Hall of Famers arrive in Cooperstown for Hall of Fame Weekend

Written by: Bill Francis

Although the sky was gray and the rain came heavily at times, the inclement weather didn’t dampen the enthusiasm for a whole host of Hall of Famers, both old and young, returning to the home they all share as members of the National Pastime’s greatest team.

Arriving in Cooperstown on Thursday – the unofficial start of the 2017 Hall of Fame Induction Weekend – for the game’s signature event, Sunday afternoon’s National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, the anticipation was building for the newest members of the Hall of Fame. Slugging first baseman Jeff Bagwell, stolen base master Tim Raines, all-around great catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, World Series-winning front office executive John Schuerholz and former commissioner Bud Selig will be inducted at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday at Cooperstown’s Clark Sports Center.

At The Otesaga Resort Hotel, which overlooks picturesque Otsego Lake, the lobby was busy with knowing smiles, hearty handshakes and warm hugs as former teammates, longtime rivals, and bronze plaque recipients greeted each other with the goodwill reserved for special occasions.

For pitcher Fergie Jenkins, elected to the Hall of Fame in 1991 after 284 big league wins, returning to Cooperstown is a consistent pleasure.

“I enjoy coming back every July. It’s a lot of fun to come here,” said Jenkins, who lives in Arizona, about 40 miles north of Phoenix. “I was born in a small town so I’m used to small town living with a lot of farmland. Being born in Canada, there was a lot of farmland.

“We Hall of Famers swap old stories. And it’s good to see how the other Hall of Famers are doing,” the 74-year-old righty added. “I especially like sitting on the stage at the Induction Ceremony and listening to the speeches of the new members. I’ve certainly seen Bagwell, Raines and Rodriguez play and I know that they put up some good numbers. The honor is them getting inducted into the Hall of Fame. You need the required amount of votes, at least 75 percent, and the nice thing about it is that these young men had the numbers and now they’re in the Hall of Fame.”

Jenkins rattled off a list of contemporaries when asked who likes to catch up with when he comes back for Induction Weekend.

“Gaylord Perry and I were teammates and Billy Williams and I were teammates on the Cubs for several years. I like to talk to Johnny Bench.
"Mike Schmidt and I were signed by the same scout, Tony Lucadello,” Jenkins said. “I just think the nice thing about it is to come up and the camaraderie is still really good.”

John Smoltz, the longtime Braves right-handed hurler with 213 wins and 154 saves, was elected to the Hal of Fame only two years ago.

“Every year I get a chance to come up here is another year where I get to enjoy the things that go by so fast,” Smoltz said. “It’s the memories that you live through the new inductees. Being a Hall of Famer is still something that will never set in for me. It’s a privilege to come here and relive those moments. I don’t know how long it takes for the guys that have been here 30 years to think it’s old hat, but I’m still blown away by the whole thing.”

“That’s the biggest part you never lose sight of. And they can’t take it away from you. It’s something that when they introduce me and talk about the Hall of Fame I’m still not use to it. I’m not. And I don’t know if I ever will be.”

Smoltz, 50, did admit it’s “way easier” returning as a Hall of Famer that actually going through the induction process.

“There’s nothing but fun and relaxation with no stress,” he said. “My wife and I now get to enjoy everything without setting up a million different things. It’s a peaceful place. Not the easiest place to get to but so worth it when you get here.

“Each year you come here you probably get a chance to see something you didn’t get a chance to see because there is some busyness to it in the past. There’s three significant things that I look forward to: Obviously, seeing somebody get inducted; the golf tournament; and then the Hall of Famer dinner on Sunday night, which is pretty cool. Everything else is great. The parade is phenomenal, the people packed in are insane, and I just feel like hopefully, Lord willing, I’ll be able to come to as many as possible.”

As for Schuerholz, Smoltz talked about the architect of the great Braves success during his time in Atlanta in glowing terms.

“It was one of the greatest runs ever and the byproducts of it are starting to get the recognition. And we’ve got Chipper Jones coming next year probably,” Smoltz said. “So it’s a great accomplishment of many people that orchestrated this dynamic run. I’m happy for (Schuerholz). Certainly in that arena, you don’t have many chances to be a part of the Hall of Fame. And after next year with Chipper, it comes full circle.”
The skipper of those Braves teams that won 14 consecutive division titles from 1991 to 2005 was Bobby Cox, elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014.

“Cooperstown? It’s the best. It’s my favorite place,” Cox said. “I’ve been not all over the world but I’ve been to a few places and I’d rather come up here than anywhere I’ve ever been. It’s that beautiful, the history here, Hall of Fame. It’s a wonderful place to come and visit.

“This year I’m anxious to see John Schuerholz and Bud Selig and the players get in. I can’t wait for John’s speech. He’s a deserving Hall of Famer not only for the work for the Braves and Kansas City, but also for the commissioner. John was on every committee that you could ever think of that the commissioner would form. So he did a lot of work for the good of baseball, period.”

According to the 76-year-old Cox, he and Schuerholz shared a special bond running the Braves.

“We’ve had probably as good a relationship as anybody in the history of baseball,” Cox said. “Nowadays, it seems like the manager and the front office people aren’t getting along. John and I never had an argument, never had a problem. We were always on the same page trying to make the club better. It worked out pretty good.”

This year, 55 Hall of Famers are scheduled to be in Cooperstown to honor the Class of 2017 at the Induction Ceremony, which will be shown live on MLB Network, as well as being shown via webcast at www.baseballhall.org.

Induction Weekend officially starts on Friday morning when, for the 16th straight year, Ozzie Smith, the Education Ambassador for the
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, will host PLAY Ball. Smith will welcome fellow Hall of Famers Randy Johnson, Fergie Jenkins and Ryne Sandberg as his guests as fans get a unique chance to experience on-field moments and stories with Hall of Famers.

PLAY Ball is a Museum fundraiser that supports the Hall of Fame’s educational mission and internship scholarships.

On Saturday, July 29, the Hall of Fame Awards Presentation will be held at 4:30 p.m. at Doubleday Field and will feature the posthumously presentation of the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasters to Bill King, the presentation of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award for writers to Claire Smith, and the Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award to Rachel Robinson. The Awards Presentation will also feature Hall of Fame board member Thomas Tull speaking on the legacy of the film A League of Their Own, released 25 years ago this summer. The Awards Presentation is free and open to the public.

Also on Saturday, the Hall of Fame Parade of Legends returns for an eighth year to provide fans with more thrills. Hall of Famers will ride down Main Street in trucks provided by Ford Motor Company en route to a private reception at the Museum during the 6 p.m. parade, immediately following the Awards Presentation.

Follow the action @baseballhall on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat for the latest updates.

Bill Francis is a Library Associate at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum