LEGENDS WEAR 34
Houston puts a ring on sports legends Olajuwon, Ryan, and Campbell
Steven Devadanam
Jun 6, 2018, 9:35 am
Hakeem Olajuwon with his Hall of Fame plaque. Photo by Jules Rice
This story originally appeared on CultureMap/Houston.
There are iconic sports moments etched into Houston's collective sports memory. Hakeem Olajuwon's fluid, perfectly executed Dream Shakeforever humiliated David Robinson (and arguably cemented Olajuwon’s Hall of Fame status).
Speaking of humiliation, Earl Campbell’s ramrod runover of Isiah Robertson is not just a piece of Houston folklore, but a vivid reminder of the NFL’s brutal past.
And Astros fans will never forget when Nolan Ryan threw his fifth no-hitter in the Astrodome, striking out 11 hapless Dodgers hitters, and breaking Sandy Koufax’s seemingly untouchable record.
The three Houston legends recently received honors fit for titans of team sports, when they were awarded Houston Sports Hall of Fame rings during a private ceremony. The trio — each of whom wore the jersey number 34 and are the inaugural Houston Hall of Fame inductees — then unveiled their Houston Hall of Fame signed plaques. Reid Ryan, the popular Astros president, accepting the ring and plaque in his father's honor.
A little sports trivia for diehards: Olajuwon, in keeping with his devout Muslim faith, did not sign his proper name on plaque, but rather “The Dream.” And which giant has the biggest hands? Olajuwon’s ring size is 11, Ryan’s is 14, while Campbell’s is a massive 20.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.