O.C. Sports Hall of Fame Board Undertakes Big Reorganization

The Orange County Sports Hall of Fame board of directors is in the process of reorganizing and plans to hold induction ceremonies for its class of ’95 members on March 28, according to its president, Don Steele.

“Our intention is to be ready to go at that time,” Steele said Wednesday. “We plan to do it around the time of the opening of the Angels’ season. It’s been held at various times in the past, but the spring seemed best to us.”

The last induction ceremony was held Dec. 18, 1994.

Steele said present plans call for the induction ceremony to be held at the Hall of Fame museum in Anaheim Stadium, and all nominees must commit to attend the ceremonies as a condition of their induction.

“We want the inductees to be present for the ceremony,” Steele said. “If they can’t attend, we’ll induct them when they can attend.”

The Hall of Fame board has gradually taken over responsibility for the operation of the Hall of Fame museum from the Orange County Sports Assn., Steele said.

“I think everyone felt that the museum is such a fine thing that it needed more direct attention,” he said. “We reactivated the Hall of Fame board to do that. We’ll be primarily concerned with the business aspects.”

Steele said the board plans to work toward paying off the construction costs of the museum. “We raised $400,000 in the past, but we still owe about $400,000 on the construction,” he said.

Nomination ballots for the Hall of Fame are in the process of being distributed and the election will take place in January.

“At this point, we’re focusing quite a bit of our effort on fund-raising,” said Steele about the induction ceremonies. “We have various types of sponsorships for sale, and we’re trying to demonstrate the practicality of them as an advertising medium.”