Museum’s Author Series Programs Bring Latest Baseball Stories to Cooperstown

(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s 2024 summer Author Series will showcase the latest in baseball writing, featuring 10 writers and captivating tales from some of the greatest storytellers of our time.

Author Series programs are held in the Museum’s Bullpen Theater except where noted and are included with Museum admission. Authors will discuss their work and take questions from the audience in the theater program, then sign copies of their books for fans. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. All programs will be streamed on the Hall of Fame’s Facebook page.

The schedule for the summer includes: 

• Thursday, June 20, 1 p.m. – Home Run King: The Remarkable Record of Hank Aaron, by Dan Schlossberg

Written by a lifelong Braves fan who became a sportswriter, Home Run King traces Hank Aaron’s odyssey from the segregated South to a baseball world forever changed by Jackie Robinson. Dan Schlossberg explores how the New York Giants nearly beat the Boston Braves in signing Aaron, how the young slugger caught his first break and why he changed his hitting style after the Braves moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta. 

• Thursday, June 27, 1 p.m. – Under Jackie’s Shadow: Voices of Black Minor Leaguers Baseball Left Behind, by Mitchell Nathanson     

What was it like to be Black and playing in Spartanburg, S.C., in 1965, or in Memphis, Tenn., in 1973? What was it like to play for white coaches and scouting directors from the Jim Crow South who started their careers in a segregated game before Jackie Robinson ushered in integration? Mitchell Nathanson provides insight into the hidden world of minor league baseball in the era just after Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Based on Nathanson’s interviews, Under Jackie’s Shadow uses the players’ own words to tell the unvarnished story of what it was like to be a Black player navigating the wilds of minor league baseball following the integration of the major leagues. 

• Saturday, June 29, 1 p.m. – The Real Hank Aaron: An Intimate Look at the Life and Legacy of the Home Run King, by Terence Moore          

As a young 12-year-old fan of Hank Aaron, Terence Moore treasured his poster of the legendary outfielder. Years later, Aaron would sign the poster for Moore, writing the message, “Best wishes to Terry.” And then after the passing of Aaron, Moore would become an honorary pallbearer at his funeral. Moore also stayed up late the night before the service, helping Hank’s widow, Billye, write his obituary. In The Real Hank Aaron, longtime Atlanta sportswriter Terence Moore captures the Hall of Famer’s contagious laugh, his pointed views, the depth of his admiration for Jackie Robinson and his thoughts on Barry Bonds and the steroid era. Program to be held in Museum’s Learning Center 

• Thursday, July 4, 1 p.m. – When Baseball Was Still Topps: Portraits of the Game in 1959, Card by Card, by Phil Coffin

Phil Coffin explores the 1959 Topps baseball card set, from the first card to the last (No. 572). When Baseball Was Still Topps contemplates the lives and times of mid-20th century baseball. The 1959 season occurred in the midst of continuing integration, franchise shifts to the West Coast, a potential rival league and labor issues that included paying young prospects not to play. 

• Thursday, July 11, 1 p.m. – The Fenway Effect, by David Krell

Boston Red Sox history has intersected with the history of Boston, through the “Curse of the Bambino,” the military service of Ted Williams, and the Boston Marathon bombing. The Fenway Effect chronicles these stories and many others that have built the incredible saga of the Boston Red Sox and their iconic ballpark. 

• Saturday, July 13, 1 p.m. – Where The Seams Meet, by Patrick Holcomb

In this baseball novel, Patrick Holcomb skillfully tells the story of a father and son, Frank and Danny Romano. After fleeing 1970s San Francisco to escape the shadow of his abusive father, Frank struggles to balance his firefighting career with the demands of raising his talented but challenging son, Danny. Determined to transcend his tortured past, Frank bridges the growing chasm between them the only way he knows how – through baseball. 

• Friday, July 19, 1 p.m. – The Right Thing to Do: The Joe Mauer Story, by Joe Schmit

This children’s book for younger readers (ages 5 to 8) reveals an important lesson about making good choices. Alongside new Hall of Famer Joe Mauer, young readers will discover the kindness that powers any path to stardom. When Joe accidentally hits a baseball through his neighbor's window, he learns a valuable lesson: While sports are important, choosing kindness is always the right thing to do. In this book for kids, readers can follow a young Joe Mauer as he grows from a child athlete to a high school standout before eventually becoming a star catcher in the major leagues. 

• Thursday, July 25, 1 p.m. – Satchel’s Stolen Strike, by David A. Kelly

Noted children’s author and Cooperstown favorite David A. Kelly discusses the latest book in his “Ballpark Mysteries” series. Our heroes, Kate and Mike are visiting America’s oldest professional ballpark, Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., for a big game celebrating Juneteenth and the Negro Leagues. But disaster strikes when a priceless Satchel Paige baseball is stolen. Can Mike, Kate, and their new friend Andy find the missing baseball before the theft ruins the game? 

• Thursday, Aug. 8, 1 p.m. – Schoolboy: The Untold Story of a Yankees Hero, by Tim Manners

Waite “Schoolboy” Hoyt’s improbable baseball journey began when the New York Giants signed him as a high school junior, for no pay and a five-dollar bonus. After nearly having both his hands amputated, Hoyt somehow ended up becoming the best pitcher for the New York Yankees in the 1920s. Based on a trove of Hoyt’s writings and interview transcripts, Tim Manners has reanimated the Hall of Famer’s untold story, entirely in Hoyt’s own words. 

• Thursday, Aug. 15, 1 p.m. – Dewey: Behind the Gold Glove, by Erik Sherman

Standout Boston Red Sox outfielder Dwight Evans and prolific writer Erik Sherman take fans back to a glorious time in baseball history, filled with unforgettable World Series appearances in 1975 and 1986, legendary teammates like Jim Rice and Fred Lynn, and some of the most memorable games in postseason history. Yet for all his greatness on the baseball field, the immense challenges that Evans and his family faced in the real world were even more impressive. The All-Star outfielder will join Sherman at this Author Series program.

For more information on Hall of Fame programs, please visit baseballhall.org/events.