Photos courtesy of Fordham University
The Westchester County Sports Hall of Fame turns 50 and we celebrate with a look back at some of its historic inductees.
Did you know that Westchester County has its own sports hall of fame and that it’s celebrating the half-century mark this year?
Founded in 1968, the Westchester Sports Hall of Fame was established to celebrate achievements made in the world of sports by Westchester residents, whether they were players, coaches, managers, or broadcasters. For decades, the Hall of Fame was just that: an actual hallway of various plaques in the Westchester County Center, the history and significance of each languishing in relative obscurity. In 2010, the Hall relocated to a more visible location in the County Center’s atrium.
“It is something we’re very proud of and expect to be doing for many years to come,” says deputy commissioner of Westchester County Parks Peter Tartaglia, who was in attendance for the 50th-anniversary celebration in October. “We invited some of the old-timers who were inductees in the past to come back, and it made for a very nice evening.”
Some of the Hall’s more notable inductees include former New York Giants halfback and Monday Night Football commentator Frank Gifford and former Yankee centerfielder Bernie Williams.
Last year, the Hall added high school basketball commentator Rich Leaf, Fordham University’s director of athletics Frank McLaughlin, Hendrick Hudson High School coach Paul Natale, Triple-A pitcher Rick O’Keeffe, and Emmy Award-winning sports journalist Jimmy Roberts.
