Hall of Fame Weekend--Part One

I noticed the first seeds of Hall of Fame Weekend being sowed on Wednesday night. Just as I finished leading one of my guided tours of Cooperstown, two young boys in the group noticed a trolley arriving at the front doors of the Hall of Fame. Within moments, they exclaimed "Dave Winfield," and then raced across the street in a failed attempt to acquire his autograph. Autograph or not, Winfield had become the first Hall of Famer to hit town, beginning a procession that continued on Thursday, and will not conclude until all of the Hall of Famers have reached Cooperstown by sometime on Friday.

The Hall of Fame is expecting a record 54 returning Hall of Famers for Sunday's induction ceremony. Assuming they all attend the ceremony, that would eclipse last year's mark of 53 Hall of Famers. Originally, the Hall expected only 52, but then Ernie Banks and Cal Ripken, Jr. changed their plans at the last minute and announced that they were coming. Joining Banks and Ripken on the induction stage will be the likes of Tony Gwynn (who was inducted with Ripken during last year's memorable Hall of Fame Weekend), Willie Mays (the game's greatest living player), Steve Carlton and Sandy Koufax (the two greatest living left-handers), Bobby Doerr (the oldest Hall of Famer), and Brooks Robinson (the nicest Hall of Famer). All will be on hand for the official induction of Goose Gossage and Dick Williams, along with the late Billy Southworth, Bowie Kuhn, Walter O'Malley, and Barney Dreyfuss.

Only a handful of Hall of Famers will not be in Cooperstown this weekend. The no-shows include Hank Aaron (who seems to carry on a love/hate relationship with the Hall), Stan Musial (whose health has cut down on most of his public appearances), Nolan Ryan (who's never been back for an induction since his own), and Carl Yastrzemski (probably the most reclusive of the Hall of Famers). 

Hall of Famers will not be the only retired ballplayers making appearances in town at the various signings on Main and Pioneer streets. For me, the list of non-Hall of Famers is just as interesting, probably moreso because their stories have not been told as often as those of the game's immortals. The list of "others" includes Paul "Motormouth" Blair, Ralph Branca, Steve Garvey, Dwight Gooden, Jim "Mudcat" Grant, Denny McLain, Graig Nettles, Mickey "Mick the Quick" Rivers, and Bobby Shantz. That's quite a diverse group, ranging from the troubled trio of Garvey, Gooden and McLain to the ever colorful Rivers to the gentlemanly Branca and Shantz. There's a lot there for just about everyone, from fans of the 1940s to the more contemporary followers of the game in the eighties and nineties.

One source told me that Pete Rose will also be signing along Main Street, but I have not yet been able to confirm his appearance. I really wish Rose would stay away, if only because he tends to steal attention from where the spotlight really should be--on Gossage, Williams, and the Class of 2008. It's also bothersome to watch a guy profit from being the outlaw of baseball, a role that Rose is only too pleased to fulfill. 

But let's not allow Rose to spoil the beauty of the weekend. I'll never cease to be amazed how this small village of 2,200 fulltime residents annually transforms itself into the focal point of the baseball world for four summer days. We saw a few signs of that today, as security guards lined the public access points of the Leatherstocking Golf Course, where a few of the Hall of Famers took in their first round of golf. Yes, Hall of Fame Weekend has begun!