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Four world-class athletes, two builders, and the Canadian hockey team that changed the face of the game forever are the latest inductees to Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. Baseball executive Paul Beeston, journalist George Gross, cyclists Steve Bauer and Curt Harnett, speed skater Catriona Le May Doan, former Montreal Expo pitcher Claude Raymond and Team Canada 1972, winners of the classic Summit Series vs the Soviet Union, will be formally recognized at the Induction Gala on Wednesday, November 2, 2005 in Toronto. Paul Beeston Paul Beeston was the first employee hired by the Toronto Blue Jays when the club was formed in 1976. He served in a number of capacities through the years, assuming the role of President and Chief Operating Officer in 1989 and President and Chief Executive Officer in 1991. In July 1997, Paul was appointed to President and Chief Operating Officer of Major League Baseball, a position he held until March 2002. George Gross George Gross has been a media insider for over 46 years. In January 1959 George was hired at the Toronto Telegram and in 1971 when the Telegram folded, George became the first sports editor at the newly-born Toronto Sun. He held that position until 1985, when he was appointed Corporate Sports Editor, a position he holds to this day. A strong voice in the organization of a world sports journalists association, George has won numerous achievement and journalism awards and is well known for his fundraising efforts for charities such as Variety Village and Easter Seals. Steve Bauer Steve Bauer became recognized as a world cycling contender at the 1984 Olympic Games, where he won a silver medal, surprising the Europeans in the sport they traditionally dominated. Following the Olympics, Steve turned professional and, in his second professional race, won a bronze medal at the World Professional road race in Barcelona. At the end of the first stage of the 1988 Tour de France, Steve broke clear of the pack and took the coveted yellow jersey for the first time. Throughout the next 20 days, Steve would carry the lead four times and finished fourth overall. In 1989 Steve won his first World Cup race in the Zurich championship. Curt Harnett Curt Harnett represented Canada with distinction in cycling from 1983 to 1996, competing in four Olympic Games and winning three medals: one silver and two bronze. He also competed in three Commonwealth Games and three Pan American Games and came home with four medals. In 1995, Curt set a world 200-metre record that has never been equaled. Catriona Le May Doan Catriona Le May Doan thrilled all Canadians with her gold medal performance in the 500-metre speed skating event at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, a year in which she held the world, Olympic and World Cup titles at that distance and became the first Canadian individual to successfully defend a gold medal at any Olympic Games. Four years earlier, in addition to the 500-mertre gold, she captured a bronze medal in the 1000 event. Catriona still holds the world record at 500 meters and was a leader for many years in World Cup standings. Claude Raymond Claude Raymond always dreamed of pitching for a major league team in his home province of Quebec, but the road took many twists before he finally achieved his dream. Drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1958, he spent 1961 and 1962 with the Milwaukee Braves and was traded to the Houston Colts in 1963. In 1966, he led the National League in ERA at the All-Star break and was selected to represent Houston in the summer classic. Claude spent 1967 to 1969 with the Atlanta Braves and in 1969 was traded to the new Montreal Expos. His early dream finally become reality, Claude responded in 1970 with his finest season as a professional, saving 23 games and winning seven. Following retirement in 1971, Claude served in a number of different capacities with the Expos organization and worked as an analyst with their French-language television games. Team Canada 1972 Team Canada 1972 carved a mark in hockey history that can never be replicated. Canadians who'd waited for years to send their NHL stars against the Russians expected the eight-game Summit Series to be a rout. Many predicted that the Russians wouldn't win a single game. Instead, Canada needed to win the final three games in Moscow to come away with the series victory, four games to three with one game tied. Paul Henderson, who scored the winning goal in each of those last three games, will forever be remembered for his famous series winner with 34 seconds to play. The Team was recognized as Canada's sport team of the century in a national poll of sports editors and sportscasters conducted by The Canadian Press and Broadcast News. Hall of Fame Canada's Sports Hall of Fame has a strong mandate to inspire Canadian identity and national pride by telling the compelling stories of those outstanding achievements that highlight Canada's sports history. The addition of these athletes and builders brings the total number of Honoured Members in Canada's Sports Hall of Fame to 473.6/15/2005
