Hall of Fame East-West Classic Sold Out

(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announced that Saturday's Hall of Fame East-West Classic is officially sold out.

Presented by Boeing and fueled by assistance from Major League Baseball, the game will feature 14 Hall of Famers as coaches and more than two dozen former big league players in a seven-inning legends game at historic Doubleday Field in Cooperstown.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m., preceded by the Home Run Derby at noon.

The Museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and in celebration of Black baseball, the Hall of Fame East-West Classic and the opening of The Souls of the Game exhibit, Museum admission will be FREE on Saturday, May 25, courtesy of The Players Alliance.

Hall of Famers Harold Baines, Rollie Fingers, Pat Gillick, Ken Griffey Jr., Fergie Jenkins, Jim Kaat, Fred McGriff, Eddie Murray, Jim Rice, Ryne Sandberg, Lee Smith, Ozzie Smith, Joe Torre and Dave Winfield will serve as coaches at the Hall of Fame East-West Classic. Rosters will consist of team captains CC Sabathia and Chris Young along with former major league players Josh Barfield, José Contreras, Ian Desmond, Prince Fielder, Dexter Fowler, Doug Glanville, Curtis Granderson, Tony Gwynn Jr., Jerry Hairston, Scott Hairston, LaTroy Hawkins, Ryan Howard, Edwin Jackson, Jeremy Jeffress, Adam Jones, Russell Martin, Darrell Miller, Melvin Mora, David Price, Tyson Ross, Tony Sipp, B.J. Upton and Justin Upton.

Little League World Series hero Mo’ne Davis will also play in the East-West Classic, and two-time All-Star Harold Reynolds of MLB Network will join Mets World Series hero Mookie Wilson as honorary team members. Former Negro Leagues stars Sam Allen and Pedro Sierra will also attend the Hall of Fame East-West Classic.

Nikko Smith, the award-winning singer/songwriter and son of Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, will perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” prior to the Hall of Fame East-West Classic. During the National Anthem, a flyover will take place featuring four Boeing Apache helicopters from the 6-6 Cavalry Regiment from nearby Fort Drum.

The fun-filled day in Cooperstown will include food and beverage options, music and giveaways, including a free commemorative program magazine, and a special appearance by Chicago Cubs voice Jeremiah Paprocki, the team’s first Black public address announcer, who will serve as the guest PA announcer for the Hall of Fame East-West Classic. The first 5,000 fans entering Doubleday Field will also be treated to a free bag of Cracker Jack in honor of the Museum’s new “Cracker Jack at the Ballpark” exhibit.

A wide variety of food options will be available at the Hall of Fame East-West Classic, including World Series champion Mookie Wilson’s Legacy catering, which features barbeque, sausage and chicken and will be one of several choices available, along with local favorites Brewery Ommegang, Gilligan’s Ice Cream, Sarchioto’s Concessions and Ty’s Taco-ria. The food and fun options in the Doubleday Field parking lot are open to guests with or without tickets to the Hall of Fame East-West Classic.

The game will be part of a weekend celebration of Black baseball history as the Museum opened its new exhibit, The Souls of the Game: Voices of Black Baseball, on Friday and dedicated a new statue honoring Hall of Famer Hank Aaron on Thursday.