Connect to Cooperstown via Hall of Fame’s Free Virtual Programs

(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – As the baseball community remains apart to help battle the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Baseball Hall of Fame is keeping students and fans of all ages connected to the National Pastime through unique and entertaining virtual programming.

The Museum’s Education Department is offering free Virtual Field Trips, Curator Spotlights and Voices of the Game programs through live online events. And on Thursday, April 16, fans can connect with Hall of Famer Chipper Jones and ESPN’s Jon Sciambi during an Instagram Live program.

Upcoming programs include:

Virtual Curator Spotlight: Jackie Robinson Day
Wednesday, April 15, 11 a.m.

Join the National Baseball Hall of Fame as we celebrate Jackie Robinson Day. This special virtual experience will highlight the Museum's Pride and Passion exhibit through an interview with a Hall of Fame curator. This experience will give our virtual visitors the unique opportunity to learn about the creation process behind our exhibits.

Virtual Field Trip: Cultural Diversity: Diversity in the Dugout
Thursday, April 16, 1 p.m.

For more than 150 years, the game of baseball has created many opportunities for players from around the world. Today, the National Pastime is more culturally diverse than ever before. Thirty percent of players on big league rosters were born outside the United States. The game also takes on unique flavors worldwide as players and fans come together at the ballpark, leaving many of their differences behind. This program is geared toward students and families.

Safe at Home with Boog and Chipper
Thursday, April 16, 7:30 p.m.

Join Hall of Famer Chipper Jones and ESPN’s Jon “Boog” Sciambi on Instagram Live as the two discuss the game’s latest news and share memories on and off the field. Jones and Sciambi will be paired for ESPN Major League Baseball telecasts this season.

Virtual Voices of the Game: Curt Smith
Friday, April 17, 11 a.m.

Join us for a conversation with noted author Curt Smith, who will discuss the history of real world events that have affected the playing of major league games, including the impact of World War I on the 1918 season and the decision to continue baseball during World War II. Smith will also talk about his 2018 book, “The Presidents and the Pastime,” which delves into the intersection of baseball and the White House.

Virtual Curator Spotlight: Shoebox Treasures
Wednesday, April 22, 11 a.m.

Baseball cards are mass produced – just a simple rectangular 2½” x 3½” piece of 16-point cardstock, with an image and some stats. Yet they hold priceless memories: The thrill of the hunt, hours upon hours of organizing and endless joy. This special virtual experience will highlight the Museum's Shoebox Treasures exhibit, featuring a special interview with a Hall of Fame curator. This experience will give our virtual visitors the unique opportunity to learn about the creation process behind our exhibits.

Virtual Field Trip: Geometry: Circling the Bases
Thursday, April 23, 1 p.m.

One of the great features of baseball stadiums and fields is that no two are alike. Outfielders need to know the dimensions and special characteristics of the fields in which they play to help them decide how to field the ball: Do they play the fly ball off the wall or try to jump and catch it for an out? Spend time in a dugout full of shapes, area, perimeter, diameter and other aspects of geometry while learning about some of the "angles" of playing baseball. Geared toward elementary students and their families, this free virtual field trip offers insight into mathematical concepts and its relation to baseball.

Virtual Voices of the Game: Jayson Stark
Friday, April 24, 11 a.m.

Join us for a conversation with The Athletic’s Jayson Stark, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s 2019 J.G. Taylor Spink Award winner. Stark will discuss his work at The Athletic, his book “Wild Pitches,” the possibilities of starting the season later in the spring or summer and his encounters with the late Al Kaline.

Register to participate in these free virtual programs by visiting the Museum’s Events webpage.

Connect with the Museum through all the Hall of Fame’s online offerings via Safe at Home, which features educational and cultural resources that include:

- The Museum’s Digital Collection, which features historic photographs, scouting reports, audio oral histories and artifact images from the Museum’s vast collection
- Free downloadable educational curriculum which cover 15 different topics ranging from mathematics to character development and are tailored to three different school levels from elementary to high school
- Historic and current videos at the Hall of Fame’s YouTube Channel, featuring Hall of Famer biographies, in-depth interviews and highlights of past Hall of Fame Weekends
- Online exhibits that provide a virtual tour of the Museum, as well as through Google Arts & Culture

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