With a solitary flagpole, a lone traffic light, and a central boulevard called Main Street, Cooperstown, New York, seems an unlikely place to honor a game that attracts more than 70 million spectators per year to ballparks from Boston to San Diego.Devoid of both commercialism and street litter, the town of five square blocks contains many homes and structures built in the last century or earlier. Artifacts abound in the Fenimore House, an art museum built in 1932, and the Farmer's Museum, a re-creation of a New York State farmer's life 150 years ago. But neither carries the instant appeal or name recognition of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Except for Induction Weekend, the midsummer media event that packs area resorts with 10,000 players, writers, and fans, this tiny Central New York hamlet is quiet in summer and quieter in winter.
From the outside, the shrine to baseball looks unimposing. The plain brick building could pass for a post office or police precinct if not for the glass-enclosed display board showing the latest major-league scores.
Inside, however, the contents of the four-story museum evoke a sense of the majesty and mystery of the game. Fresh from a massive facelift finished late last year, the Hall of Fame has recaptured its original sparkle.
Everything is up to date, including posted lists of lifetime leaders in home runs and pitching victories. A red news zipper keeps fans current with ongoing games. And a hot dog tin actually smells like it had red hots inside just seconds earlier.
Throughout the museum, rare photos and displays of artifacts, accompanied by concise explanations, whisk viewers through a time tunnel from the pre-Civil War "sandlot" period to the post-World War II era of integration, expansion, divisional playoffs, and interleague play.
There's a definite ballpark flavor -- even down to the entrance turnstile and green carpet made of artificial turf. All that's missing is the smell of popcorn, the endless parade of beer vendors, the multi-lingual insults common on both coasts, and the post-game stampede to the parking lot.
The best way to begin the journey through baseball history is to mingle with the plaques in the Hall of Fame gallery.
They honor former major-league players, pioneers and executives, Negro Leaguers, managers, and umpires. Among them are the Hall of Fame's only father-and-son combination, executives Larry and Lee MacPhail, and the first two men to top 700 career homers, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth. Willie, Mickey & the Duke are there too but neither they nor anyone else won by unanimous vote.
Induction Weekend, usually a couple of weeks after the Baseball All-Star Game in July, is jam-packed, with thousands filling the tiny hamlet's streets while hoping for a glimpse of the living legends.
Many visitors feel the Hall of Fame is hallowed ground, with displays designed to be savored rather than gulped. That can't happen during Induction Weekend, when every inch of space is occupied by milling fans, sidewalk displays from storekeepers trying to capitalize on a captive audience, and even players pedaling pictures and other merchandise to which they will add an autograph.
Pete Rose, the all-time leader in hits but banned from Cooperstown for alleged violation of baseball's gambling rules, often comes up to sell his signature.
For true baseball historians, however, Induction Weekend is so crowded that it's a good time to go to the beach, the ballpark, or the neighbor's barbecue. Anywhere but Cooperstown. The first and finest of America's Halls of Fame deserves time and attention.
Larger-than-life displays tell the poignant stories of losers as well as winners: the utter dejection of Ralph Branca after yielding Bobby Thomson's pennant-winning homer; the frustration of Harvey Haddix, perfect for 12 innings but a loser in the 13th; and the heartbreak of players and fans as the Dodgers left Ebbets Field for the last time.
The original Ebbets Field cornerstone, plus artifacts from the St. Louis Browns, Seattle Pilots, and other defunct clubs, rest in peace at Cooperstown. So do such baseball oddities as a satin jersey worn by the 1948 Boston Braves (to improve visibility in night games), the green shirts worn by the Cincinnati Reds on St. Patrick's Day, and the short pants modeled briefly by Bill Veeck's Chicago White Sox.
World Series and All-Star Game heroes are honored, along with in stars and teams of today, amateur and minor-league players, and artifacts from players and clubs that have drifted into history.
The Great Moments Room pays tribute to Roger Maris, Bobby Thomson, and others whose exploits for an inning or a season outshone their career accompplishments. Neither Thomson nor Maris earned a plaque in the Cooperstown gallery but their history-making home runs are remembered.
The big names are there too -- Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and especially Babe Ruth. Displays are so realistic that one can almost imagine the terror of an enemy infielder as the thunder of Ty Cobb's footsteps warned of an impending invasion of flashing spikes.
There's even a special exhibit called "Women in Baseball," detailing the contributions of female executives, journalists, and players (including Pepper Paire, real-life inspiration for the Geena Davis character in A League Of Their Own).
The Hall of Fame is more than just a baseball museum; it's a shrine to American history.
History also lives at the 97-year-old Otesaga, the town's luxury hotel, where candlelight-and-violin dinners have been a staple since Ty Cobb was an active player (early in the last century). Even people not staying there stroll over to enjoy the view of Otsego Lake, known as Glimmerglass Lake in James Fenimore Cooper's Last of the Mohicans. Cooper's father, Judge William Cooper, founded Cooperstown in 1786 as a vacation retreat and would be glad to know the original charm hasn't disappeared.
With rooms expensive and often hard to find at the Otesaga, the best alternative is The Landmark Inn, a cozy B&B; on a quiet tree-lined street within walking distance of Doubleday Field and the Hall of Fame. It's so nice, in fact, that ESPN's baseball crew stays there during Induction Weekend.
A classic mansion that traces its origins to 1856, the Landmark stands on a two-acre tract within walking distance of the baseball museum. Like the Hall of Fame, it is blossoming into a beacon of elegance from a bygone era: Victorian gardens, wide porches, and working fireplaces are back.
All of the dozen rooms have been redesigned by the new owners, Pete and Jennifer Landers, and a video and game library has been added. Rooms have duvet beds, overstuffed chairs, a wide variety of TV channels, and VCRs, underlining the Landers commitment to combining old-style charm with 21st century amenities. One of the new bathrooms even boasts a Jacuzzi tub -- perfect after a long day of schlepping around the Hall of Fame and the surrounding baseball memorabilia shops.
Off-season rates at The Landmark Inn apply from October 1 through May 31.
Further information: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, 25 Main St., P.O. Box 590, Cooperstown, NY 13326-0590 (Tel. 607-547-9988) or The Landmark Inn, 64 Chestnut St., Cooperstown, NY 13326 (toll-free 866-384-3466 or info@landmarkinncooperstown.com).
