The San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame has announced the Class of 2015. Doug Moe, former San Antonio Spurs head coach from 1976-1980, Al LaMacchia, former Major League Baseball pitcher and scout, business leader and sports supporter Pat Frost, Lori Norwood, the only American to win a world championship in women’s modern pentathlon, and sports broadcaster Gary Delaune whose career has spanned five decades, will be recognized at the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame Tribute on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015 in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.
San Antonio resident Doug Moe served as head coach for the NBA San Antonio Spurs from 1976-1980, leading the Spurs to the conference finals in 1979. He ranks second in the Spurs all-time record for number of wins (behind Gregg Popovich). As head coach for Denver from 1980-90, Moe compiled a 432-357 record, leading the Nuggets to the post season nine straight years (two Midwest division titles) and advancing to the Western Conference Finals in1985. He was named NBA Coach of the Year in 1987-88, the same year as the Nuggets franchise record of 54 wins. Moe was a two-time All American at the University of North Carolina and an ABA All-Star three times, with the Oakland Oaks, Carolina Cougars and Virginia Squires, in an injury-shortened five year professional playing career.
Al LaMacchia spent three seasons pitching for the San Antonio Missions, setting a Texas league record in 1942—which still stands—when he pitched a nine-inning game in 1:07. He pitched in 16 games in the major leagues for the St. Louis Browns and Washing Senators from 1943-46. Following his playing career, he became one of the most recognized scouts in baseball, working for Philadelphia, Atlanta, Toronto, Tampa Bay and Los Angeles. During his 20 years with the Toronto Blue Jays, he helped build the World Series championship teams of 1992 and 1993. He was named Midwest Region Scout of the Year in 2001. LaMacchia passed way in 2010 at his San Antonio home at the age of 89.
Pat Frost, president of Frost Bank, has long been one of the community’s strongest sports leaders and advocates. His impact is felt throughout San Antonio Sports, the Valero Alamo Bowl, the San Antonio Livestock Exhibition, the University of Texas, the Spurs Foundation and UTSA. Far from being a figurehead, Frost has worked tirelessly behind the scenes with sports’ most prominent rights holders and national governing bodies to elevate the Alamo City as a true sports destination. Frost was chairman of the local organizing committee for the 2004 and 2008 NCAA Men’s Final Four, and is the current chair of the San Antonio Local Organizing Committee, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization.
Frost’s role with San Antonio Sports dates back to 1987, including serving as chair from 1997-2000. He has been involved with the Spurs Foundation since 1988. His extensive community involvement also includes being on the executive committee of the San Antonio Livestock Exposition and the board of trustees of the United Way of San Antonio and World Affairs Council, trustee of the San Antonio Medical Foundation and chairman of the audit committee of the UT Health Science Center.
Lori Norwood remains the only American to win a world championship in Women’s Modern Pentathlon. The sport comprises the disciplines of pistol shooting, epée fencing, freestyle swimming, show jumping, and cross country running. In 1989, she was the world’s best, winning five international competitions, including the World Championship and San Antonio Cup. In 1990, Norwood placed second at the World Championships after winning the Goodwill Games, the San Antonio Cup and the U.S. National Championships.
She won the individual title at the 1989 Olympic Festival in Oklahoma City and was a finalist for the AAU James E. Sullivan Award in ’89 and ’90, as the nation’s finest amateur athlete. In 1989, Lori was the Express-News Female Athlete of the year, and in 1991, was named the 1991 Amateur Athlete of the Year by Professional Athletes Assisting Youth Sports. Lori is also a member of the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame.
Sports broadcaster Gary Delaune’s career has spanned five decades. He is a 50 year veteran high school play-by-play announcer in Texas, and has been involved with college and professional sports teams since 1961 when he served as a broadcaster for the AFL Dallas Texans for two seasons and was a member of the Dallas Cowboys broadcast team for three seasons (1964-66). From 1968 through `71 Delaune was the voice of the Houston Astrodome.
He began his Texas radio and television broadcast career in 1960, first in Dallas and Houston before coming to KENS-TV in San Antonio, where he worked for 28 years as a reporter, producer and sports anchor. In 1973 he was the first San Antonio sportscaster to become a member of the Spurs basketball broadcast team.
DeLaune has received numerous journalism awards including the Associated Press Best Radio Documentary Award for “Jack Ruby’s Eleventh Hour” (1967), the Sigma Delta Chi Award for Best Television Sports Feature (1975 and 1990), the AP Best Feature Award (1975) and the Associated Press Best Spot News Award (1979). He was named to the Lone Star Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame (2006) and was inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame in 2007.
The San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame and the gala tribute are a partnership between San Antonio Sports, the City of San Antonio, and San Antonio Express-News. The black-tie gala will be held in Ballroom C of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and feature a live performance from Grand Funk Railroad (“I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home) and “We’re an American Band”). Proceeds from the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame Tribute benefit San Antonio Sports’ kids programs. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.sanantoniosports.org/halloffame.
About San Antonio Sports
San Antonio Sports is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to transform our community through the power of sport. San Antonio Sports bids on and hosts premier sporting events such as NCAA® championships, which have generated a local economic impact of more than $446 million. San Antonio Sports kids programs, including the i play! afterschool program, the Community Olympic Development Program, the Go!Kids Challenge™ and SUBWAY® Kids Rock marathon training program, annually touch the lives of more than 180,000 children. Additionally, San Antonio Sports serves as a catalyst for the development of quality recreational and athletic facilities in our community. To learn more, visit SanAntonioSports.org.
The first of three completed SPARK parks was unveiled with the help of 700 students at Sky Harbour Elementary School (Southwest ISD). SPARK is a school park program that turns public elementary and middle school property into neighborhood parks to be enjoyed by the community outside of school hours. The grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony was led by the Leader in Me student council, and included a special song performance by the drama club and a balloon release.
Left to right: Florinda Bernal, SWISD board member, Marina Avila, principal of Sky Harbour Elementary, Susan Blackwood, former executive director of San Antonio Sports, City Councilman Ray Saldana, George Block, chairman, San Antonio Sports Board of Directors.
Registration is open for track & field, soccer and swimming competitions that are part of the inaugural 2013