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Hall of Fame Game History
In 1939, as part of the celebration and dedication of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, current and former major league players representing the 16 clubs played a ballgame at Doubleday Field, captained by Honus Wagner and Eddie Collins.
The next year, major league team owners agreed to send two teams each summer to Cooperstown to play a benefit game. It was the beginning of an annual tradition that stretched out through the decades. Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and many other greats came to Cooperstown to play in the game and honor those being inducted into the Hall.
In 2003, the Game was moved to an earlier date on the calendar. Unlike its predecessors, the Game was henceforth played on a weekend unrelated to the induction ceremony.
In 2009, the Game was replaced with the Hall of Fame Classic, featuring former major league players.
Doubleday Field, in the center of Cooperstown and owned by the village, has always hosted the game.
1940-1949
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201940%20Red%20Sox%20vs%20Cubs_cropped.jpg)
1940 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/Teams%201941%20Cinncinnati%20Reds%207048-70%20NBL.jpg)
1941 Hall of Fame Game
1942 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201943%20Dodgers_505-2012-13_NBL_cropped.jpg)
1943 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201946_Gehringer_NBL_0.jpg)
1946 Hall of Fame Game
1947 Hall of Fame Game
1948 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201949%20Game_Kiner%20Ralph_1469.93_CSU_cropped.jpg)
1949 Hall of Fame Game
1950-1959
1950 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201951%20Dodger%20Grp%20595_0.jpg)
1951 Hall of Fame Game
1952 Hall of Fame Game
1953 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201954%20Berra%20w%20Mantle_NBL_0.jpg)
1954 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201955_%20Williams_NBL_0.jpg)
1955 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201956%203531.2000%20CSU.jpg)
1956 Hall of Fame Game
1957 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201958%20Ashburn_NBL_cropped.jpg)
1958 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201959%20525-2012-25_game_NBL%20%281%29_cropped.jpg)
1959 Hall of Fame Game
1960-1969
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201960_Banks_NBL_0.jpg)
1960 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/Herzog%20Whitey%202636-69g_FL_NBLWingfield_thumb.jpg)
1961 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/Red%20Sox%201963HOFG_NBLA_cropped.jpg)
1963 Hall of Fame Game
1964 Hall of Fame Game
1965 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201966_no%20acc_A_Grp_NBL_0.jpg)
1966 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201967%20Robinson%20w%20Aparicio%203530.2000_NBL_cropped.jpg)
1967 Hall of Fame Game
1968 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201969_no%20acc_Grp_NBL_cropped.jpg)
1969 Hall of Fame Game
1970-1979
1970 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201971%20Durocher_NBL_cropped.jpg)
1971 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201972-Grp_NBL_0.jpg)
1972 Hall of Fame Game
1973 Hall of Fame Game
1974 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201975_181.76_Act_NBL_1.jpg)
1975 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201976%20_Aaron_Mays_NBL.jpg)
1976 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201977_no%20acc_B_Game_NBL_cropped.jpg)
1977 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201979_Team_NBL.jpg)
1979 Hall of Fame Game
1980-1989
![](/sites/default/files/Baines.HOFG__0.jpg)
1980 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/Stadiums%20Doubleday%20Field%20Cooperstown_NBLA_cropped.jpg)
1981 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/Staub%20Rusty%205059.75a_BAT_%20NBL_cropped.jpg)
1982 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/Oberkfell-Ken-939-m.jpg)
1983 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/Teams%20Detroit%20Tigers%201984%206011-85%20NBL.jpg)
1984 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201985%20Boston_NBL_0.jpg)
1985 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/Brett%20George%2011507.94%20Ponzini_cropped.jpg)
1986 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201987%20Game%20Winfield_2385.88_NBL_cropped.jpg)
1987 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/Chicago%20Cubs%201989_1779-90_NBL_cropped.jpg)
1988 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201989%20Boggs%2011523.89_NBL_cropped.jpg)
1989 Hall of Fame Game
1990-1999
![](/sites/default/files/Stadiums%20Doubleday%20Field%20Cooperstown_no%20acc_NBL_cropped.jpg)
1990 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201991%20Game%20Oliva%20Tony_6573.91_NBL.jpg)
1991 Hall of Fame Game
1992 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201993%209882-93_Meyers-Drysdale%20n%20Snider_NBL%20Stewart_cropped.jpg)
1993 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/Rodriguez%20Alex%201340-2003_Bat_NBLCordes_cropped.jpg)
1994 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201995%20Sosa%20winner%20of%20HR%20contest_13878.95_NBL.jpg)
1995 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%201996%20Abbot%20Jim_6051.96_Ryder_cropped.jpg)
1996 Hall of Fame Game
1997 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/Roy%20Halladay%201998%20HoF%20Game%20Milo%20Stewart%20Jr_1.jpg)
1998 Hall of Fame Game
1999 Hall of Fame Game
2000-2008
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%202000_Act_NBLRyder_cropped.jpg)
2000 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%202001%20Brewers%20group_2760.2001.24_Ryder_cropped.jpg)
2001 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/2002%20HOF%20Game.jpg)
2002 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Game%202003%20587928-R1-10A_2.jpg)
2003 Hall of Fame Game
2004 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%202005_3308.2005.23_NBLRyder_thumb.jpg)
2005 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%202006%20freel%20batting_cropped.jpg)
2006 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/HOF%20Weekend%202007%20Rios%20Alexis%20bat_cropped.jpg)
2007 Hall of Fame Game
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1971 Hall of Fame Game
![](/sites/default/files/styles/story_related_story_254_x_175/public/islandora_images/HOF%20Weekend%201993%209882-93_Meyers-Drysdale%20n%20Snider_NBL%20Stewart_cropped.jpg?itok=50vCOBQC)
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