It has been nearly seven months since the world lost Greg Halman but his impact is still being felt and will be appreciated for years to come.
On Saturday, June 23, the Everett AquaSox organization retired the number 26 which Halman donned during his two seasons in Everett.
“Like everyone, we were saddened by Gregory’s loss,” said AquaSox Executive Vice President, Tom Backemeyer. “He played in Everett for two seasons, and not only was he one of the best players to ever wear an AquaSox uniform; he was a wonderful young man too. We wanted to find a way to honor his memory and decided that retiring his number was the most appropriate way to do it.”
In his two seasons with the AquaSox (2006 and 2007), Halman, an outfielder, batted a combined .291 with 21 home runs, 52 RBI and 26 stolen bases in 90 games. As a 19 year-old in 2007, he was voted as a Northwest League All-Star after batting .307 with 16 home runs in 62 games.
During the pre-game ceremony, Halman’s host mother in Everett read a touching letter from Halman’s mother in the Netherlands in which she thanks the Everett community. “Gregory loved everything about Everett. The community, the fans, the organization, the stadium, the team and last but not least his host family,” said Hanny Suidgeest, Gregory Halman’s mother. “Gregory stayed for two years with the Chapman-family. We would like to thank Jim and Kathy Chapman and their family for having Gregory in their home and treating him like he was a son to them.”
Former teammates Mike Carp, Alex Liddi, Adam Moore, Johan Limonta and Mike Wilson each took time to remember their fallen friend in a video tribute to Greg Halman.
Click picture for Greg Halman Tribute Video
The idea to retire his number came from a young fan named Luke Frost who was touched by a simple gesture by Greg during Spring Training in Arizona.
