Hall of Fame Film Series Debuts Memorial Day Weekend in Cooperstown
(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – A new Memorial Day Weekend salute to baseball is coming to Cooperstown with the debut of the Hall of Fame Film Series.
Six films will be screened over four days at Cooperstown’s National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and Fenimore Art Museum, with many featuring a follow-up question-and-answer session with Hall of Famers, former players or the filmmakers.
The Hall of Fame Film Series is part of a Memorial Day Weekend celebration that also includes the opening of the new exhibit Getting the Nod, a tribute to the beloved bobblehead doll.
Ozzie Smith joins the previously announced Hall of Famer lineup of Harold Baines, Wade Boggs, Rollie Fingers, Fergie Jenkins and Jim Kaat visiting Cooperstown to participate in weekend events alongside former major leaguers Vince Coleman, Clint Hurdle and Jason Kendall, with additional guests to be announced.
Schedule for the Hall of Fame Film Series includes:
Thursday, May 22
Diamond Diplomacy (Sneak Preview)
This film tells the little known story of 150 years of history between the U.S. and Japan through the shared love of baseball. The film is structured around the baseball stories of two former players, Masanori “Mashi” Murakami and Warren Cromartie, and weaves through key points in history examining subjects like racism, international relations, and the influence of sports.
5:30 p.m., Fenimore Art Museum
Free admission but tickets must be reserved
Q&A with director Yuriko Gamo Romer following the film
Friday, May 23
Just a Bit Outside: The Story of the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers
This film, which won Best Sports Documentary at the 2024 Louisville Film Festival, chronicles the 40-year love affair between a struggling blue-collar city and a perfectly matched blue-collar team that came oh-so-close to winning the World Series.
2 p.m., Hall of Fame’s Grandstand Theater
Admission to the Museum and ticket required
Q&A with Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers and filmmakers Sean Hanish and Kelly Kahl following the film
Joy in Wrigleyville
At 12:46 a.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 3, the impossible finally happened. The Chicago Cubs won the World Series. It was an event so iconic and exhilarating for the legions of Cubs fans who'd been waiting their whole lives for this to become reality. Joy in Wrigleyville tells the story of this epic World Series not through the players, the coaches or the broadcasters, but from the perspective of the passionate fans of a historic franchise that hadn’t won a World Series in over 100 years.
5:30 p.m., Hall of Fame’s Grandstand Theater
Ticket required but no Museum admission needed
Q&A with Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins following the film
Saturday, May 24
The Sandlot
This beloved 1993 film is a coming-of-age story that features a group of young baseball players in 1962.
1 p.m., Hall of Fame’s Grandstand Theater
Admission to the Museum and ticket required
Birds of a Different Game
In today’s age of power baseball both at the plate and on the mound, it’s hard to believe a team like the 1980’s Cardinals existed, let alone had as much success as they did. In an attempt to take advantage of the artificial turf installed throughout the league at the time, the 80’s Cardinals won three NL pennants and a World Series playing a brand of baseball that utilized speed, defense and pitching, dubbed “Whitey Ball” after their architect and Hall of Fame manager Whitey Herzog. Narrated by Golden Globe Award-winning actor, Missouri native and lifelong Cardinals fan John Goodman, Birds of a Different Game-The 80’s Cardinals documents one of the most unique, memorable and successful eras in the history of the iconic St. Louis Cardinals franchise.
6:15 p.m., Hall of Fame’s Grandstand Theater
Ticket required but no Museum admission needed
Q&A with Jim Kaat, Ozzie Smith and Vince Coleman following the film
Sunday, May 25
Film To Be Announced
10 a.m., Fenimore Art Museum
Memorial Day Weekend in Cooperstown will also feature the Hall of Fame’s popular Night at the Museum program. The Hall of Famers will join former major league stars to greet fans throughout the Museum on Saturday, May 24, beginning at 5 p.m.
On Friday, May 23, Clint Hurdle, who managed the Rockies and the Pirates following a 10-year MLB playing career, will be featured in an Author Series program at 11 a.m. in the Museum’s Bullpen Theater. Hurdle will discuss his book “Hurdle-isms: Wit and Wisdom from a Lifetime in Baseball” and sign copies of the book after the event, which is free with Museum admission.
The Getting the Nod exhibit, located on the third floor, will open to the public at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 24, and feature the renowned collection of more than 900 bobbleheads donated by Jeffrey H. Loria, former owner of the Miami Marlins. 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 will be on exhibit in Getting the Nod.
The Hall of Fame will also host the Cooperstown Clinic on Saturday, May 24. The event for youth ages 7-12, which begins at 10 a.m. at historic Doubleday Field, will feature former big leaguers Vince Coleman and Clint Hurdle along with the Big League Chew bubblegum blowing contest with founder Rob Nelson and a Make Your Own Bobblehead activity in celebration of the opening of the Getting the Nod exhibit.
Registration begins at 9 a.m. at Doubleday Field and costs $15, which includes a Museum ticket and admission to a screening of the movie The Sandlot at 1 p.m. in the Hall of Fame’s Grandstand Theater. Children must be accompanied by an adult at both the clinic and the movie screening, and adults can purchase Museum admission upon entering the Hall of Fame.
Also as part of the weekend, guests can golf with legends at historic Leatherstocking Golf Course on Otsego Lake. Participants will enjoy an unforgettable day of golf, and individuals, pairs or foursomes of all skill levels are welcome to join the Hall of Fame Memorial Day Weekend Golf Tournament. A Hall of Fame member or former major leaguer will join each foursome and serve as the team captain. A fundraiser for the Museum, the scramble-format tournament highlights a full lineup of activities for participants during this unforgettable weekend. For more information on supporting the Hall of Fame through this exclusive golf outing, please call 607-547-0310.
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.
For more information on Memorial Day Weekend programming, please visit baseballhall.org/memorialday.
