2025 CEDAR RAPIDS
2025 CEDAR RAPIDS
JOIN THE ELITE
Established in 2022, the purpose of the Cedar Rapids Reds Hall of Fame is to recognize and remember outstanding individuals or families/groups that were players, coaches, board members and/or benefactors who have made their mark on the organization’s landscape since the inaugural year of play in 1989.
The Cedar Rapids Reds Hall of Fame asks voters to elect members to the Hall of Fame based on an individual’s ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, team contributions and contributions to the Reds Organization. Nominees, after departure from the Reds need to have continued to exemplify the leadership, service and distinction that the Cedar Rapids Reds seeks to promote.
Mike Novak
Hall of Fame Class of 2022
There couldn’t have been a more obvious choice for our inaugural inductee into our Reds Hall of Fame.
Mike loved the game of baseball saying “The other sports are just sports. Baseball is love.” Mike had many goals for the organization. One was to see a Little Red become a Major League Baseball Player. That goal became a reality in 2006 and has happened many times over since.
Mike established the Cedar Rapids Little Reds in 1989 with support from his wife Mary and 3 children: Matt, Tony & Heather. All this while he was serving on the Cedar Rapids Ball Club Board of Directors (1982-2013) for the Reds, Angels and Twins as Major League Affiliates.
Mike established a Mission, Values and a Vision for the organization that is still in practice today. Board Members since the original group led by Mike, work vigorously, as he did, to keep and improve the organization and make it the best place for young kids to learn the game of baseball and softball with class while learning leadership, competition and life lessons that will lead them to success in anything they do in life.
Hall of Fame Class of 2023
Ryan Sweeney
Ryan Sweeney started playing for the Cedar Rapids Reds in 1993 and played through the 1998 season. As a Cedar Rapids Red Ryan played up and age group and was a part of several great teams who had a lot of success on the field while Ryan had tremendous personal success earning All-State recognition and State MVP honor’s several times.
After playing for the Reds, Ryan played Varsity Baseball as an 8th grader at Cedar Rapids Jefferson before transferring to Cedar Rapids Xavier where he was an All-State performer. Ryan signed to play D1 for the San Diego State Aztecs and Head Coach Tony Gwynn. In 2003 Ryan was selected as the 1st pick in the second round of the first year MLB Player Draft and decided to forgo college and signed with the Chicago White Sox out of Xavier.
As a 21-year-old, Ryan made his Major League Debut with the Chicago White Sox on September 6th, 2006. Ryan played parts of 8 seasons in the majors, playing for the White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs. In those 8 seasons the southpaw hit .276 with 23 homeruns, 224 RBI’s while making highlight plays in the outfield on a regular basis.
Ryan currently lives in Naperville, Illinois with his wife and 2 sons. Ryan is a Studio Analyst for the Cubs on the Marquee Network.
Authorization
By authorization of the 2022 Cedar Rapids Reds Board of Directors, President Casey Pauli, Vice President Johnny Vasquez, Treasurer Brian Greenlee and Secretary Nic Freshour; the current Cedar Rapids Reds Board of Directors is authorized to hold an election every year for the purpose of electing member(s) to the Cedar Rapids Reds Hall of Fame.
Electors
Active and honorary members of the Cedar Rapids Reds Board shall be eligible to vote. Other eligible voters at the sole discretion of the President of the Board.
Eligible Candidates
Candidates to be eligible must meet the following requirements:
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A baseball or Softball player must have been active as a player in the Reds Organization for a
minimum of 2 years. A non-player must have been involved in the Reds Organization as a Board
Member, Coach or benefactor for a minimum of 4 years combined.
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An individual must be nominated by a current or past member of the Board, a current or past
Head Coach or have a nomination must have 3o individual signatures requesting the individual’s
candidacy be explored.
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Families or Groups must be a collective that had multiple people make a large impact on the Reds
Organization.
Method of Election
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The current Board will determine a list of no more than 20 candidates who have been nominated to be voted on.
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The current Board of Directors will discuss the Candidate list and each Board Member will vote YES or NO for each individual candidate on the ballot each year to be elected or not.
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Any candidate receiving YES votes on seventy-five percent (75%) of the ballots shall be elected to membership in the Cedar Rapids Reds Hall of Fame.
Voting
Will be based on an individual’s ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, team contributions and contributions to the Reds Organization.
Automatic Elections
No automatic elections based on performances such as a batting average of .500 or more for one (1) year, pitching a perfect game or similar outstanding achievement shall be permitted.
Time of Election
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The current Secretary of the Board shall prepare and distribute ballots to each elector during the Executive Board Meeting in November each year.
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The Board Members shall discuss the candidates and complete the ballot during that November Meeting.
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The confidential votes shall then be tabulated and counted by the current President of the Board. The board will then decide how to contact anyone elected and announce the individuals elected for the upcoming year.
Amendments
The Board of Directors of the Cedar Rapids Reds reserves the right to revoke, alter or amend these rules at any time.