Season's Pieces
When the story of the 2015 baseball season is written, the artifacts representing those moments and memories will already have a home in Cooperstown.
And an unforgettable year will be chronicled for all time at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Generous donations from around Major League Baseball have helped the Hall of Fame acquire dozens of artifacts from 2015, many of which have already taken their place on exhibit. Some artifacts quickly found a home in the Museum’s Today’s Game exhibit, and those any many more like them – including artifacts from bygone eras accessioned into the collection in 2015 – will be exhibited throughout 2016 and behind.
Some highlights of artifacts donated to the Museum in 2015 include:
Battering Beltré
The Rangers’ Adrian Beltré donated the batting helmet he wore on May 15 when he hit his 400th career home run. The four-time All-Star is one of just five players who played more than half of their big league games at third base to hit 400-plus homers, and Beltré will enter the 2016 season needing fewer than 250 hits to reach No. 3,000.
All-Star MVP Déjà vu
Mike Trout became the first player in history to win the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award in back-to-back seasons. Trout homered and added another run scored in the All-Star Game in Cincinnati, and following the contest the Angels’ outfielder donated his bat to the Museum.
Fiers puts hitters out
Acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers on July 30, the Astros’ Mike Fiers no-hit the Dodgers on Aug. 21, notching his first career complete game in the process. Fiers donated his cap and the Astros donated a game ball following the no-hitter.
Home Run King
Mike Hesseman of the Toledo Mud Hens hit his 433rd career minor league home run on Aug. 3, setting a new MiLB record. Hesseman donated his jersey to the Hall of Fame, a shirt that featured an egg theme from a promotion that night at the game between the Mud Hens and the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Sale on strikeouts
Chris Sale of the White Sox donated his game jersey from the July 6 contest where he ended a record-tying streak of eight straight starts with at least 10 strikeouts, running from May 23 through June 30.
Batter up for Schwarber
The Cubs Kyle Schwarber won the Most Valuable Player Award at the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game on July 12 and donated his game-used bat to the Hall of Fame. The Cubs farmhand was soon promoted to the big leagues where he finished the season with 16 major league home runs.
Home runs far from home
In 1943, the “Forgotten Convoy” of the United States Navy sent the S.S. City of Omaha and other ships to Murmansk, Russia, with supplies during World War II. After delivering their cargo, the ship was stranded in ice in the White Sea. The sailors were stranded in Molotovsk for nine months, where they fashioned homemade bats and balls and played games against sailors from other ships.
Retired Navy captain Clifford Stewart donated one of the bats and one of the balls used in that league to the Hall of Fame during the summer of 2015.
A lonely yard
Due to civil unrest in Baltimore, the April 29 game between the Orioles and the White Sox was played behind closed doors at Camden Yards, resulting in an attendance figure of zero. A scorecard, ticket and ball from the game were later donated to the Hall of Fame.
Craig Muder is the director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
