Baseball Hall brings Cooperstown to D.C. for Fanfest

Written by: Steven Walters

The game’s All-Stars are headed to Washington, D.C. And the home of baseball will be there as well as the Hall of Fame brings its annual celebration of the game to All-Star FanFest.

FanFest patrons will be given a Hall of Fame experience that includes exhibits, trivia and educational programs. Seven micro-exhibits featuring over 140 artifacts donated to the National Baseball Hall of Fame will make their way to FanFest:

Baseball in the Nation’s Capital

Take a journey to 1905 by viewing the jersey of Jake Stahl, the 26-year-old player manager for the Washington Senators at the time. Relive Ryan Zimmerman’s walk-off home run in the inaugural game at Nationals Park in 2008.

All-Star Game History

The All-Star Game History case will feature artifacts highlighting the 85 year history of the All-Star Game. Artifacts include Pie Traynor’s Jersey from the first All-Star Game in 1933, Cal Ripken Jr.’s cap from his All-Star Game MVP game in 1991 and Ted Williams’ home run ball from his walk-off home run in the 1941 All-Star Game.

Unusual Jerseys

A game is never complete without a jersey. The Unusual Jerseys exhibit will feature Johnny Bench’s 1978 green St. Patrick’s Day Reds Jersey and the Boston red sock jersey from 1908.

3,000 K and Hit Members

Only 32 players have reached the 3,000 hit mark, while only 16 pitchers have reached the 3,000 strikeout mark. Randy Johnson’s glove from his 3,000th strikeout will be on display along with the shoes Nolan Ryan used to strikeout his 5,000th victim. On the hitter’s side, Pete Rose’s bat from his 4,000th hit and Derek Jeter’s helmet from his 3,000th hit are just two of the artifacts on display.

Ballparks of Yesterday

Numerous artifacts will honor historic ballparks including a seat from Ebbets Field, the circuit board used to operate the scoreboard in the Astrodome and a Yankee Stadium usher jacket from the 1970s.

Presidential Pastime

With the nation’s capital home to the White House, it is only fitting to recognize the connection between baseball and the oval office. An autographed baseball featuring the signatures of 10 presidents, a ball tossed for the first pitch by President William Taft at a Washington Senators game and Dwight D. Eisenhower’s glove from his first pitch at Griffith Stadium in 1956 will all commemorate baseball’s link to the presidency.

Women in Baseball

Women have been a part of baseball since the game’s earliest days. Included in the exhibit are Audrey Wagner’s tunic from her time with the Kenosha Comets in 1948, Christine Wren’s umpire chest protector when she became the first female to complete a full minor league season and Julie Croteau’s mitt when she started regularly for St. Mary’s College in 1989.

Fans at the Hall of Fame’s FanFest exhibit can also experience the following interactive experiences:

Trivia

Fans can try their hand at baseball trivia. The Hall of Fame will feature its nine-inning version of trivia in which contestants will have to get through nine rounds of questions.

The Unusual Jerseys exhibit at the All-Star FanFest will feature Johnny Bench’s 1978 green St. Patrick’s Day Reds Jersey, pictured above. (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)

These seats from Ebbets Field will be on display at the Hall of Fame experience at the All-Star FanFest in Washington D.C. (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)

Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium hosted the All-Star Game in 1969 – its first year under the new name. (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)

Programming

Educational programming will feature the ‘Tools of the Trade’ program held by the Hall of Fame’s Manager of On-Site Learning, Nathan Tweedie. This program dives into the changes throughout the history of baseball equipment. Fans will learn how and why equipment has evolved throughout time. How does Aaron Judge’s bat, the heaviest used in the majors today, compare to that of Pete Browning’s bat used in the late 19th century? What’s inside a Major League baseball? Fans can find out all of that and more in the approximately 30-minute program that will be held each day at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Fans can also watch documentaries related to baseball and the nation’s capital.

Membership

Event attendees will have the opportunity to purchase a special FanFest Membership offer.. New members can purchase a membership, while current members of the membership program are encouraged to stop by to say hello as membership department staff will be on hand at the event. Current members can also renew their memberships.

The All-Star FanFest will take place July 13-17 in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Gates open at 9 a.m. each day.

Steven Walters is the 2018 public relations intern in the Hall of Fame’s Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program for Youth Leadership Development