HomeNews Baseball Hall of Famers Headline Father's Day Cooperstown Classic
Baseball Hall of Famers Headline Father's Day Cooperstown Classic
Tickets on sale April 18
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(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will welcome five Hall of Fame members to headline the inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame Classic, presented by Ford Motor Company, on Sunday, June 21 at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown. The Classic highlights an entire weekend of family-friendly events designed for baseball fans of all ages, to take place at the Museum and throughout Cooperstown.
The first-ever Classic Weekend will feature Hall of Famers Bob Feller, Ferguson Jenkins, Paul Molitor, Phil Niekro and Brooks Robinson, along with 20 other former major league stars in a seven-inning exhibition game, with first pitch slated for 2 p.m. on Father’s Day. The game will be preceded by the Cooperstown Game Day Parade at 12 noon, and a hitting contest featuring several former major leaguers at 1 p.m. The inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame Classic is co-organized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association.
Ford Motor Company will be the Presenting Sponsor of the inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame Classic. Additional support for the Classic is provided by Otsego County Tourism and Brand Affinity Technologies.
"As we establish a new Father’s Day Weekend tradition in Cooperstown, we are especially thankful for the support of the Ford Motor Company, the inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame Classic’s presenting sponsor,” said Jeff Idelson, President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “Its participation in the Classic is natural, as baseball in Cooperstown and Ford are both long-standing American traditions.”
“Ford Motor Company is pleased to support the inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame Classic,” said Jim Vella, President of the Ford Community Fund. “Cooperstown is deeply rooted in American history as the spiritual home of baseball. Spending Father’s Day with five Hall of Famers and 20 other major league legends represents the best of our National Pastime and the tradition of baseball at Doubleday Field.”
Tickets for the Classic are $12.50 for first and third base seats, and $11 for outfield seats. Tickets will first be made available on Saturday, April 18, with a one-day sale at the Museum, beginning at 10 a.m. Approximately 2,500 tickets will be made available during this one-day, in-person sale. Ticket buyers will be permitted inside the Museum at 9 a.m., and the line for ticket sales will form outside the Museum at 6 a.m. Overnight camping will not be permitted. A six-ticket maximum per person will apply.
Concurrently on Saturday, April 18, Museum members may purchase tickets over the phone from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by calling a special number active only for this sale, 1-866-849-7770. All callers to this phone number must be Museum members prior to April 18, as day of Membership sales will not be permitted to purchase tickets on this date. Members must provide their membership number at the time of call. Tickets purchased by phone are subject to a $3.50 handling fee per ticket. A six-ticket maximum per active membership will apply. Members will have an exclusive opportunity to buy tickets by phone through Sunday, April 26, though sales are subject to availability. Any remaining tickets on Monday, April 27 will be available by phone to the general public.
Among the 20 other recently retired players already committed to participate in the Classic include former major league stars George Foster, Bill Lee, Steve Rogers and Lee Smith. Additional participants will be announced throughout the spring. Following the game, children 12 and under will be permitted to “Run the Bases” at Doubleday Field.
The Classic will be preceded by the Cooperstown Game Day Parade, presented by the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce, the village of Cooperstown and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, beginning at 12 noon on Main Street. Hall of Famers and Legends game participants will ride in trolleys in the parade to Doubleday Field.
The Baseball Hall of Fame Classic highlights an entire weekend of family events, both at Doubleday Field and within the Museum. On Saturday, June 20, the Classic Weekend kicks off with a unique opportunity for a family catch at Doubleday Field. A limited number of participants can register for a “catch” at Doubleday Field from 12-2 p.m. Registration for the Family Catch begins on Tuesday, May 26 exclusively for members by phone, by calling 607-547-0397.
Also on Saturday afternoon, exclusively for members ages 12 and under, the Museum and the MLBPAA will present the Legends for Youth Skills Clinic, to be held at Doubleday Field, from 3-6 p.m. Registration for the Youth Skills Clinic begins on Tuesday, May 26 exclusively for members by phone, by calling 607-547-0397.
On Saturday evening, a special Father’s Day edition of the Voices of the Game program, featuring the five Hall of Famers, will take place at 7 p.m. in the Hall of Fame’s Grandstand Theater. Tickets for the Voices of the Game event will first be made available to members on May 26 by calling 607-547-0397.
Also as part of the Weekend festivities, the Museum will welcome Harold Theurer, Jr., author of “Hey Dad! Let’s Have a Catch” at 10:30 a.m. for a Museum program on Saturday, June 20. On Father’s Day, at 10 a.m., the Museum will feature a special reunion of Steve Wulf of ESPN The Magazine and Pat O’Donnell, whose story of leaving behind an image of his dad in the Museum became the basis for a Sports Illustrated piece in 1994 on fathers and sons. Both of these events are first-come, first-served and are included with Museum admission.
For more information on Hall of Fame Classic Weekend events, call 1-888-Hall-of-Fame or visit www.baseballhall.org.
Members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum receive free admission to the Museum, as well as access to exclusive programs, such as the Voices of the Game Series. Additionally, members receive a subscription to the Hall of Fame's bi-monthly magazine, Memories and Dreams, the 2009 Hall of Fame yearbook and a 10% discount and free shipping on retail purchases. For information on becoming a member, please visit baseballhall.org or call 607-547-0397.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is open seven days a week year round, with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Ticket prices are $16.50 for adults (13 and over), $11 for seniors (65 and over) and for those holding current memberships in the VFW, Disabled American Veterans, American Legion and AMVets organizations, and $6 for juniors (ages 7-12). Members are always admitted free of charge and there is no charge for children 6 years of age or younger. For more information, visit our Web site at baseballhall.org or call 888-HALL-OF-FAME (888-425-5633) or 607-547-7200.
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