The Hall of Fame Induction Weekend at Cooperstown, NY will be this weekend, July 22-24. Baseball fans of all teams from across the globe will travel to this rural haven in New York for the festivities. The Hall of Fame Museum is a must for all fans. There are also some additional activities during induction weekend that all baseball lovers should check out. Here are the top three activities to check out at induction weekend.
Hall of Fame Induction Weekend at Cooperstown
3. Spink Award/Ford C. Frick Award Ceremony
The award ceremony on Saturday afternoon at Doubleday Field is certainly one of the highlights of the Hall of Fame weekend. The ceremony honors one writer (awarded the J.G. Spink Award) and one broadcaster/announcer (awarded the Ford C. Frick Award) every year. Many baseball fans will flock to Cooperstown to honor the players and managers who will be inducted. Only a select few will decide to attend this award ceremony. Those who do attend will not regret it.
Broadcasters and writers are simply some of the best storytellers around. There is nothing better than hearing men and women who have spent their lives around baseball share the memories of their careers. This award ceremony may be overlooked by some, but a true baseball fan must check it out. The 2016 award recipients will be Dan Shaughnessy (J.G. Taylor Spink Award) and Graham McNamee (Ford C. Frick Award). You can read more about each award winner here.
2. Sunday Induction ceremony
The Sunday induction ceremony is the one event that every fan looks forward to. Each inductee gives a speech detailing their career and thanking the people who helped them along the way. The ceremony gives fans a chance to see their favorite player or manager alone in the spotlight. There really is nothing like it for fans of the game. It provides an opportunity for each Hall of Famer to tell the stories that left last impressions throughout their careers. This year’s inductees are Mike Piazza and Ken Griffey Jr.
It is now possible for people around the world to tune into the induction ceremony thanks to television and online streaming. This is great for those fans who cannot make the trek to Cooperstown every summer. With that being said, one cannot truly appreciate the experience without being present for the introduction of the returning Hall of Famers. There is a lot of energy and emotion going through the crowd that simply cannot be translated through video.
The numerous Atlanta Braves fans who made the trip in 2014 turned Cooperstown into “Braves Country” for a weekend. At the 2015 induction, it was a large congregation of Dominicans who stole the show. There were many drums, songs, and chants heard as they showed their affection for Pedro Martinez. Each returning Hall of Famer is also greeted with a round of applause and various cheers. It is worth noting that Hammerin’ Hank Aaron traditionally receives the loudest and longest applause at the ceremony.
1. Parade of Legends
Believe it or not, the Parade of Legends is the most “can’t miss” event of Induction Weekend. The parade directly follows the Spink and Frick Award presentation ceremony on Saturday evening. Fans and visitors line the sidewalk down Main Street leading up to the Hall of Fame Museum. In fact, one of the coolest scenes to take in is the many baseball fans packed onto rustic Main Street with the New York Mountains as a backdrop. It is a gorgeous picture of Americana, and that is before the parade even starts!
The parade begins with returning Hall of Famers from the oldest class to the newest. The legends come down Main Street before heading into the museum at the other end. The parade gives fans the opportunity to see stars from yesteryear – baseball giants like Sandy Koufax, Hank Aaron and Johnny Bench – up close and personal. The former players and managers soak up the experience while waving and having a blast with the experience. If seeing one Hall of Famer gets you excited, imagine seeing fifty of them all in one place at one time. No other event can do what the Parade of Legends does. Don’t miss it!
