HOW THE HALL OF FAME ALL STARTED
For the longest time, a sports Hall of Fame for Springfield was a great topic of conversation.
Guys like Robin Roberts, Al Barlick and Ray Ramsey had been honored nationally, but there was nothing in their hometown to pay tribute to their athletic accomplishments.
Then in the summer of 1990, the wheels were put in motion to put together what we now know as the Springfield Sports Hall of Fame. Through the efforts of two of Springfield's former Major League Baseball players, John Schaive and Dick Schofield, and two representatives from The State Journal-Register, sports editor Mike Chamness and sportswriter Jim Ruppert, a committee was formed to map out a plan for the establishment of the Hall of Fame.
Thanks to their tireless work and sports connections in the community, Schaive and Schofield were able to put together a selection committee and a board of directors. The selection committee was formed to determine deserving Hall of Fame candidates, and the board of directors was formed to establish a foundation for the organization as well as a banquet to honor the Hall of Famers.
When Jack Howard, president of E.L. Schafer & Sons Inc. (later House of Brews Inc.) came on board, the Hall had a corporate sponsor and solid backing.
The first banquet, featuring 24
inductees, eight Friends of Sport and Baseball Hall of Famer Brooks
Robinson as the featured speaker, was held Feb. 5, 1991, before a
sellout crowd. Since then, the annual Hall of Fame banquet has become
the largest sports gathering in Springfield with over 800 attendees each
year.
After
a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19 restrictions we convened for the 30th Springfield
Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in 2022. We will never forget
the efforts of those who were there from the very beginning, especially
the patriarchs of the Springfield Sports Hall of Fame, John Schaive and
Dick Schofield.
They wouldn't let a good
idea fall by the wayside, and the community has benefited greatly.

2022 Banquet
1991 Inaugural HOF Inductees
Dick Schofield (L) and Al Urbanckas (R)

Sadly, Dick Schofield passed away on July 11, 2022. May he Rest In
Peace.
Photos from the 2022 Banquet courtesy of
Springfield Scene Magazine

Sports Hall of Fame President Lesa Schaive, Annual Banquet Master of
Ceremonies Jim Ruppert and Guest Speaker Al "The Mad Hungarian" Hrabosky
Photos of the Class of 2020 Inductees at the 2022 Banquet with Lesa
Schaive and Al Hrabosky

Ellen Antonacci Bartletti

Catherine Gaffigan

Shelly Lehman Burke

Lester Hampton

Dave Urish

Jim Jumper

Pete Stoll

1995
Springfield Thunder
from left to right: Al
Hrabosky, Adam Feld, Todd Mitchell, Todd Schneller, Assistant Coach
Elston Miller, Seth Von Behren, Coach Dennis Werth, Bryce Hager,
Assistant Coach John Schneller, Craig Moreland, Jeff Hurie and Jay
Crawford