Hall of Fame Legends Boggs, Gossage, Fingers, Marichal, Niekro and Smith Headed to Cooperstown for Classic Weekend, May 26-28

Cooperstown’s Legends Game Returns to Doubleday Field on May 27; Weekend Features Tribute to ‘Homer at the Bat’ Episode of THE SIMPSONS

(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – They starred throughout the baseball world for more than four decades, amassing 58 All-Star Games, 20 Gold Glove Awards and countless unforgettable moments over a combined 116 big league seasons.

On Memorial Day Weekend, they’ll all come home to Cooperstown.

Hall of Famers Wade Boggs, Rollie Fingers, Goose Gossage, Juan Marichal, Phil Niekro and Ozzie Smith will headline Hall of Fame Classic Weekend, May 26-28 in Cooperstown. The six Hall of Famers will be joined by recently retired players representing all 30 major league teams for the Hall of Fame Classic, a seven-inning legends game on Saturday, May 27 at Cooperstown’s historic Doubleday Field.

Tickets for the Hall of Fame Classic, presented by Ford Motor Company, are now on sale via phone at 1-877-726-9028 or at www.baseballhall.org and are $12.50 for first and third base seats, $11 for general admission outfield seats. The Classic, now in its ninth year and fueled by assistance from MLB, features the pregame Home Run Derby at noon, followed by first pitch at 1:05 p.m.

Niekro and Smith return as managers for the Classic, with Boggs, Fingers, Gossage and Marichal serving as coaches. The Hall of Famers combined for 799 big league wins, 682 saves and 5,972 hits during careers that spanned from 1960 (Marichal’s rookie year) to 1999 (Boggs’ final season).

All Hall of Fame Classic tickets purchased online or via phone will be shipped starting Friday, April 28. Tickets purchased online or via phone prior to May 21 will be sent via U.S. Mail. Tickets purchased May 22 through May 25 must be picked up at the Doubleday Field Will Call tent beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 27. A maximum of eight tickets are available per transaction.

The 2017 Hall of Fame Classic highlights a weekend of family entertainment programs designed to celebrate the timeless connection of baseball across generations. In addition to the Classic, Hall of Fame Classic Weekend features the following additional family events designed to promote interactivity between fans and their baseball heroes.

Homer and THE SIMPSONS Honored

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will pay tribute to THE SIMPSONS’ place in American culture by honoring the 25th anniversary of “Homer at the Bat” on Saturday, May 27 prior to the annual Hall of Fame Classic. Boggs and Smith, who were portrayed in the unforgettable episode that also featured Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., helped tell the story of Homer Simpson winning the championship softball game for the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant with a walk-off hit-by-pitch. In “Homer at the Bat,” Hall of Famers Smith, Boggs and Ken Griffey Jr. were three of the nine “ringers” brought in by the owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, C. Montgomery Burns, to ensure his team’s victory. But almost all of the stars were fated not to play, each having suffered a separate and unique misfortune leading up to the game. The voices of the actual players were used in the episode.

Boggs and Smith will be featured in a roundtable discussion from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 27 at the Museum along with executives from THE SIMPSONS. The roundtable will also feature Homer Simpson’s “induction” into the Hall of Fame and introduce a year-long Museum exhibit dedicated to THE SIMPSONS. The Home Run Derby will follow at noon at Doubleday Field as a lead-in to the ninth annual Hall of Fame Classic. THE SIMPSONS will also be honored as part of the pregame ceremonies prior to the Hall of Fame Classic.

Night at the Museum

In addition to the Classic, Hall of Fame Classic Weekend features additional family events designed to promote interactivity between fans and their baseball heroes. Following the game on Saturday, the Hall of Fame will reprise its Night at the Museum program, now in its fifth season. Hall of Fame legends and former players will greet fans throughout the Museum on Saturday evening beginning at 6 p.m. Legends participants will canvass the Museum during the course of a two-hour event that will bring the Museum to life with special programs and interactions.

While the Night at the Museum program is not an autograph session, fans should remember to bring their camera to capture their special family memories.

Tickets for Night at the Museum are priced at $50 for participants in the Museum’s Membership Program and $100 for non-Members. A ticket to Night at the Museum also includes a ticket to the Hall of Fame Classic. For information on Museum Membership, please visit www.baseballhall.org/join.

BASE Race

The Hall of Fame’s popular BASE Race returns as part of Hall of Fame Classic Weekend festivities. The Hall of Fame, along with Cooperstown’s Clark Sports Center, will present the sixth annual BASE Race charity runs – a 5k fun run and competitive 10k events – on Saturday, May 27, starting and ending at historic Doubleday Field. The race events benefit the Museum’s “Be A Superior Example” program promoting healthy lifestyle choices for individuals of all ages. Registration for the 2017 BASE Race is $25 and $55 for families, and signups are now being accepted online at http://baserace.itsyourrace.com. Each registered runner will receive a race medal (for the first 300 runners to register), goodie bag and a free general admission ticket to the Hall of Fame Classic. On race day, registration will be $30 for individuals and $65 for families. Additional details are available by calling the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at 607-547-0329 or the Clark Sports Center at 607-547-2800.

The BASE Race also features a virtual race, with sign-ups available at www.baseballhall.org/visit/hall-of-fame-classic/base-race-virtual-5k.

Cooperstown Classic Clinic

The Cooperstown Classic Clinic will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, May 26 at Doubleday Field. The Clinic, for children 7-12 years of age, gives youth participants a chance to receive hands-on training from several former major leaguers at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown. The Clinic is a free event but preregistration is required. To register, please call 607-547-0397.

Family Catch

The popular Family Catch, which is already sold out, will follow the Classic on Doubleday Field on May 27.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum has teamed up with Sports Travel and Tours to offer baseball fans a one-stop opportunity to purchase Classic Weekend travel packages. For more information or to plan a trip to Cooperstown, please call 1-888-310-HALL (4255). Membership participants receive a 5% discount on all their baseball travel packages.

Hall of Fame Member Golf Outing

Also as part of Classic Weekend, Hall of Fame members will lead an exclusive golf outing, with a limited number of spots available for golfers, at the beautiful Leatherstocking Golf Course on Otsego Lake. For more information on supporting the Hall of Fame through this exclusive golf outing, please call 607-547-0310.