Hall of Fame Weekend--Part Four

The highlight of Friday's induction activities occurred at 12:30 in the afternoon, when the Hall of Fame unveiled its new bronze statue of the late Buck O'Neil. Located near the staircase to the left of the main lobby, the statue is a terrific lifelike representation of O'Neil. The statue portrays the Negro Leagues legend wearing a suit, his arms folded near his midsection, while he flashes his trademark smile. Behind the statue, the Hall of Fame has erected an attractive glass backdrop, featuring engraved text and photo images from his career. If Buck were alive today, he'd look at it and say something like, "Beautiful, just beautiful. They made me look better than I am." Buck, I'd say it looks just like you. Wonderful...

Another high point on Friday involved the youth clinic sponsored by the Hall of Fame. Taking place at historic Doubleday Field, the clinic featured instruction by former big league ace Mudcat Grant and retired second baseman Pat Kelly. Although Mudcat is now in his early seventies and somewhat limited in his physical movements, he captivated the onlooking youngsters with his words of wisdom. Grant will remain busy throughout the weekend, as he signs autographs on Main Street and continues to charm passersby with his storytelling abilities... 

Earlier in the day, I ran into one of my favorite baseball writers, Bill Madden of the New York Daily News. He informed me that he's begun work on his latest book project, a comprehensive biography of Yankee owner George Steinbrenner. The book will be published by a major player in the publishing industry, Harper Collins. Madden has previously written books on the tumultuous Yankee teams of the 1980s, along with two revealing books he did in tandem with former Yankee coach Don Zimmer.Of all the New York writers, none cares more about the Hall of Fame than Mr. Madden...

Finally, I'd like to correct a mistake from an earlier post. Contrary to what I had written, Hank Aaron is in town for Hall of Fame Weekend. My apologies to Hammerin' Hank. The eight Hall of Famers not in Cooperstown this weekend are Rod Carew, George Kell, Lee MacPhail, Stan Musial, Nolan Ryan, Duke Snider, Carl Yastrzemski, and Robin Yount.