1989 BASEBALL INDUCTEE “FIBBER” HIRAYAMA Standing 5’4″ and weighing 145 pounds, Satoshi “Fibber” Hirayama was small even by baseball standards. Surprisingly, Hirayama went to Fresno State College on a football scholarship. “I was recruited for football, but I didn’t like spring practice, so went out for baseball in the spring and played four years for…
1989 TENNIS INDUCTEE GLENN HIPPENSTIEL This Wyoming native was reared in San Bernardino and moved to Fresno in 1959. Hippenstiel played tennis for fifty-five years, including three at the University of California during a span when the Golden Bears never lost to rivals, UCLA and Stanford. His personal resume is highlighted by thirteen national tennis…
1989 WRESTLING INDUCTEE MIKE GALLEGO Mike Gallego was one of the first recruits when Dick Francis became head wrestling coach at Fresno State in 1964. Francis had coached Gallego at McLane High School, but Mike had since spent his last two high school years at Pacific Grove. Gallego was the very best Francis had during…
1989 COACHING-BASEBALL INDUCTEE OLLIE BIDWELL One of the best ways to judge the success of a coach is the testimony of his players, especially those who reach the highest level of their sport. Few high school baseball coaches in Fresno have been more successful than Oliver Hastings Bidwell. In nineteen seasons (seven at Roosevelt, six…
1988 SOFTBALL INDUCTEE LEROY ZIMMERMAN Leroy Zimmerman was one of the greatest two-sport athletes in United States history. The venerable late football coach, Dudley DeGroot, who coached Zimmerman at San Jose State and with the NFL Washington Redskins, stated: “Zimmerman was the best football player I ever coached.” That was high praise as DeGroot also…
1988 MANAGER ML BASEBALL INDUCTEE JIMY WILLIAMS From 1963 to 1964, Martha and the Vandellas, a Motown singing group, once had a hit record called Dancing in the Streets and the lyrics proclaimed, “They’re dancing in Philadelphia, PA.” About the same time, Jimy Williams was playing baseball for Fresno State College and graduating with a…
1988 FOOTBALL INDUCTEE ROD PERRY Hoover High School has produced many multi-sport athletes over the years and Rod Perry was one. He was quick on the basketball floor and on the track as well as an all-round performer on the football field. Rod decided to pursue football at the college level because it’s the game…
1988 TRACK & FIELD INDUCTEE DAREL NEWMAN Darel Newman was voted the #l sprinter in the world in 1965-1966 and is one of the few people who defeated Bob Hayes and the great Russian Olympian, Valeri Borzov. Twice, he tied the outdoor 100-yard or 100-meter world records. He set a 60- yard indoor world record.…
1988 FOOTBALL INDUCTEE KENNETH GLEASON The handsome Santa Cruz-born Kenneth “Kenny'” Gleason was what some would call a “natural.”It didn’t matter what sport he tried; he excelled in football, basketball, and track at Santa Cruz High School and football, basketball, and baseball at Fresno State. After his playing days, Gleason turned to coaching. He coached…
1988 FOOTBALL INDUCTEE TOM FLORES Desire, dedication, and determination characteristics which best define accomplishments of Tom Flores during his exemplary career from high school to all levels of college play to the punishing ranks of professional football. Flores was a barrier-breaking rarity during two decades of competition at a time when very few Mexican-Americans were…