Cooperstown

Cooperstown aka My Happy Place

DouglasTHill2 Comments
Dad and Doug at Baseball HoF
Dad and I out front of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

I made mention to a friend recently that if I lived about three hours closer, I’d probably visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame monthly.

A bit hyperbolic?

Perhaps, but I can assure you if it wasn’t an 8-hour drive from where I reside, I’d be there at least quarterly. And if I lived within a couple hours I’d seriously consider volunteering.

And it’s not just the Hall of Fame – my own personal version of Shangri-La – it’s the entire village of Cooperstown, NY, that I adore.

It’s the single stoplight town, the flag pole in the center Main Street that passes for a roundabout, the (mainly) baseball-themed shops up and down that same Main Street, the quirky – and delicious! – diners and restaurants throughout, the scenery around Otsego Lake.

It’s all of it!

When plotting my Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project there was never a doubt a visit to the Baseball Hall would make the list. Never mind that I’d already been there four times previously.

And that’s my message to anyone reading this today: Go!

If you’ve never been … go!

If you have been before … go, again!

The exhibits are constantly being refreshed, the movie in the Grandstand Theater changes fairly regularly, and each July new inductees are enshrined.

There, I’ll step off my soapbox and share a bit of my recent visit as Event No. 26 of this long and winding road of sports fandom I’ve chosen to undertake. And, because I could write a fairly lengthy post about this place, I’ve decided to post a few of the many images I captured that sparked something in me and reflect on those. Don’t worry, I’ll post the rest of my photos and a couple videos soon on the full page of Event No. 26.

HoFer Stemware

Ryne Sandberg’s stemware at The Otesaga. It features a white rose because Sandberg passed away the day after the most-recent Induction Ceremony.

During each successive visit to Cooperstown I try to do something new.

This year, because we had a bit of time Friday following our drive from New York City, my dad and I decided to save the Hall of Fame visit for Saturday and do the other things we hoped to accomplish that afternoon.

Among our stops were many of the shops along Main Street, a visit to the Leatherstocking Golf Course, and an early dinner in The Otesaga Resort Hotel‘s Hawkeye Bar & Grill. It was our first time inside the venerable old inn that houses all the living Hall of Famers each July during Induction Weekend.

Both my father and I enjoyed the showcase (two, actually) featuring personalized stemware with the name of each living Hall of Famer and their number inscribed on the glass. There were three glasses with a white rose in the bowl. Each member of the Hall who died between Induction Ceremonies is honored with a white rose in their glass before it’s retired and, presumably, given to the family. There were roses in the glasses of Rickey Henderson, Dave Parker, and Ryne Sandberg. In Sandberg’s case, he died the day following the 2025 Induction Ceremony.

As we enjoyed our sandwiches and some Ryder Cup action in the Hawkeye, it wasn’t too difficult for dad and I to wonder what stories those walls would share if only they could talk.

“The Captain’s” High School Hat

Derek Jeter's HS Hat
The ballcap of Derek Jeter from Kalamazoo Central High School in western Michigan.

I walked by this artifact thinking it was some Kansas City hat from long ago before doing a u-turn to more closely examine something else in the showcase. That’s when I discovered this hat was actually that of lifetime New York Yankees’ shortstop Derek Jeter‘s from his high school, Kalamazoo (MI) Central.

This is the sort of quirky stuff that I notice during visits that keeps me coming back. If it had been displayed previously I missed it and if it hadn’t, it made me wonder what prompted the curators to put it out now.

A recording of Bob Sheppard introduces Derek Jeter at the 2010 MLB All-Star Game in Anaheim.

And then I thought of the legendary Yankee Stadium public address announcer Bob Sheppard introducing Jeter and how, for the final five years of his playing career following Sheppard’s death in 2010, he still used his recorded introduction during home games.

Duty Calls

Curt Flood Letter
St. Louis Cardinals’ player Curt Flood’s letter to then-Commissioner Bowie Kuhn challenging what was known as the “reserve clause.”

The final 14 years of my professional life in K-12 education were spent as my local union’s elected president. When I saw Curt Flood‘s letter to then-Commissioner Bowie Kuhn challenging his ability to be free to play where he wanted following the expiration of his contract it sort of stopped me in my tracks.

I don’t claim to be familiar with all the intricacies of the Flood case, but I do know what it means to take a principled stand for what you believe is right. These 128 words likely cost Flood the remainder of his Major League Baseball career (he sat our the entire 1970 season during the litigation and only played 13 more games in Washington the following the season).

The sad reality is that he lost his case before the U.S. Supreme Court (5-3), but the Court noted that MLB’s “antitrust exemption was tenuous” and, in so doing, helped set in motion widespread free agency in MLB during the next decade.

When I first visited the Hall as a teenager I would have carelessly walked by this letter. Now, however, to be this close to a piece of labor rights history was awe-inspiring.

Perfect No More

First Base from Armando Galarraga's Perfect Game
The Comerica Park bag from first base of the missed out call by umpire Jim Joyce that cost Tigers’ pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game.

June 2, 2010 was a Wednesday night and, as a fourth grade teacher, I was working through finishing up grading work and getting things situated for the final couple weeks of the school year. As always during that era the Detroit Tigers’ game was on the television in the background.

As the game moved forward, I noticed the line score after – I believe – the sixth inning and saw Tigers’ journeyman starter, Armando Galarraga, hadn’t allowed a hit. Suddenly, my work rate slowed in direct relation to my game attention rate increasing.

And then, it happened, in the top of the ninth inning, Cleveland’s Luke Donald hit a slow roller wide of first base, Miguel Cabrera nabbed it and tossed it to Galarraga who was covering the bag.

Out! A perfect game! The 21st in MLB history and the second within a week (Phillies’ pitcher Roy Halladay tossed one May 29 against the Marlins).

Wait, umpire Jim Joyce called him safe???

The footage of the final non-out of Armando Galarraga’s imperfect perfect game.

Yes, inexplicably as replays showed over – and over! – Joyce called Donald safe in the days before instant replay challenges existed and Galarraga’s perfecto was kaput. He then retired Trevor Crowe on a groundout to finish the 3-0 victory.

And there, in front of me behind glass at the Hall, was the base from that game. Sure, there are other artifacts from perfect games, but none is as unique as this one from a uniquely imperfect perfect game.

The Voice of My Adolescence

Ernie Harwell Microphone
Radio broadcaster Ernie Harwell was – and is to this day – a Detroit treasure.

The Hall is comprised not just of on-field artifacts, there’s a small wing devoted to the journalists who cover it, both print and broadcast.

Longtime Detroit Tigers’ broadcaster Ernie Harwell was the 1981 Ford C. Frick Award recipient for his broadcasting work – and he still had 21 more years to go!

He was, in many ways, the voice of my adolescence as I’d listen to he and longtime partner Paul Carey tell stories and describe the action from whereever the Tigers’ happened to be playing send off to slumber more times than I can recall.

Having the opportunity to caddie in a foursome that included Harwell and Tigers’ manager – and Hall of Famer – Sparky Anderson continues to be a memory I hold dear from the magical summer of 1984 and wrote about here two years ago.

Sho-Time

Shohei Ohtani with Japan
Shohei Ohtani with the Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani with the Angels

This lenticular-style display shows Shohei Ohtani from all angles and on all teams.

I’ll leave you with this one from the newest exhibit to open, Yakyu-Baseball.

Yakyu, which is Japanese for baseball, is a big salute to baseball on both sides of the Pacific Ocean and how those two worlds have merged during the past half century.

One of the centerpieces in this area is an oversized lenticular-style card (e.g. motion) of current Los Angeles Dodgers’ superstar, Shohei Ohtani. In the middle is his No. 17 Dodgers’ jersey and Angels’ hat, but as you look at it from the left, center, and right, you see three different images: the first is of him for Team Japan during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, the middle is of him as a Dodger mid-swing, and the final is of him as an Angel pitching.

The display fascinated me for multiple reasons. First, it was a throwback to my days of youth when I’d encourage mom to buy Kellogg’s brand cereals in order to nab one of their lenticular-style cards. Second, it allowed me to marvel for a moment at what Ohtani is accomplishing in real time before my eyes. Finally, because it was a topic of conversation when I visited Tokyo in May and watched a Nippon Professional Baseball game, how much better was Ohtani compared to his leaguemates in Japan when he was playing there?

A Final Look

Otsego Lake
Don’t forget to head to the east side of the Otsego Lake for the chance to see the setting sun, here from Lakewood Cemetery.

The Great Ballpark Chase: Hall of Dreams

timothynrussell3 Comments

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.

Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente
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.

Comiskey Park Pinwheel, Tiger Stadium measurement
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.

Babe Ruth Uniform
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.

Miguel Cabrera Jersey
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.

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

Previous Installments of the Great Ballpark Chase by Tim Russell

A Day in Cooperstown, NY

DouglasTHillLeave a comment

I recently was able to spend several hours in one of my favorite places in the world, Cooperstown, NY, home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. It’s not an easy place to get to, but boy is it worth it … especially if you’re a baseball fan.

Below is, admittedly, a bit of a photo dump of some of my favorite shots from the time in the museum and walking round the village. Some of these are self-explanatory, others will need some description but that will have to wait until I have a little more time to provide the details.

And one short video that attempts to capture the reverence with which the inductees are handled in the plaque gallery. Most guests treat this space somewhere between being in church and visiting a library.

A quick 360 in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s Plaque Gallery.