Danny Graves, Gabe Paul elected to Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame via Veteran's Committee
Danny Graves, the Cincinnati Reds’ all-time saves leader, and former general manager Gabe Paul were voted into the Reds Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee Tuesday.
The two will join Bronson Arroyo, who was elected through the modern player ballot, in the Reds Hall of Fame Class of 2023 and will be inducted on July 15-16, 2023.
“I was speechless and kind of had the chills,” Graves said Wednesday.
Graves, the only Vietnamese-born player in MLB history, had a 39-43 record with a 3.94 ERA in 465 appearances with the Reds while recording a club-record 182 saves. He was a two-time All-Star with the Reds (2000 and 2004) in his nine years with the club.
He became the fourth relief pitcher elected to the Reds Hall of Fame, joining Clay Carroll, Wayne Granger and Pedro Borbon.
“Every time I’d see Reds fans, whether it was fantasy camp, Redsfest or just throughout the season, everybody says, ‘you should be in the Hall of Fame, you should be in the Hall of Fame,’” Graves said. “I said, ‘well, it’s OK that I’m not because I’m still part of the family. I’m still around and I still get to do stuff. I’m still asked to do things with the Reds.’
“Being in the Hall of Fame, obviously, it wasn’t something that I played for. It’s a huge honor but if it didn’t happen, I’d still be OK. I’d still be happy every single day. I’m very ecstatic that it did and now I won’t have to answer that question anymore.”
Paul, who died in 1998 at 88 years old, was the Reds’ general manager from 1951-60. He broke the franchise’s color barrier when Chuck Harmon and Nino Escalera debuted with the club in 1954. He was named the Sporting News’ Executive of the Year in 1956 after the Reds won 91 games and season attendance topped 1 million for the first time.
He was the youngest GM in the league when he took over the position at 41 years old. He started as a traveling secretary in 1936 and later served as a public relations director. During his time as GM, he oversaw moves that added Gus Bell, Bob Purkey, Frank Robinson, Vada Pinson, Tony Perez, Pete Rose, Leo Cardenas, Curt Flood, Jerry Lynch, Jim Maloney and Jim O’Toole.
During Paul’s tenure as GM, the Reds established their team Hall of Fame in 1958. He will be the fourth general manager in the Reds Hall of Fame, which will now have 93 members.
The Veteran’s Committee, which elected Graves and Paul, is comprised of Reds executives, Hall of Fame board members, baseball historians and media members.
During a press conference Wednesday, Graves thanked the Stowe family and media relations director Rob Butcher for helping him throughout his years with the Reds and having a big impact on his career – “I can say that because whenever I played anywhere else I (stunk),” he said.
When Graves was told he’ll have an 8-to-10-minute speech during the induction ceremony next summer, he said somebody might have to pull him off stage.
“I would like to address the way my career ended and the way I’ve felt and grown since. That might take more than eight or 10 minutes,” Graves said. “You guys know that I just speak freely sometimes, and I just don’t want to make it so much about me in those eight or 10 minutes. I want it to be more about everybody else that helped me be who I was.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Danny Graves, Gabe Paul elected to Cincinnati Reds team Hall of Fame
