- Hall of Famers
- The Members
- Hall of Fame Weekend
- Rules for Election
- BBWAA Voting
- Membership Spokesman
- Museum
- Experience
- Exhibits
- Collections
- Awards
- Activities
- Plan Your Visit
- Entering the Hall
- Cooperstown
- Events
- Special Experiences
- Offers
- News & Media
- Headlines
- Features
- Hall Directory
- Connections
- Education
- Public Programs
- School Programs
- Internship Program
- Library
History Headlines
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – In a year dotted with headline grabbing news events set across the globe, 1936 also proved to be an important one for a tiny village in central New York. For it was then that the greats of the baseball world would first begin the process of eternal enshrinement.
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – The 75th anniversary of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2014 is shaping up to be an unforgettable year in Cooperstown.
On Monday, St. Louis Cardinals' manager Tony La Russa – fresh of his team's exhilarating win over the Rangers in the World Series – announced his retirement. The 67-year-old La Russa, who led his teams to six pennants and three World Series titles in 33 years as a big league manager, will become eligible for the Hall of Fame next spring provided he remains retired.
View a photo gallery of the artifacts donated to the Hall of Fame by David Freese from Game 6
World Series. Extra Innings. Walk-off home run. And that was only Game 6.
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – It took seven decades and almost 400 games. But after much debate, the Fall Classic finally saw the light.
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – Impressive as it was, the number – at the time – seemed something less than an enduring standard.
But today, any player that comes within 30 points of Ted Williams' magic .406 – even as early as June – becomes an instant celebrity.
It's a testament to the power of numbers in baseball – and to a batting average that has not been equaled in 70 seasons.
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – The Baseball Hall of Fame preserves the game's history – a history that dates back more than 200 years.
But it was the organization of the game that turned baseball into the National Pastime. And 135 years ago this week, that organization took hold with the founding of the National League.
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – When Luis Aponte, pitcher for the Pawtucket Paw Sox, didn't come home until around 2 a.m. after a night game on April 19, 1981, his wife was suspicious.
"I told her I'd just finished pitching at the ballpark, but she didn't believe me," said Aponte.
His wife had no way of knowing that Aponte actually went home while the game was still being played. That night he was a part of the longest game in the history of professional baseball, lasting 32 innings, more than eight hours and wasn't over yet.
As the Baseball Hall of Fame's chief curator for 28 years, Ted Spencer experienced history every day. But one day in the early 1990s, he was amazed to discover just how strong the tie is between baseball and America's history.
Spencer had seen a Currier & Ives lithograph– an original of which resides in the Hall's collection – several times before, but it wasn't until that day that it piqued his curiosity.
Even for the greatest players baseball has ever known, Opening Day is something special.
And though this year features an unusual Thursday opener, the butterflies will be floating for every player – even those on their way to Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame.
"You always get a special kick on Opening Day, no matter how many you go through," said Yankees legend and Hall of Fame center fielder Joe DiMaggio. "You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen."
There are condominiums where the Ramada Inn once stood in Winter Haven, Fla. There are a couple of new fast food restaurants, and a strip mall with a Chili's is across the street where orange trees once stood back in 1974.
In the back of that Ramada Inn was a single tennis court, and in March 1974, a good three dozen fans watched an unusual match. On one doubles team was Ted Williams; on the other, Carl Yastrzemski.
Connect
Hall of Famer Search
This Day in Baseball History
On February 4, 1991, the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors votes unanimously to make all players on baseball’s permanently banned list ineligible for Hall of Fame consideration. The decision makes Pete Rose ineligible for the Hall’s ballot as long as he remains suspended.