AUBURN, Ala. – Former Auburn standouts Scott Sullivan and Larry Chapman have been selected for induction in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame's Class of 2024, the ASHOF announced Wednesday.
"You look at those plaques and it's just astonishing the number of incredibly talented athletes, coaches and administrators the state of Alabama has produced," said Sullivan, an Auburn baseball letterwinner from 1991-93, recalling previous Hall of Fame visits in Birmingham while mentioning inductees Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Jesse Owens, Bo Jackson and Tim Hudson. "They're so removed from my level, it just seems unreachable.
"To be deemed worthy enough to be among those women and men who have been so impactful, it's incredibly humbling."
Sullivan walked on at Auburn in 1991, pitching three seasons for coach Hail Baird's Tigers as a reliever, compiling a 13-9 record with a 3.83 ERA.
Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the second round in 1993, he made it to the big leagues in 1995 and set a franchise record by pitching at least 100 innings in relief each season for Cincinnati from 1998-2001.
Sullivan, who ranks second in Cincinnati history with 494 pitching appearances, also played for the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals, finishing his 10-year MLB career in 2004 with a 3.98 ERA and 622 strikeouts.
"I don't have the depth of vocabulary needed to express my gratitude to Auburn University, Coach Baird, Steve Renfroe, Billy Best and all my Auburn teammates," Sullivan said. "For Coach Baird to have the insight, wisdom, patience and vision to invest in somebody like me, to get a quality education from such a great institution as Auburn University, and to compete not only in the SEC but beyond, I've never been able to truly process how grateful I am to men like Coach Baird who have been part of the journey and part of my life."
Sullivan becomes the 10th former Auburn baseball player to be inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, joining Jimmy Hitchcock (1969), Billy Hitchcock (1975), Jimmy Outlaw (1990), Bo Jackson (1996), Joe Beckwith (2004), Frank Thomas (2011), Tim Hudson (2018), Q.V. Lowe (2020) and Hal Baird (2021).
A basketball letterwinner from 1962-64, Chapman served as team captain before remaining on the Plains as an assistant coach and freshman team head coach under Bill Lynn. Chapman helped integrate Auburn Athletics by recruiting Henry Harris, Auburn's first Black student-athlete.
"I came to Auburn and the greatest people in my life, outside of my family and a few in my hometown, embraced me, loved me and led me," Chapman said. "Auburn was the garden for me to grow, and I did as a result of the opportunity provided to me by good people."
Chapman served as head coach at Auburn-Montgomery for 37 seasons from 1976-2014, amassing 714 wins as a head coach and compiling 15 20-win seasons.
"I've been blessed," he said. "God has really opened doors and presented people in my life. It's overwhelming to me. I was blessed by great men who cared enough about me to give me direction. I'm the recipient of a lot of love and attention."
Joining Sullivan and Chapman in the Class of 2024 are Mike Anderson, Penney Hauschild Buxton, John Drew, Robert Mathis, David Palmer and Mike Washington.
The 56th annual induction banquet and ceremony will be held in the Birmingham Ballroom at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel on May 4, 2024. Those interested in purchasing tickets may call the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Museum at (205) 323-6665.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer