NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

The National Baseball Hall of Fame is the premier shrine to the game of baseball, from the (still-contended) origins of the sport to the birth of Major League Baseball right up to the modern era. The museum displays a stunning collection of baseball-related artifacts and exhibits, including Babe Ruth’s 500th home run ball and gloves used by legends such as Ty Cobb and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson.

Incidentally, the Hall of Fame also exhibits a pair of cleats worn by Jackson and explains the origin of his nickname.

In addition to the many exhibits on display, the Hall of Fame maintains the most extensive collection of baseball archives in the world. This facility is open to the public, and scholars of the game are well served by the Library’s collection.

The Library includes an exhibit dedicated to baseball journalists, writers and broadcasters, as well as a theatre that shows historical footage, live telecasts and other educational material.

Cooperstown’s Doubleday Field will be the site of the 59^th Annual Hall of Fame Game, in which the Detroit Tigers will face the Cincinatti Reds on May 15, 2005. Both teams will participate in a game-day parade along Main Street.

Hall of Fame Weekend (July 28th – July 31st, 2006) is the most popular weekend in Cooperstown. The highlight of the weekend is the annual induction ceremony, which always features some of the greats of the game.

The lone 2006 inductee was Bruce Sutter, The 2007 ballot will likely include Bobby Bonilla, Jay Buhner, Mark McGwire and Cal Ripken, Jr.