Newest class is a diverse group
Sailor Jobson, powerboat racer Baker, soccer star Schwoy among honorees
The inductees for the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2016 were announced Tuesday morning, spanning the elite of mainstream sports as well as a pair of sports for which the region is noted.
Longtime Annapolis resident Gary Jobson, who recently returned from the Rio Olympics, where he was a television commentator for NBC’s coverage, headlines the inductees. Jobson, a world-class sailor and author, was a three-time AllAmerica college sailor and was the tactician of Ted Turner’s crew aboard the Courageous when it won the 1977 America’s Cup. He became a sailing analyst for the likes of ESPN and NBC after coaching the Naval Academy sailing team and has won two Emmy Awards.
Jobson, 66, is the vice president of the International Sailing Federation, president of the National Sailing Hall of Fame, into which he was indicted in 2011, and has written 19 sailing books.
“I feel I amrepresenting many sailors that ply the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and out in the Atlantic Ocean. Sailing is a sport that is plied far from land and I am so honored to be a part of bringing it to television,” Jobson said. “I know that when you go into a Hall of Fame like this, and I’m deeply honored, you do have a responsibility to represent the sport, so I hope I am standing for many, many sailors that are out there every day on the water and racing hard.”
Louis Carter, who could not be present at the announcement ceremony, was an AllMetro performer in football and track at Arundel and went on to make sure Maryland football fans saw some offense while Randy White was dominating on defense. Carter returned kicks and was the Terps’ leading rusher in 1972, 1973 and 1974, gaining 2,266 yards and was the Best Offensive Player in the 1973 Peach Bowl. Carter played four seasons in the NFL after being drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round (76th overall). He moved to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers his second year as part of the veteran allocation draft of 1976 and threw the first touchdown pass in Buccaneers history.
Wheeler Baker was born in Chester, and is a 10-time winner of the American Power Boat Association National Championships and an eight-time points champion. He was inducted into the APBA Hall of Champions Former Oriole Brady Anderson, left, and Wheeler Baker, powerboat racing champion, are among the seven honorees announced Tuesday for the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame. in 1987 and competed for 30 years (19772007). Baker serves as president of the Kent Narrows Racing Association and is chair of the Chesterwye Foundation, which helps adults with developmental disabilities.
“I came over here today and had to pinch myself because I never dreamed I’d be sitting here,” Baker said. Powerboat racing “is a sport that was huge on the Eastern Shore and is still big in the country. I truly appreciate being here.”
Brady Anderson, who was born in Silver Spring, had a 15-year major league career, having played for the Orioles from 1988 to 2001. He is the club’s vice president of baseball operations and still appears all over the Orioles career leader list in categories such as runs (fifth), walks (third), extrabase hits (fourth), doubles (sixth) and plate appearances (fourth). He was a career .300 hitter in four postseason series and is one of four major leaguers to hit 50 home runs and steal 20 bases in the same season, joining Willie Mays, Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr. In 1992, Anderson’s first season as a full-time player, he became the first player in American League history with 20 homers, 50 steals and 75 RBIs in a season.
“I am really honored. When I was first asked if I would accept, I thought it was odd because it is such an honor,” Anderson said. “It’s interesting how it has come full circle. I’m really honored. I’ve looked at the other inductees and the list is really impressive. I couldn’t be happier about being here.”
Jack Thomas is fourth on Johns Hopkins’ career lacrosse point scoring list with 224 despite playing for only three years for the Blue Jays. He was a three-sport star at Towson High and led Hopkins to three straight NCAA finals, with the Blue Jays avenging one-goal losses in 1972 and1973 by winning the NCAA title in 1974. Thomas was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1989.
“I grew up a local kid, idolizing the names that are on the [inductee] list that I looked at when I had the opportunity to be part of this class,” Thomas said. “I used to go to Memorial Stadium to watch Johnny Unitas and Brooks Robinson, read about Babe Ruth and went to Memorial Stadium to watch Brady Anderson’s first game. I just loved watching sports greats and to be part of this group is really a tremendous honor. I am humbled.”
Laurie Schwoy had an outstanding foursport career at McDonogh, where she broke state soccer records for goals in a season (69) and a career (198) and was the 1995 Parade magazine and Gatorade Player of the Year. Schwoy attended North Carolina, where she became the National Freshman of the Year and helped the Tar Heels to three national championships despite injuries that forced her from the U.S. national team that won the 1999 World Cup.
Schwoy, who was not present at the announcement, is the first women’s soccer player to be inducted into the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame.
Jim Henneman will be presented the John F. Steadman Lifetime Achievement Award at the induction ceremony. In 1958, Henneman joined The News-Post, later The News American, as a copy boy (writing HALL INDUCTEES The class for 57th annual Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony Nov. 3, 6 p.m., at Michael’s Eighth Avenue: Brady Anderson: Orioles outfielder who was born in Silver Spring and is one of four major leaguers to hit 50 homers and steal 20 bases in the same season. Wheeler Baker: Born in Chester, Baker is a 10-time winner of the American Power Boat Association National Championships. Louis Carter: An All-Metro performer in football and track at Arundel High and the leading rusher for Maryland in 1972, 1973 and 1974. Gary Jobson: A world-class sailor, television commentator and author, Jobson received sailing’s most prestigious award, the Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy. Laurie Schwoy: A four-sport athlete at McDonogh who broke state soccer records for goals in a season (69) and a career (198). Jack Thomas: A Towson native, Thomas led Hopkins to three straight NCAA lacrosse finals. Jim Henneman (John F. Steadman Lifetime Achievement Award): Henneman joined The News American as a copy boy in 1958 and has covered Baltimore sports ever since for the Evening Sun, The Sun and Pressbox. at the behest of the late sports editor John Steadman about native son Al Kaline playing in the 1958 All-Star Game at Memorial Stadium), and eventually worked his way onto the sports staff. He worked at the paper from 1958 to 1968 and again from 1973 to 1980, writing about the Orioles, before moving to The Evening Sun and later The Sun from 1980 to 1995. Henneman now writes for Pressbox when he’s not serving as official scorer at Camden Yards. He is the author of “Baltimore Orioles: 60 Years of Orioles Magic,” which was released in 2015. He claims to have seen more Orioles games in person than anyone alive.
“This John F. Steadman Lifetime Achievement award fittingly goes to a man that Steadman used to admire and really respect,” said emcee Pat O’Malley when introducing Henneman. “This guy really knows baseball and knows a lot about the things that go with it.”
Quipped Henneman: “I’m an athletic supporter. I’m not here for anything I did while wearing one. Just to be mentioned with John Steadman is enough.”