Hall of Fame Hosts Youth Clinic May 24 at Doubleday Field
(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – As the summer season begins in Cooperstown, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will celebrate Memorial Day Weekend with family-friendly events at the home of baseball.
The Cooperstown Clinic for youth 7-12 years old will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 24, at Cooperstown’s historic Doubleday Field. Former big league players Vince Coleman, Clint Hurdle and Jason Kendall will share pointers and stories with kids, including hands-on instruction. Participants are asked to bring a fielder’s glove and wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
The Cooperstown Clinic will also feature 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 Museum’s 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. Youth 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.
The Sandlot is one of six films to be screened over four days at Cooperstown’s National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and Fenimore Art Museum as part of the new Hall of Fame Film Series, 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. Hall of Famers Harold Baines, Wade Boggs, Rollie Fingers, Fergie Jenkins, Jim Kaat and Ozzie Smith will visit Cooperstown to participate in weekend events alongside Coleman, Hurdle and Jason Kendall, with additional guests to be announced.
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.
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.