Diamondbacks announce team Hall of Fame during 25th anniversary celebration
More than 50 former Diamondbacks players returned to Chase Field on Saturday to celebrate the organization’s 25th anniversary in a pregame ceremony that featured tribute videos, introductions and a ceremonial first pitch delivered by radio voice Greg Schulte.
Several players from the 2001 World Series championship were in attendance, many of whom received the loudest ovations of the night, including pitcher Randy Johnson and outfielder Luis Gonzalez.
The Diamondbacks announced during the ceremony the club would launch a Diamondbacks Hall of Fame next year, with Johnson and Gonzalez set to be the first two inductees.
Pitchers Curt Schilling and Miguel Batista, infielders Tony Womack, Jay Bell and Mark Grace and outfielder David Dellucci were also present, as was former third baseman Matt Williams, a current coach for the San Diego Padres, whom the Diamondbacks played on Saturday night.
“When you come back here it’s like you never missed a day,” Dellucci said. “We’re talking about stories and things that happened in the locker room like it was yesterday. We’ll be brothers forever and we’ve got a bond you just can’t get anywhere else.”
Bell, who signed with the club prior to the inaugural 1998 season, recalled watching the evolution of the fan base.
“Over the years, you saw kind of a transition where some of these people dropped their team and ended up being Diamondbacks fans,” Bell said. “What’s really cool is to see the second generation, where the original Diamondbacks fans ended up having kids and they’re Diamondbacks fans. It’s such a cool thing to be a part of that.”
Schulte, who has been the radio voice since the club’s inaugural season in 1998 and is set to retire at the end of the year, threw out the first pitch with Gonzalez on the receiving end.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: DBacks announce team Hall of Fame during 25th anniversary celebration
