Sports Tributes

State Fair of Texas shines light on local sports stars in new exhibit

We love our sports here in Texas, so it's only natural that the 2014 State Fair of Texas would get in on the action with a new exhibit titled Texas Sports Legends that honors some of the biggest and brightest athletes the Lone Star State has ever seen.

The exhibit, put together in conjunction with the Dallas Historical Society and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, will be located in the Hall of State at Fair Park and will focus on a selection of leading legends in a variety of sports already in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. It will showcase memorabilia the Hall of Fame has collected since it started in 1951.

Among the big names to be honored in the exhibit are auto racer A.J. Foyt; baseball pitchers Roger Clemens and Nolan Ryan; basketball players Rolando Blackman and Clyde Drexler; boxer George Foreman; football players/coaches Joe Green, Tom Landry and Doak Walker; golfers Ben Crenshaw and Lee Trevino; hockey player Mike Modano; soccer player Mia Hamm; and runners Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson.

There will also be a special section honoring Future Texas Sports Legends, five people chosen by fans as having the potential to make it into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame one day. From now until July 17, fans can go to BigTex.com and choose five players or coaches they want to be part of the exhibit.

Here is the list of potential Future Texas Sports Legends:

Baseball players Yu Darvish and Clayton Kershaw
Basketball coach Gregg Popovich
Basketball players Tim Duncan, Brittney Griner, Dirk Nowitzki, Julius Randle and Chris Bosh
Football players Dez Bryant, Johnny Manziel, Adrian Peterson, JJ Watt and Matthew Stafford
Golfer Jordan Spieth
Gymnastics gold medalist Nastia Liukin
Hockey player Jamie Benn
Soccer player Clint Dempsey

Nolan Ryan may not be with the Rangers anymore, but he'll be represented at the State Fair of Texas as part of the Texas Sports Legends exhibit.

Photo by Michelle Watson CultureMapSnap

Nolan Ryan may not be with the Rangers anymore, but he'll be represented at the State Fair of Texas as part of the Texas Sports Legends exhibit.

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Baseball News

Texas Rangers and MLB set jam-packed schedule for All-Star week

Photo by Kelly Gavin / Courtesy of Texas Rangers

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The 2024 annual MLB All-Star Game, along with its accompanying All-Star Week festivities, were awarded to the Texas Rangers and the Cities of Arlington and Fort Worth way back in 2022.

The week has finally arrived, now with events taking place in Arlington, Fort Worth, and Dallas.

Also known as the "Midsummer Classic," the All-Star Game is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National League (NL).

The 2024 game will be played on Tuesday, July 16, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, for the first time since it opened in 2020. The last time the Rangers hosted an All-Star Game was back in 1995 game at their previous home, then known as The Ballpark in Arlington.

The schedule of events is as follows:

Friday, July 12: HBCU Swingman Classic at Globe Life Field, which highlights the history and legacy of HBCU baseball programs while also providing HBCU baseball players with the opportunity to showcase their talent on a national stage.

July 12-15: Two MLB youth tournaments, the All-Star Commissioner’s Cup and Jennie Finch Classic, both of which will be played at the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy in Dallas.

The All-Star Commissioner’s Cup features teams of youth baseball players (ages 17 and under) from MLB Youth Academies from around the country and in Puerto Rico.
The All-Star Jennie Finch Classic features teams of youth softball players (ages 17 and under) from MLB Youth Academies and Jennie Finch softball programming.

July 13-16: The Capital One All-Star Village, a one-of-a-kind baseball theme park that will also encompass Esports Stadium and the North Lawn, will be open at Choctaw Stadium (formerly Globe Life Field in Arlington). It will feature a variety of family-friendly activities, including current and former player appearances.

July 14: MLB Draft Opening Night will take place at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth and will be open to the public. This is the fourth consecutive year that the MLB Draft will also take place during All-Star Week. The draft will continue on July 15 and 16.

July 15: The T-Mobile Home Run Derby will feature a variety of the best home run hitters in the league. Given his participation in the Derby in 2023, his performance in the 2023 playoffs, and this being a hometown game, don't be surprised to see Ranger right fielder Adolis García as one of the participants again.

July 16: MLB All-Star Game, at Globe Life Field in Arlington.

Event-specific ticketing and broadcast information will be announced in the coming months. For additional details, fans can go to AllStarGame.com.

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This story was updated on July 11, 2024.

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