Former Syracuse SkyChiefs/Chiefs Outfielder Chad Mottola to be inducted into International League Hall of Fame as part of 2020 Class

SYRACUSE, NY – Former Syracuse SkyChiefs/Chiefs outfielder and International League MVP Chad Mottola will be a member of the International Hall of Fame Class of 2020 the league office announced on Tuesday. Mottola is one of three people being inducted into the 2020 class along with Chipper Jones and Johnny Neun. The three men were elected by a vote of living Hall of Famers, longtime executives, broadcasters, and members of the media.

Mottola spent five years of his 16-year professional playing career in Syracuse. He ranks second in Syracuse history in home runs (100) and doubles (138). Mottola also ranks in the top ten in Syracuse history in hits (624), runs batted in (359), runs scored (348), and total bases (1,086).

In 2000, Mottola put together one of the best single seasons in Syracuse history. During that season, which was his first with Syracuse, Mottola had a .309 batting average with a league-leading 33 home runs and with 102 RBIs. The 33 homers are the third-most hit in a single season in Syracuse history, while the 102 RBIs rank eighth. Mottola’s performance during the 2000 season earned him International League Most Valuable Player honors.

Mottola is also a member of the Syracuse Baseball Wall of Fame where he was inducted as part of the Class of 2016.

The members of the International League Hall of Fame Class of 2020 have been added to the I.L. Hall of Fame plaque display. The new inductees or family members will be presented with “The Curtain Call” statue during individual enshrinement ceremonies that will be scheduled at a later date.

Please see the full release below (and attached) from the International League office:

- International League Announces 2020 Hall of Fame Class - 

The International League announced today that 1993 IL Rookie of the Year and National Baseball Hall of Famer Chipper Jones, 2000 IL Most Valuable Player Chad Mottola, and former IL All-Star first baseman and two-time Governors’ Cup winning manager Johnny Neun will be inducted into the League’s Hall of Fame as members of the Class of 2020. The three men were elected to the IL Hall by a vote of living Hall of Famers, longtime executives, broadcasters, and members of the media.

The members of the Class of 2020 have been added to the International League Hall of Fame plaque display. The new inductees or family members will be presented with “The Curtain Call” statue during individual enshrinement ceremonies yet to be scheduled. The IL Hall of Fame plaque display serves as a traveling testament to the storied legacy of the International League.

Before embarking on his legendary career with the Atlanta Braves, Chipper Jones turned in an All-Star season for the Richmond Braves in 1993 at the age of 21. Missing only one game all season for the playoff-bound R-Braves, Jones hit .325 with thirteen home runs, 89 RBI, and 23 stolen bases. He led the International League with 174 hits, twelve triples, and 97 runs scored and was elected as the IL Rookie of the Year. With Atlanta, Jones went on to be an eight-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger winner, and the 1999 National League MVP. In 2018, Jones was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Chad Mottola spent nine seasons in the International League playing for six different franchises, finishing with just shy of 1,000 hits and 570 RBI. His career total of 152 home runs places him among the top fifteen sluggers in League history. Mottola led Charlotte to the 1999 Govenors’ Cup, hitting .321 with 20 homers and 94 RBI. The next year was his first of five seasons playings for Syracuse, which saw him named IL MVP after hitting .309 with a League-best 33 home runs. Mottola’s MLB career included brief stints with the Reds, Blue Jays, Marlins, and Orioles. He is presently the hitting coach for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Johnny Neun hit .320 in four seasons as a first baseman in the IL, beginning with his hometown Baltimore Orioles in 1929. Neun helped lead the Newark Bears to three consecutive pennants from 1932-34. He led the circuit in hits and stolen bases in 1932 and was elected an All-Star in 1933. He returned to Newark as manager in 1938, where over a four-year span the Bears won at a .614 clip (381-240) and reached at least the Governors’ Cup finals each season. Neun departed with two pennants and two Governors’ Cup titles, as well as the 1940 Junior World Series championship and later went on to manage the Yankees and Reds. Neun passed away in 1990 at the age of 89.

The IL Hall of Fame, established in 1947, was dormant from 1964 until the League's 125th Anniversary season in 2008. Following a three-year transition period (2008-10) in which a total of 50 individuals were inducted after having been selected by a committee, the Class of 2020 was the tenth chosen by the current annual election process. Each year the top three vote-getters who also receive a vote on the majority of ballots cast are elected.

Complete statistical data and biographical information on all 129 members of the IL Hall of Fame, along with a copy of the International League Hall of Fame policies, procedures, and guidelines are available at ILBaseball.com.