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| #1 Visit Baseball Hall of Fame |
Have you never been to a place everyone expected you to have already been multiple times?
For me, that place was the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
As a big baseball fan, I've always been met with faces of shock, confusion and skepticism when I answer negatively to visiting the self-explanatory Cooperstown, NY question.
What? Huh? Are you kidding? Why not? Are you serious?
With a summer of more availability than last year with such tasks as wedding planning behind me, attending and visiting Cooperstown, NY and National Baseball Hall of Fame was placed on the 2012 Bucket List (See: lower right end of blog). On May 26th, 2012, yours truly put those shocked responses to rest as my parents, the tag team partner, and myself made the four hour trip to Cooperstown.
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| Yeaaaah, not an attractive wake-up time |
And like any road trip that involves at least eight hours of road time, waking up at a dreadfully early time was part of the plan. And if you are a DP devotee, or you simply just know me personally, you'll know that early mornings are simply not my thing.
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| Is this really the way to the Cooperstown, NY? |
Nonetheless, in the drive to Cooperstown, the closer we got to the most famous little-town in America, the more I realized of how difficult it is to get to, and truly how isolated the area is. Sure it is between Albany and Syracuse (two hours each way) and sure Oneonta isn't all that far, but for a place which many from all over the nation visit throughout the year, I'm surprised of how low key it truly is. There are barely any signs or any pomp and circumstance that occur as you near the town. It's simply - bam! - welcome to Cooperstown, NY, home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Nonetheless, despite it's anonymity in travels, Cooperstown is a beautiful little town. A baseball fan's dream. From the actual museum, to the small shops, Doubleday Field (which is awesome), and a gorgeous nearby lake, it is a wonderful place to spend the day. Especially on a sunny day with no clouds, which we were lucky to have experienced.
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| Doubleday Field |
As for the actual Museum, I probably could have spent the entire day from open to close in there if not for everyone else I was with (wife, her father, brother, grandfather, uncle, and my parents) being so far ahead and waiting. I really tried to soak up everything in there to the point where I was eventually picked on for reading every display and presentation. Honestly, the place was unlike any other museum I've visited where you simply observe in intrigue, or as we all did in the elementary school days, wait for something interactive to grab our attention. Everything in this place was cool. Everything!
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| Reading everything... |
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| Oh yeah, the 96' Commissioner's Trophy! |
I thoroughly enjoyed the memorabilia. I loved looking at the uniforms and gear from the early days. I loved looking at the different bat models of guys like Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner, and the modern ones of guys like Paul Molitor and Albert Pujols (which is humongous!).
I could go on and on really, and for those of you who have been there, you know exactly what I mean.
However, my favorite things I take away from the museum are:
- The Dedicated Room to the Negro Leagues - An awesome presentation of a huge part of the progression and the make-up of the game today. There are so many things to take away from the Negro Leagues. For me, little things such as learning the Negro Leagues were the first to schedule night games to increase weekday attendance, revenue, and to make it easier on the overall schedule were incredibly eye opening and was just a slice of the awesomeness that was in that room.
- The Glass Case of Championship Rings - What can be said about this? A collection of all of the championship rings in history? Including the incredibly gaudy 2003 Marlin Championship? Just good stuff.
- Hall of Fame Plaques - How can you not be intrigued in this room? A room with the greatest players to ever play the game? Yes, please.
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| A Wall in the Negro League Presentation Room |
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| Lots and lots of Diamonds! |
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and the town Cooperstown, NY is a wonderful place. A place I now have visited, but now cannot believe I haven't visited before. It's a place I look forward to returning to for future visits, and, hey, hopefully an induction ceremony.