Our Stories
290 stories
#Shortstops: Baby Talk
A Valentino the Bear Beanie Baby from 1998 is part of the Hall of Fame's collection.
#Shortstops: Happy Days in Cooperstown
On Aug. 17, 1979, the cast from the TV show <em>Happy Days</em> came to Wrigley Field for a softball game.
#Shortstops: From diamonds to music
Hall of Fame Class of 2022 inductee Bud Fowler penned a song, titled “The Royal Giants: The Base Ball Hit of the Season”, which is preserved in the Hall of Fame's collection.
#Shortstops: Connie and the Comets
Hall of Fame skipper Connie Mack was in attendance at Kenosha’s Lake Front Stadium on June 4, 1947, as the Comets of the AAGPBL took on the Racine Belles.
#Shortstops: A Dash of Pepper
Pepper Martin wore this cap during the 1931 World Series, when he batted .500 to power the Cardinals to a seven-game victory over the Athletics.
#Shortstops: Bobo Gets Suspended
Following Bobo Newsom's suspension from the Chattanooga Lookouts, sports cartoonist Gene Mack drew a cartoon of Newsom that is now part of the Hall of Fame's collection.
#Shortstops: Comic gold
Nine of Daniel Horine's comic-style, baseball-themed prints are now preserved within the Hall of Fame's Library Archives.
#Shortstops: Goats on the Road
A special section of the Hartford Courant, published in 2017, commemorated the return of Minor League Baseball to Hartford, Ct.
#Shortstops: Courtship by wire
Nearly 70 telegrams exchanged between Bob Feller and his wife Virginia “Dolly” Winther from 1941-42 were donated to the Hall of Fame.
#Shortstops: Phillies adopt Blue Jay way
Philadelphia’s NL team adopted a new nickname in 1946 during an effort to rebrand the franchise.
#Shortstops: Ruth’s first score
This scorecard was used in Game 4 of the 1921 World Series, when Babe Ruth slugged his first career World Series homer at the Polo Grounds.
#Shortstops: Bump in the Vote
In 1971, the Atlanta Braves pushed outfielder Ralph Garr’s quest for an All-Star Game berth with a unique promotion.
#Shortstops: Tinker’s Tigers
With former Cubs shortstop Joe Tinker at the helm, the Orlando Tigers captured the 1921 Florida State League pennant with a 73-42 record.
#Shortstops: Phantoms of the Fall Classic
The 1971 Athletics were swept by the Orioles in the ALCS - but not before tickets were produced for a potential Fall Classic in Oakland.
#Shortstops: Overdue Honor
Joe Sinnott's cartoon, titled “Honor Black Babe Ruth…At Last”, was published shortly after Josh Gibson was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1972.
#Shortstops: Pin Interest
Cincinnati bowling alley owners honored Rogers Hornsby with a unique gift in 1952.
#Shortstops: Color of Diversity
Jim Shearer's illustration depicts the Pirates lineup from Sept. 1, 1971, when Pittsburgh became the first AL or NL team to field an all-Black and Latino starting lineup.
#Shortstops: Locastro’s stolen goods
Outfielder Tim Locastro wore these cleats on April 10, 2021, when he set a big league record (since 1951) with his 28th consecutive successful stolen base attempt to start his career.
#Shortstops: Dutch Strikes Silver
Dutch Zwilling was awarded this silver bat for leading the Chicago Federal League club in batting average in 1914.
#Shortstops: Slippery elm and the spitball
In the early 1900s, slippery elm bark was frequently used by spitball pitchers to facilitate unnatural movement of the ball.
#Shortstops: Bearing a Championship
The 1947 Mobile Bears went 94-59, winning the pennant and the Southern Association Championship. A scorecard from the 1947 season is preserved in Cooperstown.
#Shortstops: Patently amazing
In 1892, William C. Blades invented the "base-ball apparatus," a device designed to prevent arm injuries for pitchers.
