Letter from Carol Bateman Waller Concerts Were a Boost to Village I read with interest the little piece in the Journal on “20 Years Ago” and the Willie Nelson/Bob Dylan concert in Doubleday Field. While it is true that Trustee Stuart Taugher did originally oppose the idea, he embraced the results when the concert was a rousing success. This concert came about through an approach by Jeff Idelson, then president of the Hall of Fame, to then-Mayor Carol Waller. Jeff…
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The 2001 June Draft is more or less where my Mauer story begins, though technically it starts five months earlier. After a year working for the Hall of Fame, and with the help of future Hall President Jeff Idelson, I was literally in my first day as an intern in the Twins’ media relations department when former Twins center fielder Kirby Puckett and former Twin and St. Paul native Dave Winfield both were elected to Cooperstown by the Baseball Writers’…
The East-West Game on Saturday, May 25 was the culmination of the weekend’s celebration of the Black baseball experience, beginning with the unveiling of a new statue of Hall of Fame slugger, civil rights activist, philanthropist and humanitarian Henry “Hank” Aaron in a private ceremony near the base of the museum’s Grand Staircase on the first-floor lobby beginning at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 23.…
Four-time Academy Award-winning actor Katherine Hepburn famously said, “If you obey all the rules, you’ll miss all the fun.” In many ways, longtime Cooperstown resident Bob Faller, who passed away on July 12, channeled the mantra of Hollywood’s leading lady. He was also renowned for his strong personality, independence and outspokenness, much like the talented screen actress.…
‘Grassroots Baseball: Route 66’ Authors To Hold Book Signing At Hall Of Fame Baseball fans are invited for a book signing of ‘Grassroots Baseball: Route 66’ with renowned baseball photographer photographer and co-founder of the Grassroots Baseball project Jean Fruth, former president of the Baseball Hall of Fame Jeff Idelson, and Hall of Famer/22-year MLB player Jim Thome. The signing will take place from 2 – 3 p.m. on Friday, July 22 in the Atrium at the Baseball Hall of…
Rawitch didn’t think path would lead to Cooperstown By Charlie Vascellaro • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com The first thing that came to mind upon hearing that 45-year-old Josh Rawitch was hired as the new president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame (he was 44 when it was announced) is how young he seems to be. Like his predecessor (once removed) and interim President Jeff Idelson, who was 43 when he first ascended to the position in 2008, Rawitch is a…
Michaels, Montgomery among Hall Award winners By GREG KLEIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com SPRINGFIELD — The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum honored five men for their contributions to the game Saturday, July 24, in a ceremony held at The Glimmerglass Festival and aired Sunday, July 25, on the MLB Network and on social media. The Hall honored 2021 Ford C. Frick Award winner Al Michaels; 2020 Ford C. Frick Award winner Ken Harrelson; 2021 BBWAA Career Excellence Award…
Hall: Wednesday induction was best option By GREG KLEIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com COOPERSTOWN — A National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum official said the rescheduling of Induction Weekend to a Wednesday in September came down to one simple factor: the calendar. “Looking at the calendar, we just had a very limited amount of options,” Jon Shestakofsky, vice president of communications and education, told Iron String Media, Friday, June 11. The exclusive interview took place two days after the…
Idelson aims for smooth Hall transition, induction By GREG KLEIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will have an encore from its former leader, as Jeff Idelson returned May 15, as interim president. Idelson, who left the Hall in 2019, after 25 years, including more than 12 as president, replaced Tim Mead, his hand-picked successor. Mead left mid-May, saying the isolation from his family in Southern California during the coronavirus pandemic made him unable…
EDITORIAL WHAT IF? Hosting MLB Event In Plaque Gallery Gets Wheels Turning The idea was to bring fans to Cooperstown. What about taking Cooperstown to the fans? In the Age of COVID, the second sentence is a more intriguing one. And it played out this week with the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s annual announcement of the Induction Class of 2021. While it turned out there was no one to announce this year, the MLB Network spent the afternoon transmitting…