Hall of Fame to Document 2010 World Series Through Artifacts from Rangers-Giants Matchup

COOPERSTOWN, NY – The Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants will make history at this year's World Series. But it won't be the first time a meeting of these two franchises has left an imprint on baseball.

Just like in 1997 – when the Giants and Rangers met in the first-ever regular season interleague game – the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will be there to document every moment.

The Rangers and Giants will open the 2010 World Series on Wednesday night in San Francisco. Thirteen years ago, these same two teams played Major League Baseball's first ever interleague game on June 12, 1997, in Arlington, Texas. The Giants won 4-3 – current Rangers pitcher Darren Oliver took the loss for Texas that day – and the teams donated several artifacts from that day to the Hall of Fame, including:

• Bat used by the Giants' Stan Javier to hit the first interleague home run
• Pitching rubber from the mound at the Ballpark in Arlington
• Tickets, souvenir pins and souvenir cards from the game

The Rangers' Cliff Lee will face the Giants' Tim Lincecum in a marquee pitching matchup in Game 1 on Wednesday, and both pitchers have been remarkably generous with the Museum over the years in donating artifacts from their outstanding achievements. Artifacts from Lee and Lincecum already in Cooperstown include:

• Cleveland Indians road jersey won by Lee on June 9, 2008, commemorating his Cy Young Award-winning season that year
• Game ball signed by Lee from April 16, 2009, as the winning pitcher in the first game at the new Yankee Stadium
• Cap worn by Lee in 2009 World Series when he won two games while pitching for the Phillies
• Giants home jersey worn by Lincecum on Sept. 28, 2008, his final start of a season in which he struck out a big league best 265 batters and won the National League Cy Young Award

Treasures from the 2010 World Series will be unveiled in Cooperstown in mid-November with the opening of the Hall of Fame's annual Autumn Glory exhibit, which will feature artifacts from the 2010 postseason. Admission to the exhibit is included with a regular Hall of Fame ticket.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is open seven days a week year round, with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. The Museum observes regular hours of 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. from Labor Day until Memorial Day Weekend. From Memorial Day through the day before Labor Day, the Museum is open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Ticket prices are $16.50 for adults (13 and over), $11 for seniors (65 and over) and for those holding current memberships in the VFW, Disabled American Veterans, American Legion and AMVets organizations, and $6 for juniors (ages 7-12). Members are always admitted free of charge and there is no charge for children 6 years of age or younger. For more information, visit our Web site at baseballhall.org or call 888-HALL-OF-FAME (888-425-5633) or 607-547-7200.