The Red Sox have introduced the latest crop of team legends entering the 2010 Red Sox Hall of Fame to be honored in a ceremony on Friday.
The ceremony will take place on Friday with an induction luncheon in the EMC Club at Fenway Park. The Red Sox will be inducting Tommy Harper, Jimmy Piersall, John Valentin and Don Zimmer in the event, which will be followed up with a special pregame ceremony on the field before the series opener against Toronto.
Harper saw time as both a player and a coach for the Red Sox, playing two of his 15 professional years in Boston. During the 1973 season, he led the league in stolen bases, setting a Red Sox franchise record with 54 — a record broken by Jacoby Ellsbury in 2009. After he finished his career, he returned as a coach for the Red Sox from 1980-84, and again from 2000-02. He continues to work as a Red Sox consultant for player development.
Piersall played his first eight seasons with Boston, playing both the outfield and the infield to kick off his career. He became a permanent fixture in the Boston lineup in the last six seasons with the team, earning the nickname "The Waterbury Wizard," as he was born and raised in Waterbury, Conn. Piersall posted a .273 batting average with the Red Sox, driving in 366 RBIs.
Valentin played 10 seasons with the Sox, as he was drafted by the team in 1988. He saw his major league debut in 1992, when he started seeing significant playing time at shortstop. Receiving a Silver Slugger Award in 1995, Valentin batted .298 that year with 27 homers and 102 RBIs. Valentin also became one of 15 MLB players to complete an unassisted triple play during the 1994 season.
Zimmer was named Red Sox manager in July of 1976, leading the team to three consecutive 90-win seasons under his tutelage. In the 1978 season, Zimmer led Boston to 99 wins, which is the fourth-most in franchise history.
Also being inducted as a non-uniformed selection is former manager and longtime front office administrator, Eddie Kasko. In his four-year stint as manager from 1970-74, Kasko developed such young players as Carlton Fisk and Dwight Evans. He also was a pivotal figure in boosting the careers of Bill "Spaceman" Lee and Luis Tiant. Following his managerial tenure, Kasko went on to serve as a scout and was appointed the director of scouting and the vice president of baseball development. He served in that position for over two decades.
Tom Brunansky’s catch on Oct. 3, 1990 to end the regular season and give the Red Sox the AL East will also be recognized as a Red Sox "Memorable Moment" during the ceremony.
