Edinburgh News - 2028-12-31 "Scottish Hall of Fame Opens"
Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 11:01 am
By Hamish Campbell
The Edinburgh News
2028-12-31
Edinburgh – With a blaze of searchlights, a burst of fireworks, and a torchlight ceremony timed to coincide with the city’s annual Hogmanay New Year's celebration, the Scottish Claymores opened their new Heroes of the Heath Museum and Hall of Fame on Sunday.
The museum features displays that range from the present day to the Claymores’ roots in the League of the Rising Sun, when the team was known as the Fushigi Yugi Celestial Warriors, to its brief incarnation as the Dayton Flyers in the U.S., to its present in Edinburgh.
“You’ll find many displays that take you back to the earliest days, when the Celestial Warriors were something of a league power,” said team owner Brad Kern, who helped bankroll the new museum. “Many of the franchise record holders date back to that time.”
In fact, the two inaugural members of the Heroes of the Heath Hall of Fame both played for the Celestial Warriors: Salvador Medrano, the team’s all-time leader in hits and home runs, and legendary slugger Kikugoro Memoto, who twice hit 50 homers in a season.
“We thought long and hard about who our first inductees should be,” said General Manager Vic Caleca, “and Sal and Kiku were, hands down, our choices. They both are legendary figures in franchise history and we’d be remiss not to honor them as such.”
Although Medrano’s playing days all fell during the team’s Japanese history, he is familiar to Scottish fans because he hosts a popular baseball radio talk show, PEBA UK! on the talkSPORT network here in the United Kingdom.
Memoto may be a more obscure figure to local fans, but baseball historians know him as one of the first mega-stars to make the leap from the League of the Rising Sun to the Planetary Extreme Baseball Alliance.
Both inductees were on hand for Sunday’s grand opening, and to admire the bronze plaques that commemorate their storied careers.
“Not too shabby for a has-been old catcher, eh?” Medrano joked as he admired the display.
“You are, indeed, as you say, too shabby, Medrano-san,” Memoto deadpanned in response.
Caleca, who apologized for attending the ceremony via holographic image from his home in Indiana instead of in-person, said the Hall of Fame will add as many as two new members each year.
But, he emphasized, the museum will not induct members just to swell the numbers.
“There are some hard and fast guidelines – active players cannot be inducted, and retired players must be at least three years removed from their playing days,” he said. “Inductees don’t have to be lifelong members of the Claymores family, like Sal, but their major baseball accomplishments must have come while a member of the Celestial Warriors, the Dayton Flyers, or the Scottish Claymores.”
Inductees will not, necessarily, be limited to players, either. Coaches, managers, or other notable franchise figures also are eligible.
New members – including, possibly, a legendary manager – will be chosen shortly after the turn of the year, Caleca noted.
The Museum is not limited to the Hall of Fame, though.
Displays honoring individual accomplishments such as hitting three home runs in a game or throwing a no-hitter are prominent inside the sparkling new edifice.
“There’s a lot to explore and we’ll be constantly adding new attractions,” said Kern, “so we hope Claymores fans will come frequently and learn about their team, its players, and its history.”
Administrators also hope visitors will avail themselves of the extensive gift shop, and dine in the new “Claymores Pub Presented by Chivas Brothers” on the second floor.
Indeed, Chivas – the prominent Scottish whiskey distillery – is an underwriting partner in the museum, along with Scottish Widows, the well-known Edinburgh insurance company.
“We are grateful to our corporate partners, who have helped make this museum possible,” Kern said. “We are notably grateful for the several dozen cases of Chivas Regal, which were an integral part of the deal.”
Beginning immediately, the Heroes of the Heath Museum and Hall of Fame will be open to visitors, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
The Edinburgh News
2028-12-31
Edinburgh – With a blaze of searchlights, a burst of fireworks, and a torchlight ceremony timed to coincide with the city’s annual Hogmanay New Year's celebration, the Scottish Claymores opened their new Heroes of the Heath Museum and Hall of Fame on Sunday.
The museum features displays that range from the present day to the Claymores’ roots in the League of the Rising Sun, when the team was known as the Fushigi Yugi Celestial Warriors, to its brief incarnation as the Dayton Flyers in the U.S., to its present in Edinburgh.
Exterior shot of new Scottish Museum and Hall of Fame
“You’ll find many displays that take you back to the earliest days, when the Celestial Warriors were something of a league power,” said team owner Brad Kern, who helped bankroll the new museum. “Many of the franchise record holders date back to that time.”
In fact, the two inaugural members of the Heroes of the Heath Hall of Fame both played for the Celestial Warriors: Salvador Medrano, the team’s all-time leader in hits and home runs, and legendary slugger Kikugoro Memoto, who twice hit 50 homers in a season.
“We thought long and hard about who our first inductees should be,” said General Manager Vic Caleca, “and Sal and Kiku were, hands down, our choices. They both are legendary figures in franchise history and we’d be remiss not to honor them as such.”
Although Medrano’s playing days all fell during the team’s Japanese history, he is familiar to Scottish fans because he hosts a popular baseball radio talk show, PEBA UK! on the talkSPORT network here in the United Kingdom.
Memoto may be a more obscure figure to local fans, but baseball historians know him as one of the first mega-stars to make the leap from the League of the Rising Sun to the Planetary Extreme Baseball Alliance.
Both inductees were on hand for Sunday’s grand opening, and to admire the bronze plaques that commemorate their storied careers.
“Not too shabby for a has-been old catcher, eh?” Medrano joked as he admired the display.
“You are, indeed, as you say, too shabby, Medrano-san,” Memoto deadpanned in response.
Caleca, who apologized for attending the ceremony via holographic image from his home in Indiana instead of in-person, said the Hall of Fame will add as many as two new members each year.
But, he emphasized, the museum will not induct members just to swell the numbers.
“There are some hard and fast guidelines – active players cannot be inducted, and retired players must be at least three years removed from their playing days,” he said. “Inductees don’t have to be lifelong members of the Claymores family, like Sal, but their major baseball accomplishments must have come while a member of the Celestial Warriors, the Dayton Flyers, or the Scottish Claymores.”
Inductees will not, necessarily, be limited to players, either. Coaches, managers, or other notable franchise figures also are eligible.
New members – including, possibly, a legendary manager – will be chosen shortly after the turn of the year, Caleca noted.
The Museum is not limited to the Hall of Fame, though.
Displays honoring individual accomplishments such as hitting three home runs in a game or throwing a no-hitter are prominent inside the sparkling new edifice.
Fireworks over Edinburgh skyline illuminate grand opening celebration
“There’s a lot to explore and we’ll be constantly adding new attractions,” said Kern, “so we hope Claymores fans will come frequently and learn about their team, its players, and its history.”
Administrators also hope visitors will avail themselves of the extensive gift shop, and dine in the new “Claymores Pub Presented by Chivas Brothers” on the second floor.
Indeed, Chivas – the prominent Scottish whiskey distillery – is an underwriting partner in the museum, along with Scottish Widows, the well-known Edinburgh insurance company.
“We are grateful to our corporate partners, who have helped make this museum possible,” Kern said. “We are notably grateful for the several dozen cases of Chivas Regal, which were an integral part of the deal.”
Beginning immediately, the Heroes of the Heath Museum and Hall of Fame will be open to visitors, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
