One of this area's most accomplished baseball players was selected to join a hall of fame. No, not that Hall of Fame, the one into which Peoria native Jim Thome was inducted earlier this year. But it's still a pretty formidable hall. Former big-league player and former and probably future big-league manager Joe Girardi, the pride of East Peoria, was inducted over the weekend into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. Ceremonies were held in Chicago.

Girardi was part of three World Series champions as a player and manager. The 1982 graduate of old Academy of Our Lady/Spalding Institute in Peoria spent 15 years playing and 11 as a manager. Although he now is a commentator for MLB Network, Girardi has made it clear he wants another managerial job. The New York Yankees didn't retain him after his contract expired in 2017.