Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame unveils star-studded Class of 2024
The Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame on Tuesday unveiled a Class of 2024 that is as diverse as it was successful.
The group includes Olympic gold medal winners, league champions, record breakers, franchise architects, and MVPs. One member of the class will be the first representative from his team in the 46-year history of the BASHOF.
The star-studded class: Brian Sabean (Giants), Jenny Thompson (swimming), Patrick Marleau (Sharks), John Taylor (49ers) and Chris Wondolowski (Quakes).
“We are extremely excited to induct the 2024 class into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame (BASHOF),” said Mario Alioto, Board Chair of BASHOF in a release. “Each of these individuals has achieved a rare level of success during their careers and helped bring worldwide attention to the Bay Area.
“It’s especially gratifying that this class also recognizes athletes in several sports that have been historically underrepresented in BASHOF relative to their positive impact on the greater Bay Area community.”
The class will be enshrined on May 6 during a ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero in San Francisco, with a portion of the proceeds of the event benefiting Special Olympics Northern California.
Here’s a look at the Class of 2024:
Marleau is the Sharks’ all-time leading scorer and the NHL’s all-time leader in games played. Marleau played his final NHL season in 2020-21 with the Sharks. Marleau was 17 when he was the second overall pick in the 1997 draft. He was a four-time NHL All-Star and won two Olympic gold medals with Team Canada (2010 and ‘14) and the World Cup of Hockey gold medal in 2004. He’s the second Sharks player to join the BASHOF, joining Owen Nolan.
Sabean is the longest-tenured general manager in San Francisco, overseeing the franchise for 20 seasons. He was the chief architect in the franchise’s three World Series titles in five seasons (2010, ‘12 and ‘14) and his teams reached the playoffs seven times. He was named the MLB Executive of the Year award in 2003.
Thompson starred at Stanford, amassing 19 individual and relay NCAA titles over her career from 1991-1995, earning the honor of the outstanding college female swimmer of the year in her senior season. On the international stage, the Danvers, Massachusetts native won 12 Olympic medals (eight gold) across four Olympic Games between 1992 and 2004.
Wondolowski, a Danville native and De La Salle graduate, is Major League Soccer’s all-time leading goal scorer after tallying 171 over his 17-year career, primarily with the San Jose Earthquakes. He won two MLS Cups with the Houston Dynamo and led the Quakes to two Supporters’ Shields, capturing the league’s Golden Boot in 2010 for most goals scored and tying for the lead in 2012. Wondo is the first Earthquake to be named to the BASHOF.
Taylor played key roles on the 49ers’ three most recent Super Bowl-winning teams 1988 (XXIII), 1989 (XXIV), 1994 (XXIX). He caught the winning touchdown pass from Joe Montana in the closing seconds of Super Bowl XXIII against the Bengals. Taylor was a two-time Pro Bowl selection and was named to the NFL’s 1980’s All-Decade Team.