SAN JOSE, CA
– The San Jose Sports Hall of Fame will mark its 23rd year of honoring South Bay sports legends when it inducts five new members on Thursday, Nov. 9, at the SAP Center at San Jose. The inductees hail from the upper echelon of collegiate, professional and/or Olympic competition. Although from different sports in different eras, they have made a lasting impact both on and off the field of play.
The San Jose Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2017 Inductees are:
- Ken Caminiti: Baseball All-Star, Gold Glove Winner and 1996 National League MVP
- Dwight Clark: San Francisco 49er Wide Receiver, Super Bowl Winner and Humanitarian
- Mark Marquess: All American Player/Gold Medal and NCAA Championship Coach
- Jack Roddy: Rodeo Hall of Famer, Collegiate and Professional Steer Wrestling Champion
- Danielle Slaton: National Champion Soccer Player, Olympic medalist
Each inductee will be recognized with a bronze plaque permanently installed on the concourse at the SAP Center at San Jose. Including the 2017 inductees, there will be 106 South Bay sports icons enshrined in the Hall of Fame. The annual induction is an event of the San Jose Sports Authority, San Jose Arena Authority, SAP Center Management/San Jose Sharks, and the City of San José. The event benefits Special Olympics Northern California and high school sports programs.
“San Jose’s incredibly rich and diverse sports history makes the Hall of Fame selection process very difficult each year,” said Charlie Faas, Chairman of the San Jose Sports Authority Board of Directors. “The Class of 2017 is a wonderful representation of the deep and meaningful impact athletes and coaches with South Bay connections have made in their respective sports, locally, nationally and internationally. We are excited to welcome these five remarkable individuals into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame.” The November ceremony kicks off with a reception followed by dinner and induction ceremony. Individual tickets begin at $300 each; sponsorship and table packages are available starting at $3,000. For information and to purchase event tickets call (408) 288-2936.
About the San Jose Sports Authority
The San Jose Sports Authority is a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase the City of San Jose’s economic development, visibility, and civic pride through sports. Serving as the City's sports commission since its inception in 1991, the Sports Authority has provided leadership and support to attract and host hundreds of sporting events in San Jose and the South Bay. The Sports Authority also supports and operates community, youth and amateur sports programs, including the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame and the REACH Youth Scholarship Program. To learn more, visit www.sjsa.org.
San Jose Sports Hall of Fame / Inductee Bios
Ken Caminiti
Ken Caminiti was a three-sport star (football, basketball, baseball) at Leigh High School in San Jose before playing one season of baseball at San Jose City College and two seasons as a third baseman at San Jose State University. Caminiti batted .299 in 1983 and led the Spartans in doubles, home runs and RBIs. In 1984, he posted a .348 batting average and topped the team in every hitting category while setting a school record for most career doubles (29).
Caminiti was a 3rd round draft pick of the Houston Astros in the 1984 Major League Baseball draft. He was named to the 1984 USA Olympic team as a reserve and played for Team USA in the 1984 exhibition game vs. Japan at Candlestick Park prior to MLB’s annual All-Star Game.
As a Major Leaguer, he played 15 seasons for Houston (1987-94, 1999-2000), San Diego (1995-98), Texas (2001) and Atlanta (2001) and is considered one of the top-50 switch-hitters in MLB history. He was the first San Diego Padre to hit 40 home runs in a season when he did it in 1996 en route to being named the National League’s Most Valuable Player in a unanimous vote.
As of 2017, he is only one of seven players in history to hit more than 100 home runs in a Padres uniform. Caminiti was a four-time all-star and three-time Golden Glove winner. He finished his Major League career with a .272 batting average, 239 homeruns, 983 RBIs and 88 stolen bases. Caminiti, who died in 2004, is a member of the San Jose State Hall of Fame and the San Diego Padres Hall of Fame.
Dwight Clark
Dwight Clark made one of the most famous plays in pro football history, and then followed it up with two NFL titles as a player and three more as a NFL executive before moving into a role as a champion humanitarian in Silicon Valley during recent years.
Clark scored the winning touchdown for the 49ers in the NFC Championship game following the 1981 NFL season by leaping to make “The Catch” of a desperation pass by quarterback Joe Montana. This propelled the 49ers to their first Super Bowl championship two weeks later, earning Clark his first Super Bowl ring. As a 10th round pick from Clemson University in the 1979 college draft, Clark was not expected to become a Pro Bowl player but his achievements earned him that honor twice. In 1982, he led the NFL in receptions and concluded his eight-year career with 506 receptions, 6,750 yards and 48 touchdowns. He transitioned into the front office for three more 49ers championships and spent five years as the Cleveland Browns general manager before moving back to Northern California in 2010.
Since returning to the South Bay, Clark has lent his support and time to numerous local charities both on his own and on behalf of the Intero Foundation, which provides resources to children in need throughout the greater San Jose region. His participation in the Hot Wheels For Kids, Saratoga Eats and Giants Days as well as other events has helped raised significant funds for the foundation and his hands-on activities with children have brightened their days.
Clark’s recent diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) has presented challenges for him but his interest in humanitarian causes has not waned and his spirit of charity has persisted in a continuing quest to utilize his football fame as a tool to benefit others.
Mark Marquess
One of college baseball’s premier coaches of all time and a man whose name is synonymous with the Stanford University baseball program, Mark Marquess finished his 41-year career at the helm of his alma mater in 2017 as the fourth-winningest coach in Division I history with a career record of 1,627-878-7, a winning percentage of .649.
Born in Stockton, Marquess arrived at Stanford as a two-sport athlete in the fall of 1965, earning roster spots on both the football and baseball teams. A three-year starter at first base for Stanford from 1967 through 1969, he earned first-team All-America honors in 1967 and garnered second-team All-America recognition in 1968. Marquess was also named first-team all-conference and All-District-8 in both 1967 and 1968. He also spent three seasons on the Stanford football team as a quarterback, split end, defensive back and punt returner.
After graduating from the university with a degree in political science, Marquess signed with the Chicago White Sox organization in 1969 and spent four seasons as a professional baseball player before getting a taste of coaching as a player and coach with Des Moines’ Class AAA Iowa Oaks in 1973. Marquess then spent five seasons as a Stanford assistant coach before taking the reigns as head coach in 1977. He began a legendary career that included three NCAA Coach of the Year trophies and nine Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors. Marquess guided his Stanford teams to 230 NCAA Tournament appearances, a pair of College World Series championships (1987 and 1988), six NCAA Super Regional titles, 16 NCAA Regional crowns and 12 Pac-10 regular season championships. Of the 60 Stanford players that reached the majors under Marquess, 52 earned their degrees.
On the international stage, Marquess led the 1988 United States Olympic baseball team to a gold medal at the Seoul Games in South Korea. He earned a master's degree in political science at San Jose State in 1976. From 1989-98, Marquess served as president of USA Baseball, the country’s amateur organizing body. He is a member of the American Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame and Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame.
Jack Roddy
Raised in San Jose’s eastern foothills after being born in San Francisco, Jack Roddy is a rodeo legend. His nationally- renowned career began when the Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo graduate won the All-Around Cowboy National Intercollegiate Championship and the World Champion Intercollegiate Steer Wrestling title in 1959. Later, he went on to win two World Championships in Steer Wrestling at the National Finals Rodeos in 1966 and 1968.
Jack served on the Rodeo Cowboys Association board of directors for 16 years and along with pro rodeo stars Dale Smith and Clem McSpadden, he elevated the sport of rodeo during the 1960’s - 1970’s to the professional level it enjoys today. After retiring from professional rodeo, Roddy owned and managed several South Bay taverns and cocktail lounges, including San Jose’s Boots n’ Saddle and Keyes Club.
During the 1980’s while continuing his rodeo involvement, Roddy also managed a cattle ranch south of San Jose. Along with other charitable activities, he raised $250,000 in the 1990’s to rebuild the Cal Poly Rodeo Stadium, provide scholarships for students and ensure the sustainability of the rodeo program at his alma mater.
Roddy and his wife, Donna, continue to run their cattle business and raise quarter horses with an eye to eventually transitioning their ranch into an educational center and museum in order to share their deep love and appreciation for the American West and the ranching way of life. Roddy is a member of the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.
Danielle Slaton
Danielle Slaton was born in San Jose and was a multi-sport athlete as a youth. At age 12, she joined the Central Valley Mercury Soccer club team, playing alongside future San Jose Hall of Famer Aly Wagner and other talented young women. The Mercury won three U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships with Slaton as a key player.
Scholastically, she played at Presentation High School, helping lead the Panthers to Central Coast Section titles in her sophomore and senior seasons.
After making Santa Clara University her college choice, Danielle captained the women’s soccer team to the 2001 NCAA championship with a memorable 1-0 title game victory over North Carolina. Slaton was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player and earned a spot on the All-Tournament team as well as being selected the 2001 NCAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Slaton was a four-time first team all-conference selection and finished her Broncos career with 50 points on eight goals and 34 assists. Slaton then joined the USA Women's National Team from 2000-2005, winning a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics in Australia and a bronze medal in the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup.
As a professional player, Slaton became the first overall draft pick of the Carolina Courage of the Women’s United Soccer Association and led her team to the league championship while being named WUSA defender of the year. After the league dissolved, she spent a season in Europe playing for Olympique Lyonnais club of the French First Division before becoming an assistant coach of the women’s soccer team at Northwestern University from 2006- 2009, where she also earned her Master's Degree in Sports Administration.
Slaton returned to the South Bay and Santa Clara University and currently serves as the Director of the Coaching for Life Academy at the school. In that job, she instructs coaches, athletes, and parents how to integrate life skills development through sports. She is also a sideline reporter for the San Jose Earthquakes and a women's soccer analyst for NBC, Fox Sports, and the Pac-12 Networks. Slaton serves on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Soccer Foundation and the Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative. She has traveled internationally as a sports-for-development envoy for the U.S. State Department and is a member of Santa Clara University’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
