The Valley League has announced the sixth class of Hall of Fame inductees, to be installed at the League All-Star game in Front Royal on Sunday, July 17.
RICK HONEYCUTT
Pitched for the Charlottesville Hornets in 1973… was picked in the 17th round of the 1976 Amateur Draft out of Tennessee… made his major league debut on August 24, 1977…pitched for 21 seasons in the majors, ending his career with a 109-143 record and 3.72 ERA… his best season was in 1983, split between the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers, when he went 16-11, 3.03 in 213 innings and led the American League in ERA… was named to the All-Star team twice, in 1980 and 1983… won a World Series title with the Oakland A’s in 1989… after his playing career, was the Dodgers’ minor league pitching coordinator from 2002 to 2005, and the pitching coach for the Dodgers from 2006 to 2019.
JASON KIPNIS
Played outfield for the Covington Lumberjacks in 2006 and 2007… was the best hitter in the league in 2007, putting up a .318/.498/.591 line, with 11 doubles, nine home runs, and 49 walks, which is a modern Valley League record… he also won the HR derby in Front Royal that year… was picked in the second round of the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft by the Cleveland Indians… made his major league debut on July 22, 2011… played ten years in the majors, hitting safely more than 1,100 times, and knocking 126 home runs… was an All-Star in 2013 and 2015, and received MVP votes both years… best season was in 2013, when he hit .284/.366/.452 with 36 doubles and 17 home runs.
TERESA WEASE
While her husband Bob is the baseball guy, Teresa Wease is considered the heart and soul of the Harrisonburg Turk franchise… operations manager for 33 years, she runs almost everything that happens at a Turks game besides the game itself… she has prepared team meals, coordinated community relations, sold advertising, sold merchandise, prepared folders for the coaching staff, hosted players, prepared the game rosters, swept the bleachers, taken out the trash, and even been the mascot… the first woman to enter the Valley League Hall of Fame, Teresa also organized and hosted the League All-Star game for the last 11 years… and she has done all of this with a smiling face and selfless, caring attitude. We are a better league with Teresa in it.