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The Great Ballpark Chase: Hall of Dreams

timothynrussell

Tucked away in a little corner of upstate New York, there is something special about Cooperstown and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

It’s the small-town charm and the beautiful scenery, but more importantly, you have to want to go there. It’s not just something you stumble upon and say, “let’s go there.” It takes actual planning.

So when the Coast 2 Coast Sports Tours Hall of Fame Baseball Tour rolled into town, it made for a special moment to take a slight breather from seeing games.

Not a bad trio to greet guests upon arrival: Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, and Roberto Clemente.

When you walk into the Hall of Fame, the first thing that strikes you is the life-size statues of Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, and Roberto Clemente. You can also catch a glimpse of the plaque gallery, but no need to rush right to the gallery. There are plenty of other great things to see.

Being a ballpark chaser, the third floor was of special interest with the Sacred Ground exhibit. It highlights ballparks of yesteryear and why a trip to the ballpark is such a special occasion. You can see the Ebbets Field cornerstone, as well as piece of the Tiger Stadium wall with the 440-foot measurement, noting the distance from home plate to center field. There are also old ticket booths, turnstiles, and seats.

One of Comiskey Park’s scoreboard pinwheels sits in the foreground while the Tiger Stadium centerfield measurement is in the rear.

Most of what you see on display at the museum at any one time is a mere fraction of its collection. There is only about 10 percent on display and it grows daily.

From the history of the game to the current teams, there are exhibits featuring Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, women in baseball, and international players.

A Babe Ruth jersey is displayed.

Ruth is featured quite prominently, with his locker, jersey, and details about his life.

If you have ever watched “A League of Their Own,” you’ll see details about women in baseball. The exhibit is called Diamond Dreams.

Aaron is also featured in the exhibit, Chasing the Dream, chronicling his career and his run toward being the greatest home run hitter in the game and the problems that brought to him.

There is also an exhibit about international baseball, called Viva Baseball. It highlights the history of Latin baseball and Latino ballplayers in the Majors. Detroit Tiger Miguel Cabrera‘s jersey is hanging there, just waiting until his plaque can be installed.

A Miguel Cabrera jersey sits in the Viva Baseball exhibit.

That leads you to baseball records, baseball cards, and World Series rings and accomplishments.

You’ll finish the third floor, walking through a simulated locker room, called Your Team Today. It features a locker stall for each of the 30 teams. There are artifacts from current players of each team. As they try to stay current, this exhibit can see a lot of changes as events happen during the season.

Obviously, being a Detroit Tigers’ fan, I took special care to look for exhibits highlighting the team. In addition to the centerfield signage there are also several other Tiger exhibits sprinkled around the Hall. Those include some artifacts from Hank Greenberg, Charlie Gehringer, Al Kaline, and the 1984 World Series champion Tiger team, which started 35-5.

In the Your Team Today, the Tigers locker was filled with a Justin Verlander jersey and ball from one of his no-hitters. There is also a cap from Spencer Turnbull‘s no-hitter. There are also helmets from Cabrera’s 500th home run and Victor Martinez‘s 2,000 hit.

One of the more interesting pieces is Daniel Norris‘s bat. The former Tiger pitcher borrowed a teammate’s bat to become the first American League pitcher to homer in Chicago’s Wrigley Field.

After seeing Your Team Today, you can take the elevator down to the first floor toward the gallery. First, you’ll see exhibits dedicated to the current players being inducted that year. This past year, it was infielder Scott Rolen and outfield Fred McGriff. Rolen went in as a St. Louis Cardinal. McGriff chose to have a blank hat, since he had been with several teams.

HoF Class of 2023, Fred McGriff and Scott Rolen, signed the spots where their plaques would eventually reside.

Each year, after the inductees are announced, the player or manager gets a day at the Hall. They are given a private tour of the facility. They also sign the base in the gallery, where it sits until the plaque is installed after the induction ceremony.

After visiting the gallery, make sure to take a short walk up the ramp toward the library and kids’ clubhouse. You’ll find the area dedicated to announcers and writers. Obviously, I had to find the Ernie Harwell honor, which is just above one for Vin Scully. The two were honored just a few years apart in the 1980s.

Just past that you’ll find what looks like a box office window. Step in and you’ll see exhibits from different baseball movies.

Of course, any visit to the Hall of Fame isn’t complete without a short walk to Doubleday Field. It was once thought of as the birthplace of baseball, where Abner Doubleday played the first game of baseball. But recent developments have somewhat dispelled those myths.

Doubleday Field sits right off Main Street in Cooperstown, NY.

But, even so, it’s still a grand place to watch a ballgame. And even if Doubleday didn’t invent the game, it still lets you go back in time to feel the simplicity of the game.

Youth and Little League teams will still play ball at Doubleday. An expansive Little League complex, Cooperstown Dreams Park, was built just outside of town, which draws a lot of camps and tournaments. But it’s still quite an experience to actually play on the Doubleday Field.

While you’re walking to Doubleday, you’ll come across many small shops, selling bats, balls, caps, jerseys, and trading cards, among other things. A real baseball fan could go broke.

During the walk, take a minute and enjoy strolling down a small-town American street.

There are also really good places to eat, as well. There is the Cooperstown Diner, which is basically a lunch counter and a few tables. Sadly, it is only open until 2 p.m. The Hardball Cafe is within a baseball’s throw of Doubleday Field. A few finer dining options are available further from the downtown area.

Those aren’t the only restaurants. You can pretty much find anything your tastebuds desire.

Whether you spend just a few hours in Cooperstown or a few days, it is time well spent.

There is even some wildlife in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Previous Installments of the Great Ballpark Chase by Tim Russell

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