The Snohomish County Sports Hall of Fame honors its 2022 induction class during its banquet on Sept. 28 at the Edward D. Hansen Conference Center at Angel of the Winds Arena — tickets to the banquet are still available and the deadline for purchase is Wednesday.
From today until Sept. 28, each day The Herald will highlight one of the nine inductees.
Grady Sizemore
Inducted as: Athlete
High school: Cascade class of 2000
Sport: Baseball
Sizemore is one of the greatest baseball players ever produced by Snohomish County, starring as a major-league center fielder with a rare combination of power and speed.
Sizemore was a multi-sport star at Cascade, earning All-Wesco honors in football, basketball and baseball. He turned down a football scholarship to play quarterback at the University of Washington after being selected in the third round of the 2000 Major League Baseball draft by the Montreal Expos.
After being traded to the Cleveland Indians organization while in the minors, Sizemore made his major-league debut with Cleveland in 2004, beginning a 12-year major-league career with the Indians, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays. In 1,101 games he batted .265 with 150 home runs, 518 RBI and 143 stolen bases.
Sizemore’s peak years were 2005-08 with Cleveland. During those four seasons he was one of the best players in baseball, leading the American League in runs scored (134 in 2006) and doubles (53 in 2006), while hitting as many as 33 home runs (2008) and stealing as many as 38 bases (2008). In that stretch he was named to three American League All-Star teams, won two Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger.
Sizemore was named The Herald’s Man of the Year in Sports for 1999. When The Herald produced its list of the 50 greatest athletes in Snohomish County History in 2005, Sizemore came in at No. 16 despite having yet to hit his peak in the majors.
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