Todd Frazier Heading To Rutgers Hall Of Fame
Baseball standout Todd Frazier of Toms River will head up the Rutgers University Athletic Department’s 2019 Hall of Fame class as announced by the school today. The New York Mets third baseman is one of three individuals and two standout teams that will be recognized during a dinner on October 18 at the Hilton East Brunswick and then the next day during a home football game.
“Getting selected to the Rutgers Hall of Fame is truly an honor,” said Frazier. “I gave everything I had to the Scarlet Knights. This could have never happened without my great mentor Fred Hill. Let’s go RU.” Hill was the coach who recruited and coached him and would play a significant role in his career well after he left the school.
Called one of the finest baseball players in school history, Frazier finished his Scarlet Knights career in 2007 as the all-time leader in home runs and runs scored and was in the top five in several other categories despite only playing three seasons before being drafted 34th overall by the Cincinnati Reds. In his final season at Rutgers, he was the Big East Player of the Year and earned All-America honors.
Frazier, who first gained national acclaim as a member of the Toms River East team that won the Little League World Series in 1998, was also an all-state player at Toms River High School South following in the footsteps of his older brothers Charlie and Jeff who both played professionally. Jeff was also a standout at Rutgers.
Todd is in his second season with the Mets and before that played for the Yankees, White Sox and Reds. He was a two-time All-Star in Cincinnati and won the Home Run Derby in 2015. He lives in Toms River with his wife Jackie and three children and remains very active in the local community while continuing to support his alma mater.
Joining him in this year’s Hall of Fame class are former Director of Athletics Fred Gruninger, Greg Rinaldi (Men’s Lacrosse), the 1919-1920 Men’s Basketball Team and the 1981 Men’s Track & Field Two Mile Relay Team.