Hall of Fame Celebrates Beloved Bobblehead Doll with Opening of Getting the Nod

(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – The iconic bobblehead doll, part of the baseball landscape for more than six decades, takes its place at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum with today’s opening of the Getting the Nod exhibit.

Hall of Famers Harold Baines, Wade Boggs, Rollie Fingers, Fergie Jenkins, Jim Kaat, Lee Smith and Ozzie Smith along with former big leaguers Vince Coleman, Julio Franco and Jason Kendall helped celebrate the opening of the third-floor display that features highlights from the renowned collection of nearly 1,000 bobbleheads donated by Jeffrey H. Loria, former owner of the Miami Marlins.

“Baseball has always been powered by the fan experience, and bobblehead dolls have become a touchstone of our love of the game,” said Josh Rawitch, President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “We are thrilled to open this one-of-a-kind exhibit that tells the story of how these iconic pieces have encapsulated players, mascots and moments for more than six decades. Jeffrey Loria’s collection truly spans generations, and we are honored to celebrate it in Cooperstown.”

Loria’s diverse collection of bobbleheads includes such players as Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Satchel Paige, Ken Griffey, Jr., Clayton Kershaw and Giancarlo Stanton, and hundreds of bobbleheads are on exhibit in Getting the Nod, which includes display elements that enable the dolls to bobble.

"Bobbleheads provide special visual memories of a moment in time. At the same time they are akin to small sculptures. They are like works of art," Jeffrey Loria said.

The exhibit also features a six-foot bobblehead depicting Hall of Famer Willie Mays, who helped revitalize the bobblehead craze in the late 1990s. The Mays bobblehead features the 1979 inductee in a Hall of Fame jersey and cap.

The first baseball bobbleheads emerged in the 1960s, using figurines with movable heads to depict players. But the souvenir hit another level in 1999 when the San Francisco Giants staged a giveaway of a Mays bobblehead to celebrate the iconic Hall of Famer. More teams soon planned similar promotions, and bobbleheads quickly became a staple in stadiums throughout the baseball world.

The exhibit opening is part of a Memorial Day Weekend celebration that includes the debut of the new Hall of Fame Film Series, featuring the screening of several baseball-themed movies, and the return of the popular Night at the Museum program.

The Museum will return to its summer hours on Sunday, May 25, with doors open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. through the day before Labor Day.