Hall of FameIn addition to enjoying cultural performance, Bangor citizens love sports. Hockey, women's basketball, and football are popular spectator sports at the University of Maine. Several high school and community teams are active as well. Bangor hosted the Eastern Maine Basketball Tournament since 1956. Bangor Parks and Recreation offers a wide array of sporting opportunities for youth and adults alike, continuing a long tradition of community sporting events. The Queen City Baseball Club organized in Bangor in 1867. Local teams practiced in the City Common (now Chapin Park). They initially charged admission to their games to cover the costs of their equipment, uniforms, and transportation. Throughout the twentieth century, local companies sponsored the teams. Bangor boasts one of the best designed baseball fields in Maine, Shawn T. Mansfield Stadium at Hayford Park on Thirteenth Street, built in 1991. Mansfield Stadium is home to Bangor's Senior Little League World Series teams and Bangor High's junior varsity teams. The stadium was also host to the Senior League World Series, from 2002-2006, which in 2004 included teams from the Netherlands and Venezuela. On Saturday, August 21, 2004, Freehold Township, New Jersey took the title by beating Oxnard, California 10-1. Today, Bangor still holds this passion for sport, and Maine Discovery Museum seeks to recognize those great Maine athletes who excel and make our state proud. The Hall of Fame is not an annual award. Instead, it is given only in times when an athlete is such a positive role model to youth and their communities, that they deserve recognition. This year, we are proud to recognize two new Maine athletes into our Head Down Baseball Diamond "Hall of Fame." Stay tuned for information on our November 2012 event at the museum! Carlton Willey A native of Cherryfield, Carlton Willey pitched 8 seasons in the minor leagues, 5 with the Milwaukee Braves and 3 with the New York Mets. In his first season with the Braves, he shut out the San Francisco Giants twice and was named National League's 1985 Rookie Pitcher of the Year. Shawn Walsh Shawn Walsh came to Maine in 1984 and coached the University of Maine Men's Ice Hockey Team to two NCAA championships, one in 1993 and the other in 1999. Mike Bordick Mike Bordick, raised in Winterport, was a major league shortstop for over a decade and is ranked among the top ten fielding shortstops in history. He helped the New York Mets win the National League Championships in 2000 before returning to the Baltimore Orioles. Eric Weinrich University of Maine hockey player Eric Weinrich grew up in Gardiner. He was a member of the 1988 Olympic team and has since been a star defenseman for more than a decade in the NHL for the Chicago Blackhawks and the Montreal Canadiens. Julie Parisien Alpine racer Julie Parisien of Auburn won three World Cup Races as part of the US Women's Ski Team and is a three-time Olympian. Three weeks before the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, Julie suffered a serious accident, but competed with a cast on her arm and stitches in her mouth. Julie excelled, just missing the bronze medal. Ian Crocker Ian Crocker of Cheverus High School in Portland won a Gold Medal in the 4x100 butterfly relay in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Andrew Sockalexis Andrew Sockalexis, member of the Penobscot Nation from Indian Island, was a world-class runner. He was the first person from Maine to compete in a modern Olympiad and placed fourth in the Marathon at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. In 1912 and 1913, he came in second in the Boston Marathon. Billy Swift Billy Swift was born in South Portland and graduated from the University of Maine. He pitched for the 1984 U.S. Olympic team and was the first-round draft pick of the Seattle Mariners. Traded to the San Francisco Giants in 1991, he led the league with a 2.08 ERA in 1992 and won 21 games in 1993. Clyde Sukeforth Clyde Sukeforth, born in Washington and resident of Waldoboro, was a major league baseball player, coach and scout. He was instrumental in bringing Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson was the first African-American major league baseball player in the modern era. Cindy Blodgett Cindy Blodgett, a Clinton native and University of Maine basketball player, totaled 3,005 points from 1994-1998. She led the nation in scoring at the NCAA level in the 1996 and 1997 seasons. Blodgett was head coach at University of Maine from 2007 to 2011. Kevin Mahaney Kevin Mahaney of Bangor was skipper of the fifteen member crew of Young America, which reached the US Defender Finals in the 1995 America's Cup. In the 1992 Summer Olympics, he won a silver medal as part of a three-member yacht crew. Joan Benoit Samuelson Joan Benoit Samuelson of Cape Elizabeth won the first women's Olympic Marathon gold medal in history at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She held the fastest time by an American woman in the Boston Marathon race for 28 years. She attended Bowdoin College. Ricky Craven Newburgh native Ricky Craven was a Winston Cup Rookie of the Year winner in 1995. Craven is a veteran Winston Cup driver, the highest level of stock car racing. He began racing at the age of 15 at Unity Raceway in Unity, Maine. Craven went on to become an ESPN broadcaster and a race analyst for the network. Louis Sockalexis Louis Sockalexis, member of the Penobscot Nation from Indian Island was the first full blooded native American to play major league baseball. Sockalexis was a talented hitter and fielder. His teams included the 1897 Cleveland Spiders who acquired the nickname the "Indians." In 1915, the club officially became known as the Cleveland Indians. Anna Goodale Born in Montville, Anna Goodale is a 2005 graduate of Syracuse University, where she began her rowing career. A member of the gold medal winning Women's Eight at the 2008 Olympic Games, she is a true champion, winning gold at the 2009 US Rowing Nationals and World Cup races. The Maine Discovery Museum has great kids art activities! Looking for a great art contest for kids? The Maine Discovery Museum is a great place to find after school kids art activities!