Museum's Author Series Programs Bring Latest Baseball Stories to Cooperstown

(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s 2025 summer Author Series will showcase the latest in baseball writing, featuring 13 writers and captivating tales from some of the greatest storytellers of our time.

Author Series programs are held in the Museum’s Bullpen Theater and are included with Museum admission. Authors will discuss their work and take questions from the audience in the theater program, then sign copies of their books for fans. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. All programs will be streamed on the Hall of Fame’s Facebook page.

The schedule for the summer includes:

• Wednesday, May 28, 11 a.m. – All the Way: The Life of Baseball Trailblazer Maybelle Blair, by Kat Williams

  Gaining extensive insight from interviews with Maybelle Blair, author Kat Williams brings to life the struggles and triumphs of the former AAGPBL player and other female players from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s.
   

• Thursday, June 5, 1 p.m. – Love and Loss: The Short Life of Ray Chapman, by Scott Longert

  Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman lived the American dream until his untimely death at age 29. In his brief life, he reached the game’s pinnacle as the best shortstop in the American League.
   

• Thursday, June 12, 1 p.m. – Skipper: Why Baseball Managers Matter, by Scott Miller

  Acclaimed baseball writer Scott Miller takes on an ambitious Moneyball-esque premise: A deep dive into the ongoing struggle for control that takes place behind the scenes between major league managers and the data analysts in the front office.
   

• Thursday, June 26, 1 p.m. – Willie’s Clutch Catch, by David A. Kelly

  Frequent Author Series contributor David A. Kelly joins us to talk about his latest children’s book. In his latest adventure, Kate and Mike are excited to visit America’s oldest professional ballpark, the former home of the legendary Willie Mays. But things take a wrong turn when their new friend Buck, who looks just like the famous slugger, is accused of plotting to sabotage the big game.
   

• Thursday, July 3, 1 p.m. – 1978: Baseball and America in the Disco Era, by David Krell

  From Spring Training to the World Series, 1978 gave baseball fans one of the sport’s greatest seasons. The season also played out against a backdrop of disco music, bell-bottom pants and gas-guzzling cars.
   

• Thursday, July 10, 1 p.m. – Art Shamsky: Mets Stories I Only Tell My Friends, by Matt Silverman

  Matt Silverman shares stories from the career of former major league outfielder Art Shamsky, one of the most beloved members of the 1969 Miracle Mets.
   

• Saturday, July 12, 1 p.m. – Don Drysdale: Up and In, by Mark Whicker

  Longtime Orange County Register sportswriter Mark Whicker takes readers on a remarkable journey through Don Drysdale’s career and life.
   

• Thursday, July 17, 1 p.m. – The Diamondback Collection: 50 of the Greatest Cards in Sports Collecting History, by Tom Zappala

  Author Tom Zappala profiles 50 cards that hallmark the incredible collection of Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick.
   

• Thursday, July 24, 1 p.m. – A Time for Reflection: The Parallel Legacies of Willie McCovey & Billy Williams, by Jason Cannon

  Overcoming the heinous racism of the Jim Crow South as part of the second generation of African American major leaguers who followed in the footsteps of Jackie Robinson, Willie McCovey and Billy Williams became two of baseball’s all-time greatest players.
   

• Thursday, July 31, 1 p.m. – Baseball Gaijin, by Aaron Fischman

  Author Aaron Fischman follows the struggles of American-born player Tony Barnette, who left the minor leagues to continue his dream of professional baseball in Japan.
   

• Thursday, Aug. 14, 1 p.m. – Get Your Tokens Ready: The Late 1990s Road to the Subway Series, by Chris Donnelly

  Starting with the first ever regular season matchup between the Mets and Yankees and ending with the last out of the 2000 Subway Series, Get Your Tokens Ready provides the most in-depth look ever published at both teams during the late 1990s and the 2000 season.
   

• Thursday, Aug. 21, 10:30 a.m. – Stolen Dreams: The 1955 Cannon Street All-Stars and Little League Baseball's Civil War, by Chris Lamb

  The Team Nobody Would Play, by Buck Godfrey

  White teams refused to take the field with the Cannon Street All-Stars, the first Black Little League all-star team in South Carolina. The Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars from Charleston won the tournament by forfeit and advanced to the state tournament. When all the white teams withdrew in protest, the Cannon Street team won the state tournament by forfeit. If the team had won the regional tournament in Rome, Georgia, it would have advanced to the Little League World Series. Learn the history behind this team in this two-book event.
   

• Thursday, Aug. 28, 1 p.m. – I Felt the Cheers: The Remarkable Silent Life of Curtis Pride, by Curtis Pride and Doug Ward

  Learn the remarkable story of Curtis Pride, who overcame hearing loss to play 11 seasons in the big leagues.

Additional events may be added later this spring. For the latest schedule and more information on Hall of Fame programs, please visit baseballhall.org/events.