2014 Year in Review

Continuing the great tradition, this past summer, on July 27, a record-tying six living inductees were added to the National Pastime’s greatest roster, raising the total to 306 elected Hall of Fame members. The latest inductees from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America included longtime Atlanta Braves pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, as well as former White Sox slugger Frank Thomas, all chosen in their first year of eligibility, as well as a trio of Expansion Era Committee selections: Managers Joe Torre, Bobby Cox and Tony La Russa.

In front of 48 returning Hall of Famers and facing an estimated 48,000 fans who blanketed the field in front of the stage at the Clark Sports Center, the third-largest crowd ever to attend an Induction Ceremony witnessed the Class of 2014 become immortal. Cooperstown, on this day, was truly the place where baseball cards came to life.

“To put me here in Cooperstown with all of my childhood heroes, it's sort of hard to believe I'm standing here today,” Maddux said. “I never gave a thought to the Hall of Fame as I was going through my career. My goal as a baseball player was very simple: All I wanted to do was try to get better for my next start. And to think it all ended up here, it's pretty cool.”

Torre, the event’s final speaker, may have been speaking for all Hall of Famer’s when he wrapped up his induction speech by saying, “This game is a gift, and I am humbled, very humbled, to accept its greatest honor.”

A day prior to the Induction, the Hall of Fame held its annual Awards Presentation on the outfield grass of Doubleday Field. Roger Angell, the legendary writer for The New Yorker, was presented the J.G. Taylor Spink Award for meritorious contributions to baseball writing and Texas Rangers announcer Eric Nadel received the Ford C. Frick Award for major contributions to baseball broadcasting. Joe Garagiola was honored with the Buck O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award.

The historic nature of Hall of Fame Weekend even attracted NBC’s Today show, which had correspondents Natalie Morales and Jenna Bush Hager broadcasting from The Otesaga Resort Hotel on the morning of July 24.

“Cooperstown is so charming. It’s such a quaint little town. I think it just epitomizes Americana. And of course with baseball as the center of the town, America’s pastime, it makes perfect sense,” said Jenna Bush Hager, the daughter of George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States and the granddaughter of George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States.

During Memorial Day Weekend, the Baseball Hall of Fame hosted its Sixth Annual Hall of Fame Classic at Doubleday Field on May 24. The seven-inning legends game, featuring Hall of Famers Andre Dawson, Rollie Fingers, Eddie Murray, Roberto Alomar and Phil Niekro, and including recently retired stars such as Pedro Martinez, Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui and Jim Thome representing each of the 30 big league teams, was stopped in the middle of the sixth inning when the dark clouds, which had been threatening on-and-off for much of the day, finally let loose and a torrential downpour ensued. Due to the poor conditions, the game was stopped with the score 4-4 – but nobody complained.

"There's just something special, and the feeling here is that everybody appreciates baseball," said Thome, seventh on the all-time home run list with 612 and on this day representing the Cleveland Indians. "There's different guys who have been all over the country and were born in different parts of the country, and we all kind of come together in this wonderful place, this little small town that so cool.

"It's just really, really neat."

Besides the Hall of Fame Classic, the weekend also featured a Main Street Parade, the Second Annual “Night at the Museum,” a Youth Skills Clinic, as well as the Third Annual “Be A Superior Example” (BASE) Race, promoting healthy living.

The summer got rolling when the Hall of Fame, on June 12, celebrated its 75th anniversary. The baseball institution officially opened its doors on June 12, 1939, in honor of the “first game” that supposedly was played in Cooperstown on June 12, 1839. This year, Hall of Famers Cal Ripken Jr. and Phil Niekro took part in a Plaque Gallery celebration, which also involved the distribution of birthday cake slices to the more than 300 in attendance.

“It’s a significant birthday. It’s well worth celebrating,” Ripken said to the crowd. “There is something special about the place, coming here, especially as a baseball person, to be able to touch and feel and see the history. It’s almost like it pulls you in.”

Another acclaimed guest, Mo’ne Davis, made an appearance in the fall. A little more than a month after she captured the country’s attention while playing at the Little League World Series, the young hurler arrived in Cooperstown on September 25 to make a special donation to the Hall of Fame.

In front of teammates from the Taney Little League and the Anderson Monarchs, her travel team, Davis presented to the Museum the jersey she was wearing for her Little League team the day she became fourth American female player to appear in the Little League World Series and the first girl win a game.

“It’s really exciting,” was how Davis described here feelings after the Hall of Fame ceremony. “I’ve come here a lot, and it’s really cool to see all the jerseys, and now to see my jersey will be amazing.

“Hopefully, it can lead the way for more girls to play baseball.”

The milestone year in Cooperstown was certainly memorable, and fans looking for a unique keepsake to commemorate 2014 had the opportunity when, in March, the Hall of Fame and the United States Mint unveiled the first-ever curved coin to honor the 75th anniversary.

“These coins commemorate important aspects of American history and culture,” said U.S. Mint Deputy Director Richard A. Peterson. “This is a great way to connect with America’s pastime through this 2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin.”

The US Mint issued 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins, with a surcharge included in the price of each coin benefitting the Museum’s educational outreach. The issue set a US Mint record for most coins sold.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum - 75 years and still going strong – means many things to many people. Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson may have said it best: “The Hall of Fame is forever evolving. As America evolves, so does baseball. And as baseball evolves, so, too, does the Hall of Fame.”