Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame to induct Steve Avery and Frank Tanana Saturday

LANSING, Mich. – The 2022 Class of the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame, Steve Avery and Frank Tanana, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this Saturday, July 9, before the 7:05 p.m. Lansing Lugnuts/Great Lakes Loons game at Jackson® Field™.

Founded January 28, 2015, the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame is dedicated to those players, coaches, teams and contributors representing the foremost in achievement and lasting impact, from Little League to the Major Leagues.

The mission of the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame is to:

• Honor the state’s baseball heroes of yesterday
• Celebrate the national pastime today
• Inspire the baseball fans and ballplayers of tomorrow

A special pre-game ceremony will see Avery’s and Tanana’s Hall of Fame plaques unveiled beyond the left field wall. Both inductees will be in attendance, supported by family and friends.

Steve Avery first introduced himself to the Michigan baseball landscape in taking Taylor American Legion to the 1986 state title, receiving the Kiki Cuyler Award as tournament MVP. In 1988, he was named Michigan’s Mr. Baseball for his dominance at Taylor’s John F. Kennedy High School, going 13-0 with a 0.51 ERA and 196 strikeouts in just 88 innings, plus a .511 batting average with eight home runs.

Avery was drafted third overall by the Atlanta Braves in 1988; three years later, he was named National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player after tossing a pair of gems against the Pittsburgh Pirates, totaling 16 1/3 scoreless innings. A 1993 National League All-Star, Avery made 18 appearances and 12 starts in the postseason, winning the World Series with the Braves in 1995. He concluded his 11-year Major League Baseball career with his hometown Detroit Tigers in 2003.

Highly regarded as both a baseball and basketball star at Detroit Catholic Central, Frank Tanana opted to pursue a professional baseball career after he was drafted 13th overall by the California Angels in 1971. Tanana formed a star tandem with Nolan Ryan at the front of the Angels’ rotation, earning selections to the 1976, 1977 and 1978 American League All-Star Teams. In 1975, at just 21 years old, he led the Major Leagues with 269 strikeouts. Two years later, he led the Majors with seven shutouts and led the American League with a 2.54 ERA.

After stints with the Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers, Frank Tanana was traded to his hometown Detroit Tigers in June of 1985. It was the first of eight seasons Tanana spent with the Tigers, totaling 1,551 1/3 innings over 250 appearances. On the final day of the 1987 season, he twirled a six-hit 1-0 shutout against Toronto to clinch the A.L. East title. In all, Tanana pitched 21 seasons in the Major Leagues, winning 240 games and striking out 2,773 batters.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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