0409 - Josh Rawitch
Josh Rawitch is the President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. During our conversation, he referenced a handful of things and people upon which you may want to do more research. Consider this page to be your “liner notes” for the episode so you can follow along.
Me and Josh Rawitch after recording our interview in his office at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown. Please note that of all of the amazing images in baseball history which Josh could have chosen, the one he has displayed on the wall in his office is a panoramic photograph taken at the Addie Joss Benefit Game at League Park in Cleveland. Coincidentally, the photo features a young Shoeless Joe Jackson, who Josh and I have framed behind us in this photo.
Willis Monie Books
This episode is brought to you by Willis Monie Books.
Visit Willis Monie on your next trip to Cooperstown:
139 Main Street
Cooperstown, NY 13326
(607) 435-1607
Follow Willis Monie Books on social media:
More Than Baseball
Despite its proximity to the Baseball Hall of Fame, Willis Monie Books is FAR more than just a baseball book store. You’ll find all of the types of books you’d expect to find in a great used book store. Americana, Theology, Art, History, Fiction (including 1000's of titles in Mystery and Science Fiction), Literary Criticisms and Biographies, Science and Natural History, Cookbooks, Cinema, Business and Economics, Music and Opera, Children's, Crime and Law, Psychology and many other categories.
History
Willis Monie Books has a great Local section, too, featuring not only books by local Cooperstown authors, but also books about the rich history of Cooperstown, itself.
The building where Willis Monie is located is historic in its own right, having been built in 1913, and living several lives before becoming the incredible bookstore that it is today.
Curtis Pride
Curtis Pride will be signing at Willis Monie Books during the 2025 Hall of Fame Induction Weekend.
Pride played in Major League Baseball from 1993 to 2006 for the Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, and Anaheim Angels / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In 2015, he was named MLB's Ambassador For Inclusion.
Cooperstown Antiquarian Book Fair
The Cooperstown Antiquarian Book Fair is coming to the Clark Sports Center on June 28th, from 10 am to 4 pm.
Explore an extravaganza of antique and vintage books, ephemera, and maps, with all proceeds going to the Cooperstown Foundation for Excellence in Education.
Cooperstown, New York
The village of Cooperstown is pure Americana, a one-stoplight town nestled between the Adirondacks and the Catskills in Central New York. It drew its name from the family of James Fenimore Cooper – whose father, William Cooper, founded the village – whose works of literature have become American standards.
A Synonym For “Baseball”
Cooperstown has become a synonym for “baseball” – thanks to a story about a Civil War general and the country’s love for a timeless game.
By the last half of the 19th Century, baseball had become the National Pastime. The United States was a little more than 100 years old, and baseball had evolved with the country. But there was no definitive answer as to the birth of the game.
A.G. Spalding
Enter the Spalding Commission, a board created by sporting goods magnate and former player A.G. Spalding to establish the genesis of baseball. And after a few years of searching, they found their answer.
Albert Goodwill Spalding was a pitcher, manager, and executive in the early years of professional baseball, and the co-founder of the Spalding sporting goods company.
Abner Graves
Abner Graves, a mining engineer, proclaimed that Abner Doubleday – a decorated Union Army officer who fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter at the start of the Civil War and later served at the Battle of Gettysburg – invented baseball in 1839 in Cooperstown.
That was good enough for the Spalding Commission, which came to its conclusion in 1907.
The Doubleday Myth is widely discredited among modern baseball historians. The recollections of Graves have been criticized because Graves was five years old in 1839, and 71 when he first made the Doubleday claims.
Although Spalding referred to Doubleday and Graves as "playmates" in his submission of evidence to the Mills Commission, Doubleday was more than a decade older than Graves, turning 20 in 1839.
Stephen C. Clark
Three decades later, Cooperstown philanthropist Stephen C. Clark – seeking a way to celebrate and protect the National Pastime as well as an economic engine for Cooperstown – asked National League president Ford C. Frick if he would support the establishment of a Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
Clark was the youngest of the four sons of Alfred Corning Clark and Elizabeth Scriven. His grandfather, Edward Cabot Clark, had been Isaac Singer's lawyer and partner in the Singer Sewing Machine Company.
Alfred Corning Clark inherited a 37.5% stake in the company, and invested the profits in New York City real estate. Alfred died in April 1896, leaving a $30,000,000 family trust to his widow and sons.
The Hall of Fame
Stephen C. Clark’s idea was welcomed, and in 1936 the inaugural Hall of Fame class of Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner was elected.
Three years later, the Hall of Fame building officially opened in Cooperstown as all of baseball paused to honor what was called “Baseball’s Centennial” and as the first four Hall of Fame classes were inducted.
Abner Doubleday
Time Magazine wrote: “The world will little note nor long remember what (Doubleday) did at Gettysburg, but it can never forget what he did at Cooperstown.”
In the years since, The Doubleday Myth has been refuted. Doubleday himself was at West Point in 1839. Yet The Myth has become strong enough that the facts alone do not deter the spirit of Cooperstown.
Abner Doubleday’s SABR Biography
“The Legendary Doubleday Game” - SABR Games Project article
The Hall of Fame
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, surely the most well-known sports shrine in the world, continues to thrive in the town where baseball’s pulse beats the strongest.
But in the years following the opening of the Hall of Fame on June 12, 1939, the Museum has become much more than just home to baseball’s biggest stars. The Hall of Fame is the keeper of the game.
Artifacts
The Hall of Fame’s collections contain more than 40,000 three-dimensional artifacts – such as bats, balls, gloves and uniforms – donated by players and fans who want to see history preserved.
Here, Hall of Fame director of collections Sue MacKay accessions artifacts prior to storing them in collections.
(Photo courtesy of Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)
Climate-Controlled
The artifact collection is housed in climate-controlled rooms to protect the delicate leather, fabric and wood materials used in baseball. The Museum promises – in exchange for the donation of an artifact – to care for an item in perpetuity, which means the effects of temperature and humidity must be constantly regulated.
The Museum’s first accessioned item was the “Doubleday Baseball”, seen here, which was discovered in a farmhouse in nearby Fly Creek, N.Y., in 1935 and dates to the 19th Century.
Cy Young
Then in 1937, Cy Young – elected to the Hall of Fame that year in the second year of voting – generously donated several artifacts, including the 1908 ball from his 500th win and the uniform he wore with the Boston Braves.
Young wore this uniform during his six-week stint with the Boston Braves at the start of the 1912 season. Young was unable to get his 45-year-old arm into shape and he retired at the end of May, having never been called into a game that year.
Nevertheless, Young’s donations generated new offers from other players, as well as fans.
Hall of Fame Game
Thousands of fans attended the opening of the Hall of Fame on June 12, 1939. That same year, another Cooperstown tradition was started with the launch of the annual Hall of Fame Game, which, for 70 years, was an annual celebration of the game as two Major League Baseball teams played an annual exhibition contest at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown.
Here, Babe Ruth pinch-hits during the first Hall of Fame Game in 1939.
(Photo courtesy of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)
Doubleday Field
Doubleday Field dates back to 1920, and the first grandstand was built in 1924. Thanks to Works Progress Administration money during the Great Depression, the field was expanded again in 1934.
Here, a game takes place in 1919 on the land where Doubleday Field would eventually be built.
(Photo courtesy of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)
“Green Light Letter”
The A. Bartlett Giamatti Research Center is also part of the Museum experience, and the Center’s Library contains more than three million documents on the history of baseball, ranging from reference books to the “Green Light Letter” sent by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis in January of 1942, urging Landis to keep baseball going during World War II.
(Photo courtesy of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)
A. Bartlett Giamatti Research Center
As an educational institution, the Museum offers outreach programs for audiences of all ages. Through virtual classroom technology, Cooperstown is transported to schools across the country with videoconference lessons featuring any one of 16 learning modules.
(Photo courtesy of Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)
Statistics
The Hall of Fame welcomes 250,000 visitors annually and the Museum’s collections contain more 200,000 baseball cards, 250,000 historic baseball photographs and images, and 14,000 hours of original audio and video recordings.
(Photo courtesy of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)
Josh Rawitch
Josh Rawitch is in his fifth year as President of the Hall of Fame, and his 31st season working in baseball. He oversees the daily operation of the nonprofit, educational institution, which employs nearly 100 full-time staff members with the mission to preserve history, honor excellence, and connect generations.
Josh was honored with the 2018 Robert O. Fishel Award which goes to the “active, non-uniformed representative of Major League Baseball whose ethics, character, dedication, service, professionalism and humanitarianism best represent the standards” of the longtime baseball PR executive for which it is named.
Northridge, CA
Interstate 10 split and collapsed over La Cienega Boulevard following the Northridge earthquake on January 17, 1994.
Lasting approximately 8 seconds, it was the largest earthquake in the area since 1971. Fifty-seven people died and more than 9,000 were injured.
(Photo courtesy of Eric Draper / Associated Press)
The Earthquake Kids
The Northridge City Little League players, who had become known as “The Earthquake Kids,” were honored with a ticker-tape parade on Disneyland’s Main Street after their run to the 1994 Little League World Series championship game.
(Photo courtesy of Kari Rene Hall/The Los Angeles Times)
Record-Holder
Josh holds the Northridge Little League record for most consecutive home runs … allowed as a pitcher.
He gave up four home runs in a row, but hey, a record’s a record.
Records That Will Never Be Broken
One of the evergreen topics of conversation among baseball fans is “what record will never be broken?” and while there are many which I think are far beyond reach, one I feel very confident will never be broken is Johnny Vander Meer’s two consecutive no-hitters.
It is possible that someone comes along one day and replicates the feat, but I sincerely doubt anyone ever breaks the record by throwing three consecutive.
Cecil Espy
Josh was a Dodgers fan growing up, and the first game he remembers attending was down the stretch in 1983 at Dodger Stadium.
Cecil Espy played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Cincinnati Reds in 1983 and from 1987–1993. He made a great catch in the outfield during the first game Josh attended, which was most likely October 1, 1983 against the Giants.
Steve Sax
Steve Sax was a second baseman from 1981 to 1994, most known for his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, with whom he won world championships in 1981 and 1988. Most importantly, though, he was Josh’s favorite player growing up.
A five-time All-Star, Sax was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1982 and won the Silver Slugger Award in 1986.
He also played for the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, and the Oakland Athletics.
Cards Started It All
Josh’s Uncle Marvin lived in Boston and had a massive baseball card collection. When Josh was 7 years old, he got a pack of 1983 Fleer cards in the mail from his uncle.
Josh remembers seeing the cards of Mike Ramsey and Jerry Martin, and he just became addicted to opening packs. Josh and his brother became big card collectors during the Junk Wax Era, paying attention to the cards’ values in Beckett Baseball Card Price Guide.
Vin Scully
Josh grew up listening to Vin Scully call the games of his favorite team. Whether he realized it at the time or not, that surely played a big part in Josh wanting to go into broadcasting when he was in high school and college.
131 Years
From 1886 when Connie Mack’s playing career began, until 2016 when Vin Scully’s broadcasting career ended, either Mack or Scully were involved in every single Major League season for a 131 year stretch.
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Ford C. Frick Award
The Ford C. Frick Award is presented annually by the Baseball Hall of Fame to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball". The award was created in 1978, and named in tribute to former commissioner Ford C. Frick following his death that year.
Prior to his career as an executive, Frick was a baseball writer and occasional broadcaster; he gained fame as a ghostwriter for Babe Ruth in the 1920s.
Recipients of the award are not members of the Hall of Fame—they are not "inducted" or "enshrined", they are not "Hall of Fame broadcasters", and there is no "broadcasters' wing" of the Hall of Fame—they are officially "honorees." The award is given at a separate ceremony from the induction ceremony on Hall of Fame weekend. As with recipients of the BBWAA Career Excellence Award for baseball writing, the honorees are permanently recognized in a "Scribes & Mikemen" exhibit in the HOF's library.
Vin Scully announced the birth of Josh’s son live during the Dodgers broadcast, a gift the Rawitch family will cherish forever.
Indiana University
One of Josh’s broadcasting professors at Indiana University told him to send his resume to his hometown team, and that led to Josh working for the Dodgers for about 15 years.
Josh’s advice to anyone in college now who wants to get involved in sports:
“If you’re lucky enough to be at a school with an athletic department, you’ve got to find a way to get involved in it.”
Get something on your resume that shows you want to work in sports, that you’re not just a sports fan who won your fantasy league or that you’re into baseball cards. Actually prove that you want to work in sports.
Southern Illinois University
I went to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, and was on the air at the student-run radio station, WIDB, for all four years.
I called six different sports as a Saluki: men’s and women’s basketball, football, baseball, softball, and women’s volleyball.
Bilingual
Josh took Spanish in high school like anyone else, but didn’t take it very seriously. However, after his first summer as an intern with the Dodgers, he asked Assistant GM Robert Schweppe, “If I want to be a GM one day, what should I go do to improve my chances?”
Robert told him to learn Spanish, and said it would be a very valuable skill to have. When he went back to IU for his sophomore year, Josh took Spanish again, but took it seriously this time.
It changed his life forever.
Travel
On October 23, 2001, Josh landed in Rio de Janeiro to start the trip of a lifetime, backpacking South America for 3 1/2 months. Josh says he can’t encourage young people enough to travel cheaply & be open to new adventures.
Caribbean Series
Josh took this photo when the Tomateros de Culiacán (Mexico) won the championship game of the Caribbean Series in Caracas, Venezuela back in February of 2002.
The Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe) is an annual club tournament contested by professional baseball teams in Latin America.
A Huge Advantage
While Josh doesn’t think it’s a necessity to be bilingual, it’s certainly a huge advantage if you want to work in baseball. It seems like either Spanish or Japanese are the foreign languages of the future in MLB.
Dominican Republic
The Diamondbacks asked Josh if he would emcee the opening of their academy at the Las Américas Complex in the Dominican Republic in November of 2024. Without being able to communicate in Spanish, Josh wouldn’t have gotten that opportunity, or many of the others he’s been lucky enough to have in his career.
May 18, 1998
Josh’s first day on the job with the Dodgers was May 18, 1998, just a few days after the team had traded away the face of their franchise, Mike Piazza.
Not only was Piazza the face of the Dodgers, he was the face of Los Angeles. One of Josh’s first duties was to drive around Los Angeles, taking Mike Piazza’s face and likeness down from all of the billboards, bus shelters, and buildings.
The trade was made by studio executives from the media company that bought the club from the O’Malley family, without the knowledge or input of soon-to-be-former general manager Fred Claire.
On May 22, just eight days after trading for Piazza, the Marlins dealt him to the New York Mets for three prospects, a move which would change the trajectory of Piazza’s career, and of both franchises.
Mike Piazza
Mike Piazza played 16 seasons, from 1992 to 2007, most notably for the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers, while also having brief stints with the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and Oakland Athletics.
A 12-time All-Star and 10-time Silver Slugger Award winner at catcher, he produced strong offensive numbers at his position. In his career, he recorded 427 home runs—a record 396 of which were hit as catcher—along with a .308 batting average and 1,335 RBI.
He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016.
Marlins Trade(s)
On May 15, 1998, the Dodgers traded Piazza and Todd Zeile to the Marlins in return for Gary Sheffield, Charles Johnson, Bobby Bonilla, Manuel Barrios, and Jim Eisenreich.
On May 22, the Marlins traded Piazza to the New York Mets for Preston Wilson, Ed Yarnall, and Geoff Goetz.
Dodgers Career
Josh worked for the Dodgers during kind of a tumultuous stretch in their history. It was a transitional phase for the franchise, with the team having four different owners and ownership groups over the course of his time there.
Tommy Lasorda
In his 21 seasons as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tommy Lasorda’s club finished 4th or worse seven different times. They finished with a .500 or worse record seven different times, as well.
But the team stuck with him because they believed in his vision, and in the effect he had on the team. That loyalty paid off with four National League pennants and two World Series titles.
2008 in Beijing
Josh vividly remembers a conversation he had with Joe Torre, Frank McCourt, and Jamie McCourt while on a trip to China in 2008 about the importance of continuity and stability in a franchise.
It’s one of the things that made Joe Torre’s tenure as Yankees manager such a success, and one they hoped to replicate with him at the helm in Los Angeles.
Managerial Turnover
After Tommy Lasorda retired, the Dodgers had a hard time finding a manager to fill his shoes.
Dan Evans
Dan Evans started as an intern with the Chicago White Sox while a junior at DePaul University and was eventually promoted to Assistant GM.
After almost 20 years, Evans resigned from the White Sox following the 2000 season. During his tenure, he was responsible for drafting or acquiring future Hall of Famer Frank Thomas, Tom Seaver, Robin Ventura, Paul Konerko, and Bo Jackson, among others.
Evans then became the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2001 to 2004, during which they ended a seven-year postseason drought. Among the players drafted under Evans were all-stars Matt Kemp and Russell Martin. Evans also signed Hall of Famer Fred McGriff.
Evans is currently the president of the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR) Board of Directors, with his term beginning in June of 2025.
This is what MLB.com looked like on November 25, 2001.
Diamondbacks
Josh worked as a beat reporter for MLB Advanced Media (aka mlb.com), and helped make the transition from every team having and running their own website, to MLB running the websites for each team under a cohesive brand, look, and feel.
After that, Josh went back to the Dodgers for a bit, working as the Vice President of Communications. Then, he worked for the Arizona Diamondbacks for about a decade, including as their Senior Vice President of Content and Communications.
Here is Josh with longtime Diamondbacks broadcaster Greg Schulte in Cooperstown. Greg donated the headset he wore during the 2023 World Series, and also his scorebook from 2001, including the historic Game 7 walkoff by Luis Gonzalez.
Left to right: National Baseball Hall of Fame Board Member Ken Kendrick, Randy Johnson, Josh Rawitch, Derrick Hall and Luis Gonzalez.
“On What Charges?”
When Josh walked into the office the morning Arizona signed Zack Greinke, Diamondbacks President and CEO Derrick Hall essentially told him “sit down, shut up, and just watch what happens throughout the course of today.”
Passport
Another good piece of advice is to have a valid and active passport, because you never know what opportunities may come your way when people know you’re willing and able to travel internationally.
World Baseball Classic
Josh has served as the Venue Press Chief for multiple World Baseball Classics. This moment in Seoul, South Korea during the 2017 World Baseball Classic sticks in Josh’s mind as one of the most memorable he’s ever been a part of.
Coach Bobby Knight
While Josh was in Arizona, he was an adjunct professor at the Walter Cronkite School Of Journalism at Arizona State University, where he taught sports communication.
When he was at Indiana University as a student, he took a class called The Technique of Coaching Basketball, which was taught by legendary IU basketball coach Bobby Knight.
While this lesson isn’t quite the same as the one Coach Knight taught his class about motivation, it’s still one worth listening to.
Tony and Bobby
When Josh was with the Diamondbacks, Tony Larussa was in the front office. He brought in Coach Knight, who was actually a big baseball fan, to speak to the team.
Coach Knight was also close friends and fly fishing buddies with Ted Williams.
Joe Torre Baseball Camp
Josh attended Joe Torre baseball camp as a kid. Josh’s counselor/coach at the camp was comedian Brody Stevens.
It feels like serendipity that, years later, Josh would up working with Joe Torre when he became manager of the Dodgers.
Dave Roberts
After only five Negro League managers who have higher winning percentages, Dave Roberts is the winningest manager in the history of Major League Baseball.
Here is Josh with Dave Roberts (center) and Scott Akasaki, who is serving as an Exhibit Ambassador for Yakyu | Baseball: The Transpacific Exchange of the Game.
Social Media
The 2003 Dodgers opened in Arizona with Hall of Famers Fred McGriff, Rickey Henderson, and Adrián Beltré on their roster, four future managers in Robin Ventura, Dave Roberts, Cody Ross, and Álex Cora, an NFL All-Pro in Brian Jordan, and lots of good dudes. Josh would know, because he’s standing in the doorway in this picture with the team.
Imagine the content we could have gotten if the guys in this room had social media back then.
HOF President
Josh came to Cooperstown for his interview on May 10, 2021, he was announced as the new President of the Hall of Fame in June of that year, and assumed the role officially in September.
Not His Job
While Josh is the face of the institution, he is not in charge of selecting who gets inducted into the Hall of Fame, and has no say in the voting process.
(Photo courtesy of Milo Stewart, Jr. / the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)
And Other Duties As Assigned
The actual administration of the Hall of Fame is a big part of Josh’s job, but curation, archives, library, dealing with Hall of Famers, dealing with big announcements, thinking about Hall of Fame Induction Weekend and everything that goes into that are things most people don’t consider when they ask Josh what he does.
Josh is in charge of running a 100+ person institution, which means meetings, strategic planning, trying to think about what the future looks like, as well as fundraising because they’re an independent nonprofit organization.
Women In Baseball
While Commissioner Manfred sits on the Board of Directors at the Hall of Fame, and the Hall likes to work in conjunction with Major League Baseball, they are two entirely separate entities. Major League Baseball is an incredible partner to the Hall of Fame, but MLB does not own or fund the Hall in any way.
The Hall is a completely independent nonprofit organization, which allows them to dictate their own exhibits and displays, such as their Diamond Dreams: Women In Baseball exhibit, seen here, and “¡Viva Baseball!,” which focuses on the rich baseball traditions of the major baseball-playing countries of Latin America: Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
Yakyu Baseball
Baseball in the United States and yakyu in Japan exist, and in fact prosper, as a result of the emergence of transpacific systems of exchange between the two countries over the past 150 years.
The new exhibit, set to open in July of 2025, will explore the wide-ranging exchange of baseball between Japan and the United States from the Meiji era to today and the transpacific circulation of baseball concepts, styles of play, fan experiences, equipment, and people that shaped the shared culture of the game.
Make A Donation
Before there was a competing American League to eventually play a World Series against, the two best teams in the National League competed for the Temple Cup from 1894 to 1897. Pictured here is the actual Temple Cup, which is on display at the HOF.
If you want to help preserve the history of the game, now is a great time to make a donation to the Hall of Fame.
If that’s something you’re interested in doing, you can do so HERE.
If you would like to show your support by becoming a member of the Hall of Fame, you can do that HERE.
Josh’s First Visit
Josh first visited the Hall of Fame in 2001 with his dad. They both loved it, but neither of them could ever have imagined that one day, Josh would be in charge of running it.
2014 Visit
Josh intended to come back to Cooperstown in 2014 in advance of Joe Torre’s induction to get a lay of the land for the following year when Randy Johnson was going to be inducted, just to see how the whole process went and what the weekend looked like.
Josh made that trip with Tony Larussa, who the Diamondbacks had just hired as their Chief Baseball Officer, as well as with Joe Torre. Here are Tony and Joe with two-time Sporting News Executive of the Year Roland Hemond, who is credited with the original idea for the Arizona Fall League.
Induction Weekend
Josh’s view (from the stage) during the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is pretty great.
Here is what he saw during Jim Leyland’s speech in 2024.
June 12, 1939
If Josh had a time machine and could attend any Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in history, he’d love to go back to the first one ever.
First Induction Ceremony
The world learned on February 2, 1936, that Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, and Honus Wagner had been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
All of the Hall of Fame's living members (except Ty Cobb) sat for a photograph on June 12, 1939 in Cooperstown during the inaugural Induction Ceremony, seen here.
Jackie Robinson
If Josh couldn’t be at the first ever Induction Ceremony, his next pick would be to go to the July 23, 1962 Induction Ceremony so he could watch Jackie Robinson give his speech.
During his speech, Jackie said:
“I want to thank all of the people throughout this country who were just so wonderful during those trying days. I appreciate it at no end and it’s the greatest honor any person could have and I only hope that I’ll be able to live up to this tremendously fine honor.”
Cooper Park
The Class of 1966 featured the induction of Casey Stengel and Ted Williams and marked the move of the Induction Ceremony from Main Street to Cooper Park.
In the early 1990s, the induction ceremony was moved to The Clark Sports Center to accommodate larger crowds.
Jeff Idelson
Jeff Idelson joined the Baseball Hall of Fame on September 26, 1994, as director of public relations and promotions. He was named as the organization's vice president of communications and education in 1999, a role that includes overseeing the Hall of Fame elections and awards, communications, community and media relations, publications, public programs, promotions, advertising, and artifact acquisition. He also oversaw the museum's college internship program and education department.
He was named President of the Hall of Fame on April 16, 2008, replacing Dale Petroskey. After his successor Tim Mead stepped down in May 2021, he returned as "interim president" through the 2021 induction ceremony on September 8 of that year.
Along with Jean Fruth, Idelson is also the co-founder of Grassroots Baseball, a 501(c)3 celebrating the amateur game around the globe and inspiring more children to play.
The Souls of the Game: Voices of Black Baseball spotlights the decades-long history of Black baseball prior to the formation of the Negro Leagues.
Savannah Bananas
“We are so excited to welcome the Savannah Bananas here to Cooperstown, New York, the last stop on their nationwide tour,” Hall of Fame Chairman Jane Forbes Clark said.
“And we feel there’s no better place to be than right here at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, to be able to be at the opening of this great exhibit, which really celebrates the phenomenon – the fabulous phenomenon – that has been created by Jesse Cole and his team.”
The Bananas played at Doubleday Field on September 16, 2023, to a sold out crowd (of course).
Handling Artifacts
Because Josh didn’t come from a museum background before being named President of the Hall of Fame, he was surprised to learn about the amount of thought and care that goes into handling, storing, moving, displaying, and preserving the artifacts.
Here he is very carefully holding the cap Babe Ruth wore as a coach with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Hall of Famers
It’s Josh’s job to interact with Hall of Famers basically every day. Sometimes he has to take a step back to realize how insane that is, that he has become friends with the people who are idolized by millions (including himself).
Here he is with Hall of Famer Jim Thome.
Chris Sale
Chris Sale stopped at the Hall of Fame during the All-Star Break in 2023 with his son’s youth team. They got to see several artifacts that Chris donated over the years.
Sale is an 8-time All-Star, a Gold Glove Award winner, and a World Series champion. He has won an ERA Title, a Cy Young Award, and pitching’s Triple Crown.
On May 25, 2025, Sale recorded his 2,500th career strikeout, reaching the milestone faster than any other pitcher in MLB history. It took him just 2,026 innings, breaking the previous record of 2,107⅔ innings held by Randy Johnson.
There’s a very good chance Chris ends up with a plaque in Cooperstown one day, which he can eventually visit along with all of the items he’s donated.
CC Sabathia
CC Sabathia visited the Hall of Fame for the first time on July 31, 2022 with his son’s team. Josh got to show them CC’s cleats from the first game ever at New Yankee Stadium.
Sabathia was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the Class of 2025 following a 19-year career which saw the left-hander win 251 games and strike out 3,093 batters. CC is one of only 19 pitchers ever to strike out more than 3,000 batters in a career.
Ichiro
Ichiro Suzuki visited the Hall of Fame seven times during his playing career, by far more than any other player during their career. He truly loves and respects the history of the game, especially the great hitters in baseball’s rich history.
After totaling 420 hits from 2002-03, Ichiro broke George Sisler’s longstanding MLB record of 257 hits in 2004, topping the mark by five. Here he is, standing in front of Sisler’s Hall of Fame plaque.
George Sisler’s SABR Biography
(Photo courtesy of Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)
More Ichiro
Ichiro accumulated 3,089 hits, 509 stolen bases, and 10 Gold Glove Awards despite not appearing in a big league game until he was 27 years old.
His 10 years with 200-or-more hits tied the MLB mark, and those 10 seasons came consecutively, setting another MLB record.
The Hall of Fame has many items donated by Ichiro, who is honored to have the Hall care for his artifacts.
(Photo courtesy of Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle (left) and Whitey Ford (right) were elected to the Hall of Fame in 1974. The Class of 1974 also included Cool Papa Bell, Jim Bottomley, Jocko Conlan, and Sam Thompson.
During Mickey’s playing career, he earned a total of $1.2 million from his Yankees contracts.
Mickey Mantle’s SABR Biography
Tom Catal, a Cooperstown mainstay and Mickey Mantle’s former autograph agent, was our guest for Episode 7 of Season 4. You can listen to that episode HERE.
Anthony Banda
When players like Babe Ruth, Henry Aaron, and Tom Seaver donated their entire collections to the Hall of Fame years ago, it set the precedent for future players to want to donate what could otherwise be monetarily valuable items to the Hall.
Josh’s personal relationship with Anthony Banda dates back to 2017 when both were part of the Diamondbacks organization. Look how excited Anthony was to know the jersey he was wearing when the Dodgers won the World Series in 2024 will forever live in Cooperstown.
“Working In Baseball”
When people talk about "working in baseball," they usually assume that means working for one of the teams, or maybe for a broadcasting partner. But working at the Hall of Fame is absolutely "working in baseball."
Here, Josh talks in his office with Kelsie Whitmore, a member of the United States women's national baseball team who was also the first woman to be in the starting lineup in an Atlantic League game.
Life In Cooperstown
Josh’s twitter account is as much about life in Cooperstown as it is about the Hall of Fame. It makes Josh one of my favorite people to follow, because you get to see so much more than you’ll ever get to see on a trip to the Hall of Fame, and it makes you feel like you’re actually there.
This photo, which he posted along with a few others on January 7, 2024, was taken by his wife.
Brian Bernardoni
Brian Bernardoni is the Official Historian of Wrigley Field, and has been a tour guide at the park since 1998. One of his favorite things about working at Wrigley is having the chance to be there when no one else is, and then watching the park come to life as people start to file in on a game day.
Brian was our guest for Episode 6 of Season 1. You can listen to that episode HERE.
Josh has a similar feeling about the Hall of Fame’s Plaque Gallery as Brian Bernardoni has about Wrigley Field.
Decorated For The (Off)Season
My favorite time of year to visit the Hall of Fame is during the winter, because I know that I am going to have the museum to myself, for the most part.
The decorations are beautiful, and Cooperstown is scenic with the snow, but I’m there to experience the museum. To me, the best way to do that is without a bunch of other people around.
A Hallmark Movie Set
Josh feels incredibly blessed to have a place like Cooperstown in America, but to live there and work there is next-level for him.
The Top 1%
There have been nearly 25,000 players in Major League history. The Hall of Fame is comprised of 351 elected members. Included are 278 former major league players, as well as 40 executives/pioneers, 23 managers and 10 umpires.
Jane Forbes Clark loves the fact that the Baseball Hall of Fame holds themselves to such a high standard, whereas other halls of fame allow in more former players.
Still Represented
Just because a player doesn’t have a plaque in the Plaque Gallery, doesn’t mean they’re not represented in the museum somewhere. This allows the Hall of Fame to truly tell the story of baseball’s history, and to recognize and celebrate far more than just the Top 1% who earn the honor of getting a plaque.
If you’re in your local Baseball Writers’ Association of America chapter covering baseball for 10+ years, you are eligible to be a Hall of Fame voter.
Era Committees
The Era Committees, formerly known as the Veterans Committee, consider retired major league players no longer eligible for election by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, along with managers, umpires and executives whose greatest contributions to the game were realized either prior to 1980 or after 1980.
In all its forms, the Era Committee has elected 183 individuals (117 major leaguers, 33 executives, 23 managers and 10 umpires) to the Hall of Fame.
The most recent vote elected Dick Allen and Dave Parker from the candidates seen here. They will be inducted in the Class of 2025.
Ghosts in the Gallery at Cooperstown
I think one of the things that keeps Shoeless Joe Jackson's name in the public consciousness after all these years is that people think he belongs in the Hall and isn't in, so every year his name gets brought up as someone who is deserving of a plaque but doesn't have one. For the guys who deserved plaques and got them when they retired decades ago, there's nothing left to talk about really, and their names eventually fade away.
Ghosts In The Gallery at Cooperstown: Sixteen Little-Known Members of the Hall of Fame by David Fleitz discusses this concept, that just because you're enshrined at the Hall of Fame, that's no guarantee of lasting name recognition because the sport's history stretches too far back. Eventually, someone is going to come along and break the records those first few generations set, and despite having a plaque in the gallery, some guys who are in the Hall of Fame are still going to largely be forgotten.
You can buy David Fleitz’s book HERE.
While inner-circle Hall of Famers like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Henry Aaron, and Willie Mays may have many items on display and in the archives of the Hall, there isn’t necessarily a focus on trying to have every single HOFer represented by an artifact on the floor of the museum.
No Plaque? No Problem.
Just because players like Shoeless Joe Jackson or Barry Bonds might not have plaques in the Hall of Fame, their pictures, their artifacts, and their stories are all over this museum.
Henry Aaron
Josh thinks Henry Aaron is the player who is most represented on the floor of the museum since he donated his entire collection to the Hall of Fame.
The uniform he was wearing when he hit career home run #715 to break Babe Ruth’s all-time record is on display, as well as a number of the home run balls he hit during the chase.
An entire exhibit, called Chasing The Dream, is dedicated to Henry Aaron’s life and career, including trophies and awards he won, bats he used, and even items from his boyhood home.
Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth is probably represented the next most, after Henry Aaron. While Aaron’s gallery is full of the actual artifacts, many of the items in Ruth’s gallery are faux newspaper articles or facsimiles of original artifacts which may be too old or fragile to be on display.
Henry Aaron Statue
On May 23, 2024, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum debuted a new Henry Aaron statue, ensuring that his lifetime of heroics on and off the field is celebrated for all time.
The bronze representation of Aaron – 76 inches tall and weighing about 650 pounds – is titled “Keep Swinging” and is located on the first floor of the Museum near the base of the Grand Staircase.
The inscription, which is a quote from Aaron, reads:
“As long as there’s a chance that maybe I can hammer out a little justice now and then, or a little opportunity here and there, I intend do to as I always have – keep swinging.”
Fourteen Hall of Famers were on hand to mark the dedication of the statue.
Digital Displays
Having digital displays for things like single-season and all-time records makes it much easier (and much more cost-effective) for the Hall of Fame to update displays when records are broken.
Instead of having to retype, reformat, reprint, and rehang new placards, a simple script automatically updates any new statistics on its own, ensuring that every display is always up-to-date.
Updating Plaques
Unless there is an egregious error, the Hall of Fame usually doesn’t update plaques. Now that Negro League statistics have been incorporated into the Major League record books, Willie Mays’ career hit total has increased by 10 compared to when his HOF plaque was created. That means his plaque is just always going to have the wrong number of hits on it now, which is unfortunate but understandable.
According to researcher Ted Chastain, at least 17 original plaques have been replaced over the years by altered versions (with changes to the likeness, name or text), including one that’s been changed at least twice (Ted Williams), and another that’s been changed at least three times (Bob Feller).
Impossible To Display It All
There are about 40,000 artifacts in the Hall of Fame’s collection. About 10% of those are above ground, meaning roughly 4,000 are on display and 36,000 are not.
It’s great to know that so much baseball history is preserved, but it’s a shame that so much of it is unseen.
Even a large number of the things on display within the museum – primarily when it comes to ephemera – aren’t the actual items. They’re facsimiles that have been reproduced from the originals which are in the archives.
The rule of thumb is that for every year something is on display, it needs to “rest” for three years, away from the light. The Hall of Fame rotates their artifacts to keep them safely preserved in perpetuity.
Old Photos Of The Hall
I have a small collection of photos of the Hall of Fame, and it's very interesting to go back and look at what the interior used to look like, how things were set up, and what pieces were on display from decades past.
It seems like for the first few decades, the museum was solely "here are artifacts from the retired greats of the game, or players who have passed away" and "here, we recognize and honor the great teams from years gone by."
Modern Times, Modern Artifacts
Of course the Hall of Fame still has an enormous amount of space dedicated to those types of things, but it seems like in recent years, there is much more attention paid to current players and amazing feats, like having the glove of a pitcher who recently threw a no-hitter, or the bat from a player who recently hit for the cycle, even if those players aren't necessarily on a Hall of Fame trajectory for their career.
Roki Sasaki
A ball Roki Sasaki used to pitch a 19-strikeout perfect game for the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2022 will be included in the Museum’s upcoming Yakyu | Baseball exhibit.
(Photo courtesy of Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)
The Doubleday Myth
I think the Hall does a good job now of addressing the Doubleday Myth and acknowledging that it has been debunked.
While the field in Cooperstown is still called Doubleday, I think it's fair to say that the Hall is definitely no longer claiming Abner Doubleday invented baseball, or hitching their wagon to his name or the stories associated with him.
The Spiritual Home of Baseball
But now here we are, 85 years after the first induction ceremony, and despite the original placement of the Hall of Fame being in Cooperstown under false pretenses, there is now nearly a century of legitimate history right here in town.
Josh likes to call Cooperstown “the spiritual home of baseball.”
Updated Signage
The Village of Cooperstown has removed old signage like this plaque, which was unveiled in June of 1939, touting Abner Doubleday as the “inventor of baseball.”
Now, those types of signs are gone, with some of them even having been replaced with signage addressing the fact that the Doubleday Myth has been debunked.
There are a couple great books which detail the origins of baseball:
How Baseball Happened: Outrageous Lies Exposed! The True Story Revealed by Thomas W. Gilbert
Baseball in the Garden of Eden: The Secret History of the Early Game by John Thorn
Acquiring New Artifacts
Miguel Cabrera presented the helmet he wore when he hit his 500th career home run to Josh Rawitch (left) and Jon Shestakofsky of the Hall of Fame on September 24, 2021 in Detroit.
Joc Pederson’s Pearls
Joc Pederson, who launched two pinch-hit home runs in the National League Division Series and added another homer in the NLCS, turned a fashion statement into a rally symbol for Braves fans throughout the team’s march to the 2021 World Series title.
Following the Braves victory parade in Atlanta on November 5, Pederson donated his pearl necklace to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
White Sox
The White Sox have thrown a total of 20 no-hitters in their franchise’s history, which is the most by any American League team. They also have three perfect games, which is second-most in MLB behind the Yankees.
The first White Sox no-hitter was thrown by Nixey Callahan on September 20, 1902.
The most unlikely was a perfect game thrown by Philip Humber on April 21, 2012.
A former top prospect with the Mets, Humber never quite lived up to the hype of being the No. 3 overall Draft pick in 2004. But almost eight years later, he achieved greatness, throwing the third perfect game in White Sox history and 21st overall in MLB. Additionally, Humber accomplished the feat with just 96 pitches, the first perfecto to be under 100 pitches since David Cone’s in 1999.
Mark Buehrle wore this cap, preserved in the Museum’s collection, when he threw his first no-hitter in a crisp two hours and three minutes on April 18, 2007.
DeWayne Wise’s Glove
The Glove that DeWayne Wise used to rob Gabe Kapler of a home run, preserving Mark Buehrle’s perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 23, 2009, is in the Hall of Fame’s collection.
Induction Weekend
Josh thinks every baseball fan should experience a Hall of Fame Induction Weekend in person at least once in their life.
Here he is with Director of A/V services Bruce Brodersen, who retired in 2024 after 35 years at the Hall of Fame. Bruce started just days before the 1989 Induction when it was still held in Cooper Park.
Fall in Cooperstown
I mean, come on. How can you not love this?
Winter in Cooperstown
Like I mentioned earlier, winter is my favorite time to visit the Hall of Fame. It may not be the prettiest or best time to visit Cooperstown, but I’ll take that trade off to have the Hall nearly completely to myself.
Okay, so when is really the best time to visit Cooperstown and go to the Hall of Fame? Josh says “as soon as you can!”
Living Up To The Expectations
It’s not often that you wait your whole life to do something, and then when you finally do it, it not only lives up to the expectations you’ve built up all those years, but it exceeds them. But that’s what the Hall of Fame does.
Josh says you should take making a trip to Cooperstown off your “Bucket List” and add it to your “To Do List.”
The Politics of Glory
Bill James gives an often harsh critique of the operation of the Baseball Hall of Fame in his book, The Politics of Glory: How Baseball's Hall of Fame Really Works.
After colorfully relating the shrine's history with both praise and scorn, James attacks the voting procedures, especially in the case of the Veterans Committee, which in the institution's early years filled the roster with friends and teammates.
Along with his own choices regarding who deserves to be in the Hall of Fame and who does not, James offers "better" methods for future selection.
Buy The Politics of Glory: How Baseball's Hall of Fame Really Works by Bill James HERE
Become A Member
25 Main Street
Cooperstown, NY 13326
(607) 547-7200
There are tons of perks of being a member, no matter which tier you select. But most importantly, all members get free admission for an entire year. Start planning your trips now.
Memories and Dreams
The Hall of Fame’s bi-monthly magazine, Memories and Dreams, includes in-depth profiles of Hall of Famers and regular features on the historic artifacts, photographs and documents that comprise the Museum’s unparalleled collection.
The magazine also features behind-the-scenes stories of the unforgettable legends and moments from the National Pastime.
Featuring some of the most respected baseball writers in the world, participants in the Museum’s Membership program receive Memories and Dreams six times a year.
Personal Photographer
My mom took this photo of me in front of the Black Sox Scandal display during our trip to Cooperstown when my travel team played at Dreams Park in July of 1999.
Self-Timer
I took this photo of me in front of the Black Sox Scandal display during my trip to Cooperstown in December of 2021.
In scenic Cooperstown after a game at Dreams Park. Left to right: Jimmy Robin (CF), Dan Wallach (3B), Nolan Weick (1B)
Black Sox Scandal Display
While I don’t have a closeup from our 1999 trip, here are the items that were in the Black Sox Scandal display during my 2021 trip.
Some items which had previously been on display were removed over the course of time.
Personal Photographer (Again)
My mom took this photo of me in front of the Black Sox Scandal display during our trip to Cooperstown in December of 2024.
Notice how the displays have changed over the years, including the photos and text on the walls. Having so many of the “artifact(s) temporarily removed” during this visit was a little disappointing, but Josh told us during this interview why that needs to be done every so often.
Hard To Get To
When people used to travel by trains, Cooperstown wasn’t hard to get to because there was a station right in town. But now that the main modes of transportation are airplane and car, Cooperstown has become slightly more difficult to visit.
Think of all of the amazing ballplayers who took the train to Cooperstown over the years…
All By Ourselves
My mom and I were able to spend as much time as we wanted in the Plaque Gallery, completely unbothered by anyone else, because we visited the Hall the week before Christmas.
We never felt like we had to rush through an exhibit because we were holding up the people behind us, since there never were people behind us. It made an already magical trip even better.
Two Full Days
If you want to know how much time you should expect to spend at the Hall to really be able to take it all in, I would suggest at least two full days. There’s just so, so much to see.
If you like to read every placard, and look at every item in detail, and take lots of pictures, it’s going to take you longer - especially depending on what time of year you visit.
World Series gifts which winning teams have given to their players over the years. While the gifts varied in the earlier years from pins to fobs to watches, when the Giants gave their players rings after winning the 1922 World Series, every other team since then has followed suit.
Trophy Balls
In the early days of baseball, it was customary for the winning team to keep the game ball as a trophy. It would often be decoratively painted with the final score of the game, the teams who played, and the date to commemorate the occasion.
Trophy Balls
Why did we let this tradition die?!
World Tours
In late October of 1888, two baseball clubs and an entourage of business managers, sportswriters, wives, and other enthusiasts of our National Pastime embarked on an extended offseason ball-playing tour. The brains and money behind the expedition was none other than Albert Spalding.
After a month’s journey, the tourists arrived in Cairo, Egypt and on February 9, 1889, mounted camels and donkeys for a pilgrimage to the pyramids. There, the Chicago and All-America teams played what was assuredly the first game of baseball on the sands of the Giza Plateau.
Following their game at the pyramids, the 1888-89 world tour party climbed onto the Sphinx for one of baseball’s most striking photographs.
A baseball used in that historic contest, kept by tour umpire and future Hall of Famer George Wright, is inside the cubbyhole in this display.
Babe Ruth’s Locker
Babe Ruth put up monumental statistics during his playing career. But the Bambino was more than numbers – especially to those who knew him, like former teammate Joe Dugan, who once said: “To understand him you had to understand this: He wasn’t human.”
Sports writer Tommy Holmes, winner of the 1979 BBWAA Career Excellence Award, was more succinct: “Some 20 years ago, I stopped talking about the Babe for the simple reason that I realized that those who had never seen him didn’t believe me.”
When you visit the Hall of Fame, one of the many Babe Ruth artifacts you’ll see is his locker from The House That [He] Built … Yankee Stadium.
Mickey Mantle’s Uniform
Whitey Ford called him as “a superstar who never acted like one. He was a humble man who was kind and friendly to all his teammates, even the rawest rookie. He was idolized by all the other players.”
Mickey Mantle was an iconic baseball player with immense talent. His drive and love for the game pushed him past injuries and into the record books.
When you visit the Hall of Fame, one of the many Mickey Mantle artifacts you’ll see is his uniform.
Henry Aaron’s Bat
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali once called Henry Aaron “The only man I idolize more than myself. ”
For many, Henry Aaron was everything an athlete – and a human being – should be.
Aaron grew up in humble surroundings in Mobile, Ala. He passed through the sandlots with brief stops in the Negro Leagues and the minor leagues before he settled in with the Braves, where he ultimately became one of baseball’s most iconic figures.
When you visit the Hall of Fame, one of the many Henry Aaron artifacts you’ll see is the bat he used to hit his 600th career home run.
Legendary Leadership
Josh has been lucky enough to have spent time around a number of amazing coaches, managers, and leaders in his life. Here he is having some fun with Tommy Lasorda.
Casey Stengel
"Casey (Stengel) knew his baseball. He only made it look like he was fooling around. He knew every move that was ever invented and some that we haven't even caught on to yet." – Sparky Anderson
Casey Stengel's 54 distinguished years in baseball spanned everything from the Dead Ball Era to Mickey Mantle’s booming home runs. Through it all, Stengel’s colorful personality and instantly quotable remarks made him one of baseball’s most beloved characters.
He is also, apparently, the manager my mom wishes she could have played for.
In 1965, Mets owner Joan Payson gave her box seats to Rhoda Sherbell so the artist could better capture his spirit. Sherbell then talked him into lending her his uniform and shoes, which allowed her to make this sculpture even more realistic.
The Voice Of Multiple Generations
Josh was lucky enough to have been able to work with one of the voices of his childhood, Vin Scully, when he was with the Dodgers. The two remained friends even after Josh went to the Diamondbacks.
The Ford C. Frick Award is presented annually to a broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball."
“This Is A Way That You Can Live Forever”
Lou Gehrig is among the players who made donations to the Hall of Fame of a significant amount of their artifacts.
Brooks Robinson
Known as “The Human Vacuum Cleaner,” Brooks Robinson is regarded as arguably the best defensive third baseman the game has ever seen.
Hall of Famer Frank Robinson recalled what it was like to watch his teammate go to work: “He was the best defensive player at any position. I used to stand in the outfield like a fan and watch him make play after play. I used to think, ‘Wow! I can’t believe this.’”
Brooks is another player who made a significant donation of artifacts to the Hall of Fame. In this case, the glove he used in 1970 to author one of the greatest defensive performances in World Series history is displayed above another glove you may be familiar with. The one Willie Mays was wearing to make The Catch.
Spanish
Josh taking Robert Schweppe’s advice to learn Spanish was a life-altering decision.
Travel Abroad
In 2015, Josh had the distinct honor of meeting the legendary Sadaharu Oh on a trip to Japan.
Oh, a legendary figure in Japanese baseball, holds the record for the most home runs in organized baseball history with 868. He is widely considered one of the greatest players in Japanese baseball history. Oh was inducted into the Japan Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994.
“He talked hitting with Randy Johnson, Luis Gonzalez, and Tony LaRussa and we were hanging on his every word. He exudes class in a way that is indescribable.”
Graig Kreindler
Graig Kreindler, possibly the greatest living baseball artist, was our guest for Episode 3 of Season 1. You can listen to that episode HERE.
LeRoy Neiman
LeRoy Neiman was an American artist known for his brilliantly colored, expressionist paintings and screenprints of athletes, musicians, and sporting events.
Kadir Nelson
Kadir Nelson is a Los Angeles-based painter, illustrator, and author who is best known for his paintings often featured on the covers of The New Yorker magazine, and album covers for Michael Jackson and Drake.
His work is focused on African-American culture and history. The New York Times described his work as "sumptuous, deeply affecting work. Nelson’s paintings are drenched in ambience, and often overt symbolism.
Norman Rockwell
Tough Call – also known as Game Called Because of Rain, Bottom of the Sixth, or The Three Umpires – is a 1948 painting by American artist Norman Rockwell, painted for the April 23, 1949, cover of The Saturday Evening Post magazine.
It is considered the best known of Rockwell's baseball-themed works, and appears in at least ten Rockwell commentary books.
Paine Proffitt
Paine Proffitt is an American-born artist best known for his sporting works and for his depiction of the "working man's life". He studied illustration at the University of Brighton in 1994 before moving to England permanently in 2001.
Proffitt had moved to Philadelphia when he was 14 after spending his early years in Saigon, Beirut, and Kenya as a result of the work of his father - novelist and war correspondent Nicholas Proffitt.
Spending time alone in the Plaque Gallery was one of the highlights of the trip.
The First Class
This is the view at the end of the aisle when you first walk into the Plaque Gallery. It’s a long way away from where you’re standing, but the way the room is laid out, you can’t help but be drawn to it.
First Class, Indeed
Two-hundred twenty-six writers cast ballots for the first election. Voters could select up to 10 names from players who starred from 1900 forward.
Ty Cobb received 222 votes, the most of any candidate, earning election with 98.23% of the vote.
Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner received 215 votes apiece (95.13%), while Christy Mathewson got 205 votes (90.70%).
Walter Johnson received 189 votes (83.62%) – 20 more than the 169 necessary to reach the 75% mark needed for induction.
Pretty hard to imagine that none of these players were unanimous, when you think about it.
The art gallery on the first floor is a really underrated room in the museum. If you like art, though, it’s a must-see.
Everyone’s Fandom Is Different
Sometimes even your own.
In 1999, my mom would have probably been fixated on the plaque on the bottom of this photo.
In 2024, she was decidedly more interested in the one on the top. It was one of the main plaques she was looking forward to seeing when we started planning this trip.
Up The Ramp
Make sure you explore the entire space when you’re at the Hall of Fame.
It’s easy to miss the section of the museum that’s up the ramp and around the corner when you’re in the Plaque Gallery, but there is a lot more to see if you take the time to look.
Famous Baseball Movies
One of the exhibits up that ramp honors many of the famous baseball movies from over the years.
Pictured here is the uniform Billy Dee Williams wore in the 1976 movie The Bingo Long Traveling All Stars & Motor Kings, which is loosely based on the story of the Indianapolis Clowns, the last of the Negro League baseball teams.
Jay Valentine, who patrolled center field in 1977 and 1978 for the Clowns, was our guest for Episode 6 of Season 4. You can listen to that episode HERE.
Courtyard
There’s even stuff outside the museum!
This somewhat hidden courtyard had multiple statues.
Make sure you keep your eyes peeled, and don’t be afraid to explore. You never know what you’re going to find!
The Souls of the Game: Voices of Black Baseball spotlights the decades-long history of Black baseball prior to the formation of the Negro Leagues.
Babe Bows Out
Babe Ruth was bigger than the game, evolving through deed and legend to become part of the fabric of American culture.
Today, a piece of that fabric lives in Cooperstown – a Ruth jersey that he never wore in an official game and yet was seen by millions of fans during Babe’s lifetime.
It’s a story – like so many others – that comes alive at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s exhibit Babe Ruth: His Life and Legend.
June 13, 1948
The exhibit features more than 50 three-dimensional artifacts – none more evocative than the woolen No. 3 jersey acquired by the Hall of Fame on June 13, 1948, the day Ruth’s number was officially retired by the Yankees.
“A Hall of Fame official was on the field that day at Yankee Stadium when Ruth gave him the uniform,” said Tom Shieber, the Museum’s senior curator and the lead curator of the new Ruth exhibit. “The photo of Ruth looking out at the field with the number “3” on his back was seen world-wide, and it won a Pulitzer Prize for photographer Nat Fein.
Bricks
Anyone who knows me well knows I can’t pass up an opportunity to post a picture of some bricks from a historic baseball-related site or two.
Here are a couple that are on display in the Babe Ruth exhibit.
Women In Baseball
Women have been playing baseball almost as long as men have. Their long connection with the game began in the 1860s and has continued through the efforts of pioneers like Amanda Clement, Jackie Mitchell, Toni Stone, Maria Pepe, and Ila Borders.
The popular “Diamond Dreams: Women in Baseball” exhibit traces women's roles in the game from 19th-century ballclubs to their present-day involvement – on the field and in baseball's front offices and broadcast booths.
“¡Viva Baseball!” focuses on the rich baseball traditions of the major baseball-playing countries of Latin America: Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
Sacred Ground
The third floor used to be the home of Sacred Ground, an exhibit which celebrated the special connection that people feel in their favorite ballpark. This exhibit used sights, sounds, and even smells to remind fans of their favorite ballparks that they grew up around.
Featuring more than 200 artifacts and interactive displays spanning 125 years of baseball history and culture, the exhibit took up 1,800 square feet of space.
One of the most unique items was the cornerstone from Ebbets Field, which was salvaged when the Brooklyn stadium was met with the wrecking ball.
Comiskey Pinwheel
There was a turnstile from the Polo Grounds and the on-deck circle from Forbes Field, the place where some of baseballs greatest legends previously knelt.
Among the most illustrious artifacts in Sacred Ground was this "pinwheel" from the original exploding scoreboard at Comiskey Park, installed owner Bill Veeck.
Bill’s son, Mike Veeck, who is a former Major League Baseball executive and Minor League Baseball owner known for his creative sales, marketing, and promotions, including Disco Demolition Night, was our guest for Episode 4 of Season 3. You can listen to that episode HERE.
During our visit in December of 2024, the Sacred Ground exhibit was in the process of being uninstalled to make way for the Yakyu | Baseball exhibit, which is set to open in July of 2025.
Shoebox Treasures
For generations of fans, their love of the National Pastime can be traced to simple pieces of cardboard with an image on one side and numbers on the other. They were our Shoebox Treasures, and their story is one of the most celebrated in the game's history.
The Museum,'s exhibit examines the history, design, and production of cards, the 1980s boom that turned a child’s hobby into a multi-million dollar industry, and the joy and camaraderie that so many collectors have found in the hobby.
More Artwork
The exhibit is divided into four primary themes: An exploration of the long history of baseball cards; the evolution of baseball card design; how and why fans of all ages collect baseball cards; and those cards that are considered “Holy Grails.”
Shoebox Treasures features more than 2,000 cards on display, as well as some original artwork, like that of Mike Noren (aka Gummy Arts) and Tim Carroll.
Tim Carroll, who is a world-renowned baseball card pop artist who has his works displayed in multiple museums across the country, including the Sandy Koufax piece in this photo, was our guest for Episode 10 of Season 1. You can listen to that episode HERE.
Cleveland Guardians
Some of the items in the Guardians locker in December of 2024 included the jersey Rajai Davis wore when he hit his game-tying 2-run home run in the 8th inning of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, the cap Terry Francona wore during the last game he managed for the team in October of 2023, and the drum John Adams beat to rally crowds at home games from 1973 through 2019.
One Shining Moment
Michael Jordan’s “one shining moment” came on March 29, 1982 when he hit the game-winning shot in the NCAA Championship Game for UNC. He went on to a pretty decent basketball career after that.
While he may not have a plaque in Cooperstown, the bat he used as a member of the minor league Birmingham Barons in 1994 is on display at the Hall of Fame.
Did you seriously think I wasn’t going to find a way to get this picture in these liner notes?
Scenic Cooperstown
Even off-season, there was still a beauty and a magic to Main Street in Cooperstown.
Willis Monie Books
I know I talked about Willis Monie Books at the start of this episode, but seriously, you have to carve some time out during your next trip to Cooperstown to browse this place.
139 Main Street
Everyone rants and raves about “the lake” and it’s like, how great can it be? It’s just a lake. I’ve seen water before. And then you go to this one and you’re like… oh. Yeah. They were right.
HOF Glasses
There is one glass for every living Hall of Famer in the lower level hallway at The Otesaga Hotel. When one of the living Hall of Famers passes away, a single white rose is placed in their glass, as you can see here with Willie Mays’ glass, since he passed away in June of 2024.
The Otesaga Hotel
Located along over 700 feet of Lake Otsego shoreline, The Otesaga Hotel opened its luxurious doors for the first time on July 12, 1909.
Of its beauty, a local newspaper wrote: “No more fortunate location could have been chosen for a hotel. From its windows and broad veranda, a view as charming as the Divine Hand ever painted fills the eye.”
Postcards
Today, The Otesaga Hotel exudes elegance in its signature Georgian Revival details, a stately wood-columned portico, and dome-capped cupola.
The Otesaga (Iroquois for “a place of meetings”) and its Leatherstocking Golf Course have drawn visitors for generations.
Tunkhannock Viaduct
In 1912, the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad began construction of the Tunkhannock Viaduct and the population of Nicholson swelled from 700 to more than 2,000.
By the end of October 1915, after 2.5 years of around-the-clock work, the Tunkhannock Viaduct was complete.
Nicholson Bridge
The Tunkhannock Viaduct, also known as Nicholson Bridge, was 240 feet high and a half-mile long, with piers 40 to 90 feet below ground, and a parapet 3 feet thick and 4 feet high to enclose the double tracks on the 34 feet wide deck. At the time, it was said to be the largest concrete structure in the world. The American Society of Civil Engineers dubbed it the “Ninth Wonder of the World.”
The architects of Yankee Stadium are speculated to have been influenced by the bridge’s look when they designed the stadium’s iconic frieze, eight years after the bridge was completed.
In Or Out? Or Both?
While Joe Jackson may not have a plaque in the Plaque Gallery at the Hall of Fame (yet), he is certainly well-represented in the museum.
It is my contention that his NOT being inducted into the Hall of Fame has kept Joe more famous all these years than he ever would have been had he been inducted at the time of his contemporaries like Napoleon Lajoie, Tris Speaker, or Sam Crawford.
The Pitch That Killed
Buy Mike Sowell’s fantastic book The Pitch That Killed: The Story of Carl Mays, Ray Chapman, and the Pennant Race of 1920 HERE.
Josh had one huge image on an otherwise big, blank wall in his office: the panoramic photo of the Addie Joss Benefit Game players at League Park in 1911 (featuring Shoeless Joe Jackson, who was a member of the Cleveland Naps at the time).
One of these posts got a lot more engagement on social media than the other. Can you guess which one?
Napoleon Lajoie
“Lajoie was one of the most rugged hitters I ever faced. He’d take your leg off with a line drive, turn the third baseman around like a swinging door, and powder the hand of the left fielder.” – Cy Young
Napoleon Lajoie, hitter extraordinaire, sublime fielder, manager and executive, has been described as “the first superstar in American League history.” And indeed, to concentrate on his hitting or his fielding is to miss his all-around talent as a player.
Tris Speaker
“At the crack of the bat he'd be off with his back to the infield, and then he'd turn and glance over his shoulder at the last minute and catch the ball so easy it looked like there was nothing to it, nothing at all." – Smoky Joe Wood
By the time Tris Speaker turned 22, he was already one of the best center fielders in the game, a player highly regarded for both his work at the plate and in the field.
Christy Mathewson
He was the first great pitching star of the modern era, and is still the standard by which greatness is measured.
Christy Mathewson changed the way people perceived baseball players by his actions on and off the field. His combination of power and poise – his tenacity and temperance – remains baseball’s ideal.
Satchel Paige
The numbers do not do justice to his legend.
The stories, however, keep alive the memory of a man who became bigger than the game. Leroy “Satchel” Paige was bigger than mere numbers.
Apocryphal stories surround Satchel Paige, who was born July 7, 1906 in Mobile, Alabama. He began his professional career in the Negro Leagues in the 1920s after being discharged from reform school. The lanky 6-foot-3 right-hander quickly became the biggest drawing card in Negro baseball, able to overpower batters with a buggy-whipped fastball.
Paige, a showman at heart, bounced from team-to-team in search of the best paycheck – often pitching hundreds of games a year between regular Negro Leagues assignments and barnstorming opportunities.
Josh Gibson
The applause Josh Gibson received should have been louder. He was considered the best power hitter of his era in the Negro Leagues and perhaps even across the entire sport.
His introduction to organized baseball came at age 16. In 1929, the Crawford Colored Giants, a semi-pro team in Pittsburgh, convinced him to join their squad. He became a professional by accident July 25, 1930 while sitting in the stands. When Homestead Grays catcher Buck Ewing injured his hand, Gibson was invited to replace him because his titanic home runs were already well known in Pittsburgh.
“If someone had told me Josh hit the ball a mile, I would have believed them,” said Sam Jethroe, who starred for the Cleveland Buckeyes.
His legendary feats with the Homestead Grays have many experts regarding Gibson as the sport’s greatest home run hitter. Negro Leagues statistics of the time are somewhat incomplete, but the legend of Gibson’s power has always been larger than life.
My Baseball Library
I’d venture to guess that at least 100 books in my baseball library have been purchased from Willis Monie Books in Cooperstown over the years.
Jane Forbes Clark
Jane Forbes Clark is Chairman of the Board of Directors of The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. A member of the Board since 1992 and Chairman since 2000, she provides substantial museum expertise, philanthropic insight and management skill in this leadership position.
Council Rock Park
A historical marker denotes Council Rock as a meeting place for Native Americans, an idea mentioned by James Fenimore Cooper in his novel The Pioneers.
Members of the Mohawk and Oneida Nations occupied this region both before and after the arrival of settlers and likely used the area around the lake for seasonal hunting and fishing camps.
Kingfisher Tower
Kingfisher Tower is a 60-foot-tall folly, built by Edward Clark in 1876, on the eastern shore of Otsego Lake at Point Judith.
It is a Gothic Revival structure built by Clark "to beautify the lake" and "to provide construction jobs during an economic turndown". The structure was designed by architect Henry J. Hardenbergh.
Rocking Chairs
To sit in these chairs on the back porch at the Otesaga Hotel, knowing dozens of Hall of Famers have sat in them before me, was a pretty cool feeling.
The view wasn’t bad, either.
Rocking Chairs
From left to right: Hall of Famer Eddie Murray, Bob DiBiasio, and Hall of Famer Dave Winfield spend some time on the back porch at the Otesaga Hotel, rocking in the exact chairs I sat in on this trip.
Bob DiBiasio, who is the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for the Cleveland Guardians, and has been a public relations executive with Cleveland for all but one season since 1979, was our guest for Episode 8 of Season 4. You can listen to that episode HERE.
My mom, looking at one of the displays within the Diamond Dreams: Women In Baseball exhibit at the Hall of Fame.
Nancy Faust
Nancy Faust’s picture from the display shown above.
Nancy, who is a legendary organist most famous for her 41-year career playing for the Chicago White Sox from 1970 through 2010 during which she invented walk-up music and popularized the singing of "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" during the 7th inning stretch, was our guest for Episode 1 of Season 4. You can listen to that episode HERE.
You can also follow Nancy online:
Mother’s Day, 2025
Nancy Faust is scheduled to play her organ at six White Sox Sunday home games in 2025.
The first was Sunday, May 11th, which happened to be Mother’s Day. I drove back to Chicago to see Nancy play with my mom. It was a nearly perfect day.
The full list of games Nancy is scheduled to play in 2025:
- Sunday, May 11 vs. Miami
- Sunday, May 25 vs. Texas
- Sunday, June 8 vs. Kansas City
- Sunday, June 29 vs. San Francisco
- Sunday, July 13 vs. Cleveland
- Sunday, August 10 vs. Cleveland
Brian Powers
Brian Powers, who is a licensed architect and the man behind the incredible Bandbox Ballparks project which digitally reconstructs long-forgotten ballparks to preserve their histories, was our guest for Episode 5 of Season 4. You can listen to that episode HERE.
You can also follow Brian online:
SABR 53
My mom and I will be in Dallas/Ft. Worth for the SABR convention from June 25-29. If you’re planning on being there, make sure you find us and say hello!
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John K. Tener
John Kinley Tener was an Irish-born American politician and Major League Baseball player and executive. He served as the 25th governor of Pennsylvania from 1911 until 1915.
During his baseball career, Tener played as a pitcher and outfielder for the Baltimore Orioles of the American Association, the Chicago White Stockings of the National League, and the Pittsburgh Burghers of the Players' League. After his playing career, he served as President of the National League.
When John Tener came to Cooperstown in 1916, he visited a cow pasture owned by Elihu Phinney. The Phinney lot was a plot of ground once believed to have been used by Abner Doubleday and other Cooperstown schoolboys to play the first game of baseball in 1839. Tener suggested that the cow pasture be turned into a memorial to Doubleday.
Dr. Ernest L. Pitcher
On September 6th, 1920, Doubleday Field officially opened. The first game was between Milford and Cooperstown. National League president John Heydler was present and even umpired the first inning.
A vote in 1920 to buy the lot was turned down by the Cooperstown taxpayers, 204 to 151. With the lease set to expire, a fundraising effort to raise the $5,000 necessary to acquire the lot was led by Dr. Ernest L. Pitcher, a local dentist.
John Heydler
John Arnold Heydler was an American executive in Major League Baseball. After working as a National League umpire, he was the secretary to the NL president and then became the secretary-treasurer of the NL before assuming the NL presidency himself. Heydler made early contributions to baseball recordkeeping and statistics.
In a letter dated October 13, 1926, Heydler wrote, “I only hope that the people of Cooperstown will be able to hold on to this historic property. It may be years from now that professional baseball will honor itself by doing something to perpetuate this Doubleday Field, but I have faith that eventually something will be done. This, of course, is a personal expression and not official.”
New Entrance
In June of 1927, additional property was purchased for an entrance to Doubleday Field.
WPA Changes
Beginning in 1933, Doubleday Field was again seeing changes, as not only were additional parcels of land purchased to expand left field, which was short of regulation size, but under a Works Progress Administration program, the entire field was graded, a new diamond was constructed, the area was fenced in, and the entrance was landscaped.
(Photo courtesy of the Smith & Telfer Collection, Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, New York)
1934 Reopening
On August 3, 1934, Lt. Gov. M. William Bray of New York formally reopened the field, which the Associated Press called “one of the finest playing grounds in Eastern New York” when it reported on the story later that week.
(Photo courtesy of the Smith & Telfer Collection, Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, New York)
New Grandstand
In preparation for the numerous events it would be hosting, Doubleday Field, thanks to another WPA program, underwent a facelift beginning in 1938, which included building a steel and concrete grandstand, installing new wooden bleachers, seeding the field, laying a drainage system, setting out a new board fence for the outfield, and constructing stone masonry for the rest of the facility. This work would give the field a seating capacity of nearly 10,000.
(Photo courtesy of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)
Hall Of Fame Game
The 1939 All-Star game proved such a success that it prompted discussions of future games that would bring crowds back to Cooperstown for subsequent summers.
Here, members of the Boston Red Sox warm up prior to the June 13, 1940 Hall of Fame Game vs. the Cubs. That day began a 68-year tradition of the annual Hall of Fame Game, an in-season exhibition between two major league teams in Cooperstown.
(Photo courtesy of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)
Dimensions
Stars such as Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, and Henry Aaron would all homer in the hitter-friendly confines of Doubleday Field.
The field’s dimensions were just 296’ to left field, 336’ to left center, 390’ to dead center, 350’ to right center, and 312’ to right field.
New Stands
In 1959, the first base section of the stands was donated by Thomas Yawkey, owner of the Boston Red Sox at the time. Doubleday Field has seen other changes, including new sections having replaced the old, uncovered stands, where only the grandstand remains from when the refurbished park opened in 1939.
Idyllic Setting
Today, the fabled 6,600-seat ball field, situated between Susquehanna, Pioneer, Elm, and Main streets, surrounded in its idyllic setting with quaint houses and majestic trees, is not only a destination for baseball fans, but baseball teams from around the country.
Owned and operated by the village of Cooperstown, Doubleday Field will play host to more than 350 baseball games this year, ranging from youth baseball, to high school and collegiate tournaments, to senior leagues.
My First Game At Doubleday
My first time seeing a game actually being played at Doubleday Field in person was on May 25, 2024 when 14 Hall of Famers and two dozen legendary players – many of whom had played on the historic field throughout the years – came together for the Hall of Fame East-West Classic, which paid tribute to the legends of Black baseball.
2024 East-West Classic
Ryan Howard went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to win the game’s MVP award and lead Team East past Team West 5-4 in front of 5,740 fans.
Been There, Done That (kinda)
I had been to Doubleday Field a number of times before that, and had been inside the stadium to take pictures and walk around, but until last May, I had never actually seen a game there.
William Peebles
Sitting in the stands with friend of the show William Peebles of Huntington Base Ball Co., I couldn’t help but think how cool it would be to PLAY on that field. After asking a few questions to some people in the know, I believe that may be a possibility.
William Peebles, who is the owner, founder, and craftsman of Huntington Base Ball Co. and a historian of the evolution of the baseball, was our guest for Episode 6 of Season 3. You can listen to that episode HERE.
Vintage Games
I have organized and played in 1860s style vintage games at Shoeless Joe Jackson Memorial Park in Greenville, SC, at the Ty Cobb Museum in Royston, GA, and at historic League Park in Cleveland, OH. I know what it takes to make an event like that happen.
For 2026, in honor of Josh Rawitch, hosting a game like that at Doubleday Field has moved from my bucket list, over to my to-do list.
2026
If you’re listening to this or reading this right now and you feel like you can make it to Cooperstown next year to play in a vintage baseball game, SEND ME AN E-MAIL and I’ll add you to the list of potential players for next year.
If enough people are interested, we’ll figure out a time that works best for all of us, and a time where we can reserve the field, and we’ll make it happen.
How To Play
If you don’t know what 1860s style vintage baseball is, I promise, it’s not intimidating at all and people of all ages, skill levels, and genders can play.
I wrote up a little description of the rules RIGHT HERE, so you can check them out if you want to before committing.
But for real, it’s just going to be a bunch of friends having a good time.
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