PDA

View Full Version : I've been invited to the HOF induction weekend



savafan
01-12-2007, 03:32 AM
Okay, today I was invited to attend this summer's Hall of Fame induction weekend to see Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn be enshrined in Cooperstown. Has anyone ever been to an induction weekend before? What should I expect there?

RedFanAlways1966
01-12-2007, 07:41 AM
What should I expect there?

Never been, sava, but you might see... Pete Rose setup down the street signing his autograph for $money$. :devil:

Sounds like a great opportunity. I hope you have a great time! :)

George Anderson
01-12-2007, 08:02 AM
I went in 1982 to the Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson induction. Also in 1989 to the Johnny Bench and Carl Yastrzemski inductions. The thing I remember most is both times it was incredibly hot and incredibly crowded. If I'm not mistaken they moved the ceremony away from the library and now hold it in a big field with no shade, which would likely make it more hot since there are no trees.

Forget about touring the museum that day because it wont happen, unless you want to wait in line forever and dont mind being elbow to elbow in the museum.


If your main reason for going is to see the induction and not the museum then you will be fine. If your main reason for going is to see the museum then I would pick any weekend but that one to go.

MrCinatit
01-12-2007, 08:15 AM
Go, Sava. Go big time.
I went in 1986 (McCovey and Lombardi) and 1989 (Yaz, Bench, Harry Carey and Red Schoendist).
Both were remarkable, unforgettable experiences, though the '88 ceremonies far outshined the previous. Many there said that was the busiest they had seen the little town in ages. Buses from Cincy, Chicago and St. Louis swarmed the town, and Massachusets plates were seen everywhere. It was very crowded, but there was almost a magical aurora surrounding the place.
If you go to the ceremony, I recommend getting there very, very early. If it is still done the same way as when I went, it is held in a park behind the library - all on flat ground, excepting the platform the ceremonies are held on. This way, you can get a nice, unobstructed view.
It is not only a great way to see those inducted, but players inducted in the past, as well. Then, I believe we had Spahn, Feller, Frank and Brooks, Mays, Hank...even Teddy Ballgame came out to see Yaz get inducted. Yet, the largest cheer then was for the great, grand and spry old Happy Chandler - I can still remember the old guy bounding around, waving and grinning like mad.
In addition to this, there were many recently-retired ballplayers in attendence.
Beyond that, just simply walking through Cooperstown was a remarkable experience. Fans and hawkers swarmed the street, and it seemed everyone was everyone's best friend. After all, we were all bought together for our love of the game, our commradery bought together even further by the fact that OUR player had just made the big time!
Going through the museum, of course, is almost magical - that is the best I can describe it. The amount of memorbillia in there is almost simply overwhelming, but being able to see pieces of history you have only read about is increadible (4192, Maz's HR, Aaron's HR, a cornerstone from Ebbets, Aaron's locker, Wax figures of Ruth, Aaron and Williams...the baseball card display was mouth watering.).
The Hall itself was smaller than I expected - one room...but it was filled with those plaques, so that made the air in the room seem very heavy.
And, I must say, Cooperstown itself is a beautiful town, surrounded by foothills and next to the beautiful lake.
It is an unforgettable experience, Sava, and I recommend it for every baseball fan. I know I will be going again some day myself.
Do it, do it, do it.

Degenerate39
01-12-2007, 08:30 AM
I hope to go one year in the future hopefully when a Red is getting inducted into the Hall of course.

bounty37h
01-12-2007, 11:02 AM
I too went for Benchs induction, was a freshamn in high school I think. I had a blast though. We stayed at a campground not too far away, but the night before the induction, spent the night outside at teh HOF, chained a couple chairs to the chain near the stage-jsut outside the fmaily/media part, si we sat front row (as far as every-day-joe fans can get front row). The aprt I recall the mos tof that was palying good ol fashioned stickball in the streets under the lights at all hours of the night (I am sure it wasnt as late as it felt then, seeing I was still kinda young, but in my head it was till 2 or 3 in the morning :). It was soooooooo very hot out, and finding a drink was hard, finding one under $7 was harder (this stands out to me cause I was there with my cousin who didnt want soda, was before the bottled water trend, so we had to walk around forever trying to find gatorade or juice for him). I also recall he won in the lottery for kids to get in to meet some of the HOF'ers, get auto's (do they still do that?), and I didnt, and I was so mad at him-he didn't even collect auto's, and didnt get any!!!!!!! I also almost caught a ball Bench hit before the HOF game, and then tried to get the security guard to give me a ball he hit in the field, but no luck. It was a wonderful experience though, a baseball lovers delight, and a time to treasure, go my friend, go!!!

redsfanfalcon
01-12-2007, 12:03 PM
Been to the Hall, on my honeymoom...and I'm still married!