Hall of Fame Weekend 2024 to Feature Inductions of Adrian Beltré, Todd Helton, Jim Leyland and Joe Mauer July 19-22 in Cooperstown

(COOPERSTOWN, N.Y.) – Three of the best two-way players of their era and one of the game’s most respected managers will be honored in Cooperstown during Hall of Fame Weekend 2024, July 19-22, as the baseball world celebrates its most historic weekend.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame’s 2024 Induction Ceremony will feature Adrian Beltré, Todd Helton and Joe Mauer, elected on Jan. 23 by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, along with Contemporary Baseball Era Committee electee Jim Leyland. The Class of 2024 will be formally inducted during the event beginning at 1:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 21 on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, which will feature speeches presented by each new Hall of Famer. The 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be broadcast live exclusively on MLB Network.

Hall of Fame Weekend 2024 will also feature the Awards Presentation, when Ford C. Frick Award winner Joe Castiglione and BBWAA Career Excellence Award winner Gerry Fraley will each be honored. The Weekend will include many family programs, including the July 20 Parade of Legends and the July 22 Legends of the Game Roundtable discussion event with the new electees.

More than 50 Hall of Famers are expected to return for Hall of Fame Weekend, with the full list of returnees to be announced in early July, to honor the Class of 2024 at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Becoming a Museum Member is the best way to experience Hall of Fame Weekend, as Members are afforded special perks during Hall of Fame Weekend. Museum Members play a major role in preserving baseball history and ensuring that generations of fans will always have a home to celebrate the history of baseball. Members always enjoy a great lineup of benefits, including Memories and Dreams magazine, a Hall of Fame Yearbook and free admission to the Museum year-round. To learn more about the program and its many benefits, please visit baseballhall.org/join.

Additional Hall of Fame Weekend Privileges for Members

• Free admission to the Museum throughout the year
• Exclusive early access to the Museum on Saturday, Sunday and Monday
• Reserved seating for the Induction Ceremony for Contributor, President’s Circle and Benefactor Members
• A complimentary copy of the Commemorative Hall of Fame Weekend Program 
• Priority access to the Legends of the Game Roundtable program on Monday

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum has teamed up with Sports Travel and Tours to offer baseball fans a one-stop opportunity to purchase Hall of Fame Weekend travel packages. For more information or to plan a trip to Cooperstown, please call 1-888-310-HALL (4255). Membership participants receive a 5% discount on all their baseball travel packages.

The Sunday, July 21, Induction Ceremony will take place on the grounds outside of the Clark Sports Center, which is located on lower Susquehanna Avenue, just one mile south of the Hall of Fame. The Ceremony is held rain or shine unless severe weather forces the event into a private setting. Professional interpreters will be provided for the hearing impaired. The Induction Ceremony historically lasts two-to-three hours. Lawn seating for the event is unlimited and free of charge. A blanket or lawn chair is recommended for comfortable viewing. As the weather in Cooperstown can be warm in July, it is recommended that visitors bring a cap and sunscreen. Merchandise, including the 2024 Induction Program, and Museum membership packages are available for purchase at the Induction site. Refreshments are sold at the site. For information on reserved seating options granted to Museum members, please call 607-547-0397.

The Hall of Fame Awards Presentation will be held on the afternoon of Saturday, July 20, at the Glimmerglass Festival, located just north of the Village of Cooperstown. Boston Red Sox radio voice Joe Castiglione will be presented with the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasters and the 2004 World Series champion Red Sox will be recognized on the 20th anniversary of their victory, featuring special appearances by Pedro Martínez and David Ortiz. The late Gerry Fraley will be honored with the BBWAA Career Excellence Award for writers at the event, which takes place in the Alice Busch Opera Theater. Longtime columnist for the Southern California News Group, Mark Whicker, will speak on behalf of Fraley at the Awards Presentation.

The Parade of Legends will take place on Saturday evening beginning at 6 p.m., with Hall of Fame members riding through Cooperstown from the Otesaga Resort Hotel, up Chestnut Street then down Main Street and concluding with a red carpet arrival on the Museum steps as Hall of Famers make their way to the Museum for a private reception.

The Class of 2024 features three players who each won multiple Gold Glove Awards and Silver Slugger Awards, along with a three-time Manager of the Year Award winner.

Adrian Beltré played 21 seasons for the Dodgers, Mariners, Red Sox and Rangers, establishing himself as one of the best all-around third basemen in the game’s history with five Gold Glove Awards and four Silver Slugger Awards. Ranking second all-time with 2,759 games played at the hot corner, Beltré totaled 3,166 hits and 477 home runs to become the only regular third baseman in big league history (among those players who played at least half their games at third base) with at least 3,000 hits and 450 homers. Finishing in the Top 10 of his league’s Most Valuable Player Award voting six times, Beltré hit .300-or-better seven times, reached the 20-homer mark 12 times and totaled five seasons with at least 100 RBI. Among players whose primary position was third base, Beltré’s career Wins Above Replacement figure of 93.5 ranks third all-time behind Mike Schmidt and Eddie Mathews. He became the seventh player in history to hit three home runs in a postseason game when he hit three solo shots for the Rangers in Game 4 of the 2011 ALDS vs. the Rays. A four-time All-Star, Beltré is the fifth player born in the Dominican Republic to be elected to the Hall of Fame.

Todd Helton played 17 big league seasons – all with the Rockies – and retired as one of only 21 players in history with at least 1,000 games played, a .300 batting average, a .400 on-base percentage and a .500 slugging percentage. A five-time All-Star, Helton played quarterback at the University of Tennessee between two future NFL first-round draft picks – Heath Shuler and Peyton Manning – before concentrating on baseball. A first-round draft pick of the Rockies in 1995, Helton was a big league regular by 1998, embarking on an eight-year stretch where he averaged a 1.045 OPS and won the 2000 NL batting title. He amassed more than 400 total bases in both 2000 and 2001, becoming just the seventh player in history with multiple seasons with 400 total bases and one of four players with 400 total bases in back-to-back seasons. Helton was a three-time Gold Glove Award winner and four-time Silver Slugger Award recipient at first base, and his career OPS of .953 ranks 23rd all-time.

Jim Leyland managed in the big leagues for 22 seasons with the Pirates, Marlins, Rockies and Tigers. Amassing 1,769 victories, six first-place finishes, three pennants and the 1997 World Series title with the Marlins, Leyland was a three-time Manager of the Year winner – twice with the Pirates in 1990 and 1992 and again with the Tigers in 2006. Leyland’s team also finished second five times and he finished in the Top 2 of his league’s Manager of the Year voting six times. He led his teams to 90-or-more victories seven times and his victory total ranks second all-time among managers who never played in the big leagues, trailing only Hall of Famer Joe McCarthy. Following his big league managerial career, Leyland skippered Team USA to the World Baseball Classic title in 2017, the first championship in the event for the United States.

Joe Mauer played 15 seasons – all with the Twins – and became the first and only catcher to win three league battle titles, doing so in his first five full big league campaigns. His first batting title in 2006 made him the first catcher in AL history to win batting crown, and he followed up with titles in 2008 and 2009. Mauer was named the AL Most Valuable Player in 2009 after hitting .365 with a league-leading OPS of 1.031, becoming the only catcher (minimum 100 games played) to lead his league in OPS. He was a six-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger Award winner and three-time Gold Glove Award winner. Mauer was the No. 1 overall pick in 2001 MLB Draft, joining Ken Griffey Jr. (1987), Chipper Jones (1990) and Harold Baines (1977) as only top overall draft picks elected to Cooperstown. He topped the .400 mark in on-base percentage in six of his seasons as a catcher, a total exceeded by only six other catchers, none of whom started their careers after 1930. Mauer is the only catcher in history with at least 2,000 hits, a .300 batting average and a .380 on-base percentage.

There are now 346 Hall of Fame members, 77 of whom are living.

The 2024 award winners will be honored at the Awards Presentation on July 20 at the Alice Busch Opera Theater.

Joe Castiglione, who has called Red Sox games on the radio for a record 42 seasons, was selected as the 2024 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually for excellence in broadcasting by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Born March 2, 1947, in Hamden, Conn., Castiglione earned an undergraduate degree at Colgate University and took his master’s degree at Syracuse University – each about an hour from Cooperstown – before beginning his career at WFMJ-TV in Youngstown, Ohio. After moving to Cleveland to work for WKYC-TV, he began calling Indians games in 1979 before working Brewers games in 1981 and then returning to the Indians’ booth in 1982. Joining the Red Sox radio team in 1983, Castiglione has shared the microphone with partners including Bob Starr, Dave O’Brien, Jerry Trupiano and Will Flemming while also teaching broadcast journalism at Northeastern University, Franklin Pierce University and Emerson College. Inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2014, Castiglione is the longest tenured broadcaster in Red Sox history and has called historic moments that have included both of Roger Clemens’ 20-strikeout games and four no-hitters as well as the Red Sox’s four World Series titles in a 15-year span from 2004-2018. In 2022, the home Fenway Park radio booth was named in his honor.

Gerry Fraley was elected as the winner of the 2024 BBWAA Career Excellence Award. For nearly 40 years from his hometown of Clearwater, Fla., to major league beats in Philadelphia, Atlanta and Arlington, Texas, Fraley formed relationships with players, coaches, scouts, executives, and umpires that made him one of the most trusted voices in the industry. Fraley, who died in 2019 at the age of 64, covered the Phillies, Braves and Rangers and was a pioneer in the advent of daily notebooks as part of beat coverage. He also was a national baseball writer at the Dallas Morning News, where he spent nearly 25 years as beat writer and columnist. During that time, Gerry eventually took on the role of “Super General Assignment Reporter” that was created especially for him because he was adept at assisting on other beats, including football, basketball, and auto racing. While at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution covering the Braves, Gerry served as national BBWAA president in 1987.

Throughout Induction Weekend, the Hall of Fame will host a series of educational programs and fan-friendly experiences designed to connect generations of all ages in activities and events featuring baseball luminaries in the timeless and pastoral village of Cooperstown. Additional programming will be announced soon. Full details of new events and schedule changes will be announced at the Hall of Fame’s website baseballhall.org/hofw.

Planned activities for Hall of Fame Weekend 2024 include:

Hall of Fame Weekend Events

      Friday, July 19: Turn Two with Ozzie Smith & special guests (Hall of Famers TBA) 8-11 a.m.

      Saturday, July 20: Hall of Fame Awards Presentation, Alice Busch Opera Theater 3 p.m. Hall of Fame Parade of Legends, Main Street 6 p.m.

      Sunday, July 21: Induction Ceremony, Clark Sports Center 1:30 p.m.

      Monday, July 22: Legends of the Game Roundtable: Doubleday Field 10:30 a.m.

Turn Two with Ozzie Smith

Join a dream team that could only come together in Cooperstown, with Ozzie Smith and Hall of Famer guests hosting a morning experience in a fundraiser for the Hall of Fame’s educational programs. For the 21st year, Turn Two returns with an interactive meet and greet starting at 8 a.m. on Friday, July 19 during Hall of Fame Weekend 2024.

Turn Two features over two hours of non-stop interaction, including personalized instruction and the chance to turn double plays. Each participant receives time on the field with these baseball legends, as well as a personalized photo and special mementos of the occasion. This event is open to fans of all ages. Registration for this Museum fundraiser is $1,000. Space is limited. For questions or to sign up call 607-547-0385. Additional Hall of Famer participants will be announced soon. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, 8 a.m., Friday.

Parade of Legends

Join the pageantry and excitement as the Hall of Famers ride from the Otesaga Resort Hotel, up Chestnut Street then down Main Street on their way to a private reception at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum during an extended parade route that will begin at the Otesaga Resort Hotel. Main Street, 6 p.m., Saturday, free and open to the public.

Legends of the Game Roundtable

The Hall of Fame’s newest members Adrian Beltré, Todd Helton, Jim Leyland and Joe Mauer will participate in a Legends of the Game Roundtable event. Tickets to this event will be available for purchase to Museum Members starting Thursday, June 1 by calling 607-547-0397 and are $10 for adults and children. Doubleday Field, 10:30 a.m., Monday.

The Museum maintains the following Hall of Fame Weekend hours: Friday: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Saturday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Monday: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Advance tickets are not necessary but are available at baseballhall.org. For Hall of Fame Members, doors open at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. As always, Hall of Fame Members receive free admission. A special Members’ only entrance eliminates the need to wait in line. Interested parties may enroll in the membership program in advance at baseballhall.org/join, by calling 607-547-0397 or at the Museum.

Accommodation information is available through thisiscooperstown.com/places-to-stay and through the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce at 607-547-9983. For driving directions from major cities, area cities and local airports, visit the directions page at the Hall of Fame’s website for more information.