JUST ANNOUNCED! The San Jose Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023

SAN JOSE SPORTS HALL OF FAME
ANNOUNCES CLASS OF 2023 INDUCTEES & DATE TBA FOR NOVEMBER
LORRIE FAIR, PATRICK MARLEAU, DAVE STIEB, AND CHRIS WONDOLOWSKI
TO BE HONORED AT INDUCTION CEREMONY IN NOVEMBER, 2023

SAN JOSE, CA – The San Jose Sports Authority will mark the 28^th year of the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame honoring South Bay sports legends when it inducts four new members in November at the SAP Center at San Jose. The inductees hail from the upper echelon of collegiate, professional, Olympic and international competitions. Although from different sports in different eras, they have made a lasting impact both on and off the field of play.

The San Jose Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023 inductees are:

• Lorrie Fair (Soccer): Starred at Los Altos High School and then led the University of North Carolina to three NCAA titles while earning the Honda Sports Award for women’s soccer. Fair earned 120 caps with the USA Women’s National Team winning the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup, an Olympic Silver Medal and an Olympic Gold Medal as an alternate in 2004.

• Patrick Marleau (Hockey): The 2nd overall selection in the 1997 NHL Draft went on to become one of the most prolific players in the history of the San Jose Sharks and the NHL. Marleau set an NHL record with 1,779 regular season games played, holds nearly every significant San Jose Sharks scoring record and became the first San Jose Sharks player to have his jersey retired. His impact on the international game includes two Olympic Gold Medals representing Team Canada.

• Dave Stieb (Baseball): From Oak Grove High School and San Jose City College, Stieb went on to become one of the most dominant pitchers in Major League Baseball. He won the second-most games of any pitcher in the 1980s, was a seven-time All-Star, and helped transform the Toronto Blue Jays from their expansion years to world champions.

• Chris Wondolowski (Soccer): The De La Salle High School star was a 2005 draft pick of the San Jose Earthquakes where he went on to become the all-time leading goal scorer in Major League Soccer history. The two-time MLS Champion earned a league Most Valuable Player award, MLS scoring titles and is the only player in league history to score 150 or more regular-season goals.

“San Jose’s incredibly rich and diverse sports history makes the Hall of Fame selection process very difficult each year,” said Charlie Faas, Chairman of the San Jose Sports Authority Board of Directors. “The Class of 2023 is a wonderful representation of the deep and meaningful impact athletes and coaches with South Bay connections have made in their respective sports, locally, nationally and internationally. We are excited to welcome these four remarkable individuals into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame.

Each inductee will be recognized with a bronze plaque permanently installed on the concourse at the SAP Center at San Jose. Including the 2023 inductees, there will be 121 South Bay sports icons enshrined in the Hall of Fame. The annual induction is an event of the San Jose Sports Authority, San Jose Arena Authority, SAP Center Management/San Jose Sharks, and the City of San José. The event benefits Special Olympics Northern California and high school sports programs.

Executive Director John Poch of the San Jose Sports Authority states, “The San Jose Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023 represents all that we value, including integrity, work ethic, sportsmanship, and excellence. Individually and collectively, their accomplishments, both in the Bay Area and across the world of sport, are the stuff of legend. We look forward to honoring their legacies in November at our Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the SAP Center in San Jose.”

The November date will be announced once the NHL schedule is announced. The event kicks off with a reception followed by dinner and induction ceremony. Individual tickets begin at $300 each; sponsorship and table packages are available starting at $3,000. For information and to purchase event tickets call (408) 390-7802.

SJSHOF Class of 2023 / Detailed Bios

Lorrie Fair

The Los Altos High School star and two-time High School Parade All American helped lead her Sunnyvale Roadrunners club team to the U.S. Youth Soccer U16 National title in 1994 and that was just the start of an amazing soccer career. At 15 years old, she was selected for the US Under 20 National team in ’94 and competed in the Nordic Cup and the US Olympic Festival. By the time she was 17, she was on the full National Team, completing her last semester of high school while training for the 1996 Olympics. Fair became a two-time NSCAA All-American at the University of North Carolina leading the Tar Heels to three NCAA soccer titles. She was the Honda Sports Award Women’s Soccer Player of the Year in ‘99. Over a ten-year span, she was a member of the USA Women’s National Team that included ‘99 FIFA Women’s World Cup champions and two Olympic teams. She played professionally for the Philadelphia Charge, Olympique Lyonnais in France, and Chelsea FC in the UK. Fair retired from the USWNT in 2005 with 120 caps and retired from professional soccer in 2009. She has been a Sport Envoy for the U.S. State Department since 2008 and has travelled to 13 countries to support U.S. diplomatic missions abroad, including women’s access to sport and education, conflict resolution, and counter violent-extremism. In 2020, she became one of the founding investors of NWSL’s Angel City Football Club.

Patrick Marleau

Marleau’s remarkable 23-season NHL career, culminating on April 19, 2021 when he became the NHL’s all-time regular season games played leader, eclipsing hockey icon Gordie Howe’s longstanding record. Marleau finished his career with 1,779 regular season games and sits amongst the game’s top offensive players with 566 goals (23rd all-time), 631 assists (83rd), 1,197 points (52nd), 172 power-play goals (34th) and 109 game-winning goals (tied-seventh). His 195 Stanley Cup Playoff games are the 24th most in NHL history, and he recorded 127 playoff points (72 goals, 55 assists). He ranks first in nearly every offensive category in Sharks franchise history, including games played (1,607), goals (522), points (1,111), power-play goals (163), shorthanded goals (17), game-winning goals (101), multi-goal games (67) and shots (3,953). He also ranks second in assists (589), eighth in penalty minutes (481), and eighth in points-per-game (0.69 – min. 200 games). Marleau became the first person in franchise history to have his number permanently retired. Internationally, Marleau captured gold medals with Team Canada in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, 2014 World Cup and 2003 World Championships.

Dave Stieb

Dave Stieb starred as an outfielder at Oak Grove High School and San Jose City College, but the Toronto Blue Jays later decided to make better use of that powerful right arm. Stieb promptly blossomed as one of the best pitchers of the 1980s and still holds Toronto franchise records for complete games and innings pitched. Stieb finished in the top 10 for Cy Young voting four times, and modern metrics indicate he was actually the best pitcher in the AL for three straight seasons – 1982-84. Baseball writer Joe Posnanski once called Stieb “a master at being underrated and underappreciated.” During a 16-year career that began in 1979, the right-hander went 176-137 with a 3.44 ERA and threw the only no-hitter in Blue Jays history (while flirting with several others). Stieb won 140 games in the 1980s, the second-highest total by a pitcher in that decade, behind only his rival, Jack Morris.

Chris Wondolowski

“Wondo”, made his mark at the youth level at De La Salle High School, Diablo Valley Soccer Club and Danville Mustang Soccer. He enjoyed a standout college soccer career at Chico State. As a 2005 draft pick of the San Jose Earthquakes, he went to become the all-time leading goal scorer in Major League Soccer history. The two-time MLS Cup Champion earned the MLS Most Valuable Player award in 2012 and three consecutive MLS Best XI awards, along with two MLS scoring titles. He rewrote the MLS record books during his illustrious career finishing with a record 171 regular season goals, and also holds the MLS records for game-winning goals, goals for one club and goals in 1-0 victories, while ranking second in multi-goal games and hat-tricks. He played in 413 career MLS games. For his career, he won two MLS Cups (2006 and 2007 with the Houston Dynamo) and two Supporters’ Shields (2005 and 2012 with San Jose). He had a career season in 2012, tying the MLS record with 27 goals and earning the MLS MVP award, while leading San Jose to its best regular season in club history. Internationally, he made 35 appearances and scored 11 goals for the United States. He became the first Native American to play for the U.S. at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He also represented the U.S. at three CONCACAF Gold Cups, helping the U.S. win the tournament in 2013 while earning the Golden Boot.

About the San Jose Sports Authority

The San Jose Sports Authority is a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase the City of San Jose’s economic development, visibility, and civic pride through sports. Serving as the City’s sports commission since its inception in 1991, the Sports Authority has provided leadership and support to attract and host hundreds of sporting events in San Jose and the South Bay. The Sports Authority also supports and operates community, youth and amateur sports programs, including the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame and the REACH Youth Scholarship Program. To learn more, visit www.sjsa.org.