A DONE DEAL!
Billy Wagner makes his Hall of Fame team official
Feb 10, 2025, 2:42 pm
Billy is going in as an Astro. Photo by Jed Jacobson/Getty Images.
CC Sabathia will have a New York Yankees logo on the cap of his Hall of Fame plaque and Bill Wagner will have the symbol of the Houston Astros.
The hall announced the decisions Monday for all five of this year's inductees. Ichiro Suzuki will have the cap of the Seattle Mariners, Dave Parker of Pittsburgh Pirates and Dick Allen of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Players and their families give input on the choices to the hall, which makes the final decisions.
Inductees could make the pick through the 2001 induction, and the hall took over the decision ahead of the 2002 vote. The change followed reports in 1999 that Tampa Bay offered to compensate the newly retired Wade Boggs if his plaque bore a Devil Rays logo. Boggs was inducted in 2005 and his plaque has a Boston Red Sox logo.
Sabathia spent the last 11 seasons of a 19-year big league career with the Yankees (2009-19) after pitching for Cleveland (2001-08) and Milwaukee (2008).
Suzuki played for the Mariners in 14 of 19 seasons (2001-12, 2018-19) and also for the Yankees (2012-14) and Miami (2015-17).
Wagner pitched for Houston for his first nine seasons (1995-2003), then played for Philadelphia (2004-05), the New York Mets (2006-09), Boston (2009) and Atlanta (2010).
Parker spent his first 11 seasons with Pittsburgh (1973-83), then played for Cincinnati (1984-87), Oakland (1988-89), Milwaukee (1990), California (1991) and Toronto (1991).
Allen played for the Phillies in nine seasons (1963-69, 1975-76) while also spending time with St. Louis (1970), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1971), Chicago White Sox (1972-74) and Oakland (1977).
Inductions will take place July 27. Plaques include an image of the person and list of accomplishments in about 90 words, including each team a person played for or managed.
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Phoenix Suns (26-27) at Houston Rockets (33-20)
Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. EST – Toyota Center, Houston
BETMGM Line: Rockets -6; Over/Under: 223.5
The Phoenix Suns will visit the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, looking to break a three-game road losing streak. Phoenix is currently 11th in the Western Conference, fighting to stay in playoff contention, while Houston holds the fifth spot and is aiming to solidify its position.
The Rockets have been solid against Western Conference competition, boasting a 19-12 record. However, they’ve struggled to distribute the ball effectively, averaging just 22.5 assists per game—last in the conference. Fred VanVleet, who leads the team with 5.8 assists per game, will be unavailable due to an ankle injury, potentially affecting Houston’s offensive rhythm.
For Phoenix, Devin Booker continues to lead the way, averaging 26.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. The Suns are 17-16 in conference play and will need a strong showing from their perimeter defense, as Houston makes 12.0 three-pointers per game. Grayson Allen has been heating up recently, averaging 2.7 made threes over his last 10 games.
In their last 10 games, both teams have struggled to find consistency, posting matching 4-6 records. The Suns have shown more offensive firepower in that stretch, averaging 116.1 points per game but giving up 120.0 on defense. Meanwhile, the Rockets have averaged 109.4 points but held opponents to 112.2 points per contest.
Key Matchup: Alperen Sengun vs. Suns’ interior defense
Sengun has been one of Houston’s most consistent performers, averaging 19.0 points on 49.1% shooting. If he plays through his day-to-day status (lumbar), his presence inside could challenge Phoenix’s ability to control the paint.
Injury Watch:
- Rockets: Fred VanVleet (ankle), Cody Zeller (personal), and Jabari Smith Jr. (hand) are out. Alperen Sengun (lumbar) and Tari Eason (rest) are day to day.
- Suns: Bradley Beal (toe), Vasilije Micic, and Cody Martin are day to day or awaiting trade clearance.
Both teams will need to rely on depth, with injuries limiting their usual rotations. Phoenix is desperate to stay in the playoff race, while Houston looks to protect its home court and climb the standings.
*ChatGPT assisted with this content.