh, becoming a crucial, volume-heavy anchor in the lineup. His stellar bat control and spatial awareness at the plate yielded three magnificent 100-RBI masterclasses as a Pirate, racking up 101 in 1943, 108 in 1944, and 108 again in 1945.

Exempted from military duty after a serious head injury caused by a batted ball, Elliott led the franchise through wartime rosters that were low on talent. He was selected as an All-Star four years in a row from 1941 to 1945. His advanced efficiency metrics earned wide respect in the National League, leading to three straight top-ten finishes in the National League MVP voting, including eighth place in 1943, and two dominant seasons with high run production, during which he ranked second in RBIs.

After a relatively quiet 1946 season where his performance declined, the front office indicated a major shift. In a winter trade that surprised many locally, management traded their key franchise player to the Boston Braves for 37-year-old player-manager Billy Herman, a move that famously left Herman himself stunned at the high cost paid by the Pirates to acquire him. Elliott quickly proved his former team wrong, delivering an exceptional 1947 season in his first year with Boston, hitting 22 home runs and driving in 113 RBIs to earn the National League Most Valuable Player award and cement his reputation as ‘Mr. Team.'

With the Pirates, Elliott collected 1,142 hits with a slash line of 292/.365/.423.

Elbie Fletcher was traded to Pittsburgh from Boston during the 1939 Season, where in Western Pennsylvania, he developed one of the keenest batting eyes of the game.

Fletcher finished the year strong, batting .303 for Pittsburgh, and though he would not bat over .300 again, he learned how to take pitches and would top the NL leaderboard in Walks twice (1940 & 1941) and On Base Percentage three straight years (1940-42).  He went into the U.S. Navy for two years, missing two seasons, but was not the same player when he returned and was traded after the 1947 Season.

Fletcher had 875 Hits for the Pirates along with a .403 OBP.

The dawn of 20th-century Western Pennsylvania was defined by Fred Clarke’s aggressive, contact-hitting dynasty, with Clarence Howeth "Ginger" Beaumont at its center. His heavy frame earned him a nickname, but he defied athletic stereotypes using quick first steps and a strong left-handed swing to excel at the top of the order.

His initial appearance during the 1899 campaign is regarded as one of the most remarkable debuts in the extensive history of the organization. As a 24-year-old novice, Beaumont methodically incapacitated National League pitching staffs, achieving an impressive .352 batting average that promptly established his position as a key player. He swiftly transformed accumulating hits into a consistent and reliable offensive contribution, offering a substantial volume of scoring opportunities directly preceding the legendary Honus Wagner.

His quintessential individual peak and superior efficiency metrics converged during a historic three-year period from 1902 to 1904. Beaumont demonstrated exceptional batting prowess, securing the 1902 National League batting title with an impressive .357 average, and establishing a record as the first player in the Senior Circuit to lead the major leagues in total hits for three consecutive summers.

While many modern observers were often misled by his bulky appearance, he was a formidable force on the basepaths, using exceptional speed to steal at least 20 bases across seven different campaigns for the city. His dynamic base-running firmly established his legend during the high-stakes 1903 Fall Classic against Boston. As the fleet-footed center fielder, he stepped up to hit the first pitch in World Series history, helping to elevate Pittsburgh's national profile.

The Pirates traded Beaumont to Boston after his disappointing 1906 Season, but Beaumont proved them wrong by finishing first in hits in 1907.  Beaumont, overall as a Pirate, batted .321 with 1,292 hits and 200 stolen bases.