MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Late Millington business owner and philanthropist, W.S. “Babe” Howard has been named to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024.
The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame honors the state’s rich history in sports and their impact on the community. Howard’s posthumous induction was announced at the USA Stadium in Millington before the Babe Howard Classic on Friday.
Howard built Millington Legion Field in 1982 to give more visibility to North Shelby County and Tipton County baseball players by providing them with a facility.
In 1986, that stadium was renamed “USA Stadium” and hosted the Team USA Olympic Baseball Team as a training facility.
From 1986-1996, Team USA called Millington home. The 1988 Team USA brought home gold, and the 1996 team won the bronze medal.
According to a press release, over 500 future Major League Baseball players have played at USA Stadium from 1982 until present.
“Babe Howard gave his time and his resources to ensure that baseball players in the Memphis area were getting a chance to continue playing the game that they loved,” said Brad Willis, executive director of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. “His investment in USA Stadium in Millington not only paved the way for their growth in the sport but also made Millington the headquarters for the USA Olympic Baseball team. We’re proud to honor the legacy of W.S. “Babe” Howard with a posthumous induction into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.”
📲 Download the WREG App today and stay up to date with breaking news and weather.
📧 Sign up for WREG newsletters and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox.
📡 See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South .
The Class of 2024 also includes ETSU Golf Coaching legend Fred Warren, the late Charlie Bayless, longtime Happy Valley High School coach, Tennessee tennis star Paul Annacone, Tennessee State University Track legend Jean Patton Latimer, and Austin Peay basketball coaching legend Dave Loos.
The full 2024 Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame induction class will be announced in the coming weeks, according to a press release.
The Hall of Fame induction ceremony, presented by the Tennessee Titans, will be held at the Omni Nashville Downtown in Nashville, Tenn. on July 20.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Most Popular
Comments / 0