Hall of Fame Weekend--Part Five
Perhaps the most interesting item on today's Hall of Fame Weekend schedule is the 10:00 morning meeting between Save The Fame Game leader Kristian Connolly, MLB president Bob Dupuy, and Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson. I'm still not expecting the Hall of Fame Game will actually be saved, but I applaud Connolly for his grass roots effort and his ability to even engineer a meeting with one of the top executives at MLB. Connolly's meeting has also produced follow-up pleas from state senators Hilary Clinton and Chuck Schumer, who have signed a letter to MLB, urging the continuance of the game. (The letter may not help, but it can't hurt.) If nothing else, Connolly has shown that there is still huge support for the game, and that its biggest fans will not let it go without the largest of fights.
If the game cannot be saved, the Hall of Fame has to come up with a suitable replacement. A minor league game involving the International League (or any league for that matter) simply won't cut it. The Hall has to come up with something bigger, something with more cache, like an Old-Timers Game or a Futures Game, or better yet, even both. One of the games could then be attached to Hall of Fame Weekend, which desperately needs a signature event, while the other could be played in early June to coincide with the Hall's birth date of June 12.
If nothing else, we need something good to come out of the loss of a wonderful institution like the Hall of Fame Game. Perhaps Connolly's efforts will underscore that desire.
Bruce,
I don't understand why MLB just doesn't schedule a regular season game at Cooperstown. There's enough MLB teams within the geographic area, the lower attendance for JUST ONE DARN GAME (!) couldn't affect the bottom line for any team that much (they would still have broadcast rights, show the game on ESPN), Just alternate between the Eastern states (Mets, Blue Jays, Pittsburgh, Philly, Yanks, Sox, O's & D.C.) and when they have a 4 game series that ends on a Monday, play THAT game in Cooperstown! Problem solved. And oh yeah, make the 50 Mlb guys who come to play tour the HOF, and let them praise their forefathers, who helped build baseball.
Report any abuse or spam
Charles, I think you make an interesting suggestion. I know that the two teams who would play in Cooperstown would have to take a financial hit, but that could be minimized somewhat by increasing the price of the tickets. In addition, MLB could require the other teams to pool some of the revenues from games that day and essentially subsidize the two teams who are making the sacrifice by playing at the smaller Doubleday Field.
It won't happen, but I like the way you're thinking.
Report any abuse or spam