Orange County Sports Hall of Fame : Grich, Harrah, Jackson, Ward to Become Newest Members

The Orange County Sports Hall of Fame will induct four members tonight at its annual banquet at the Disneyland Hotel.

Three of the names are highly recognizable; Bobby Grich, Dennis Harrah and Reggie Jackson had distinguished careers in Orange County. The fourth, the late John Ward, may not be as well-known, but his contributions to sports in the county are equal to the others.

Ward is the only one of the four to grow up in the county. He graduated from Garden Grove High School and played football at USC from 1927-29. He returned to the county in 1937 to coach cross-country and track and field at Santa Ana College, now Rancho Santiago.

Under Ward, the Dons won three state cross-country championships and 13 conference titles. He also guided the track team to three state and 13 conference championships.

From 1953-54, Ward also coached the Dons’ football team. He retired in 1965.

Grich played second base for the Angels from 1977 through 1986. He was named to the American League All-Star team three times during that time.

Signed as a free agent, Grich ranks among the top five in 10 offensive categories for the Angels. He is second in home runs (154) and runs batted in (557).

Grich also played in the American League Championship Series for the Angels in 1979, 1982 and 1986.

Harrah played right guard for the Rams for 13 seasons before retiring after the 1987 season. He was a six-time Pro Bowl selection.

A graduate of the University of Miami, Harrah was the cornerstone of an offensive line that was considered one of the best in the National Football League. Ram running backs led the NFL in rushing four times during a five-year period from 1983-87, including a league-record 2,105 yards by Eric Dickerson in 1984.

Jackson is considered one of the most prolific home run hitters in the history of baseball, played five seasons for the Angels, from 1982-86. He hit 563 career home runs, 123 with the Angels, to rank sixth on the all-time home run list.

In 1982, Jackson hit 39 home runs to set an Angel team record. He also led the team in homers in 1985 (25) and 1986 (27).

Jackson, who was signed as a free agent in 1982, was a three-time all-star selection with the Angels and played in two championship series--in 1982 and 1986.

Besides the inductees, there will be two special awards.

Ram owner Georgia Frontiere will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to the county. Frontiere has led several team-oriented charity drives.

Actor Kevin Costner will receive the Ralph Clark award, which is presented to an individual with a sports background in Orange County who went on to success in another career. Costner played baseball at Villa Park High High School.

Tonight’s banquet is sold out.