European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 30, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 23 the stars and stripes sports saturday july 30, 1994 on the Road to a by Mary esc1i Cooperstown a an Acorn size Cork sphere is covered red rubber and wrapped with 121 Yards of Gray Wool 45 Yards of White Wool 53 More Yards of Gray and 150 Yards of co toil coated with rubber Cement and sewn with red twine into a cover of Alum tanned leather j behold the major league baseball. Every step in its construction is displayed in a Glass Case at the National baseball Hall of Fame in Coopers town the Mother ice of trivia Memorabilia statistics and enshrined heroes from americans pastime. On sunday about 18,000 baseball aficionados Are expected to gather in a nearby natural Amphitheater to witness the induction of this years Hall of Farmers Steve Carlton Phil Rizzuto Leo Durocher and longtime new York mets broadcaster Bob Murphy. Induction weekend which concludes on monday with the Hall of Fame game Between the Philadelphia Phillies and Seattle mariners at Doubleday Field Isnit necessarily the Best time for fans to bask in baseball history Here. A Cooperstown is Rural. America at its Best a said Steven Walker manager of the 184-year-old Cooper inn a few blocks from the Hall of Fame. A induction week end its at its worst. Its pretty fan unfriendly. The crowds and Media have just gotten out of but at other times visiting Cooperstown 70 Miles West of Albany is like stepping into a mythical Norman Rockwell vision of Small town . Flags flutter above the immaculately maintained Brick and clapboard storefronts along main Street. The Broad thoroughfare is shaded by Maples and decorated with cascading red geraniums Hung from every a brought Iron Lamppost. An 82-year-old mahogany sightseeing boat the chief Uncas takes tourists on cruises up 9-mile-Long Otsego Lake from the Village Marina a few blocks off main Street. A Bronze statue of James Fenimore Coopers Deer Slayer gazes Over the Finger shaped Lake from a nearby Park. The authors father founded this Village and three of Coopers novels were set in the area. Its a wealthy town benefiting from the philanthropy of its prominent families. The Coopers have preserved much of the land. The Clark family heirs to the Singer sewing machine Fortune helped create the baseball Hall of Fame the Fenimore House museum and the Farmers museum. And the Busch family of Budweiser Beer Fame has subsidized sports conservation and the Glimmer Glass opera House. For All its museums boutiques historic architecture and Lakeside scenery though Cooperstown is Best known As the Mecca of baseball. Legend has it that Abner Doubleday a West Point graduate who fired the first gun for the Union at fort Sumter invented the game in Elihu Phinney a Coopers to town pasture in 1839. His cloth stuffed Home made Ball was discovered in a farmhouse attic and is reverently displayed in the Hall of Fame museum. That Story has been disputed by historians who Point to evidence that modern baseball took shape in Hoboken . In 1846. But such quibbling does Little to Lessen the allure of Cooperstown for baseball a faithful. More than 400,000 people a year make the pilgrimage to Cooperstown. They gaze upon the 25 pieces of leather that Are hand sewn with 2,500 stitches to create the Wilson a2000 Glove favored by Many major leagues. They Sec samples of the select White Ash logs that Are dried outdoors for 12 months turned on lathes and hand finished into Louisville slugger bats in Cooperstown new York a sunday july a it. It Phil Rizzuto shortstop 13 yrs regular season 1941 -42. �?T46-56 new York Yankees a a r h or rib avg. 5816 877 1588 38 562 .273 world series 1941 .-42, a 47, 49, 50-53. �?T55 a r h or rib avg. Steve Carlton Pitcher 24 yrs regular season 1965- 88 St. A phi., s.f., Chi. Alcie., min. In we so by Era 5216.2 329-244 4136 1833 3.22 division series 1981 a in we. So by Era Leo Durocher manager 24 yrs regular season 1939-55,1966-73 bin. No. . Nochi. Nouhou. W l t pet. 2010 1709 22 .540 world series 1941/51, 54 w l pet. 183 21 45 8 .246 baseball s Hall of Fame was founded in 1936 and established in Cooperstown. , in 1939. The first selections were babe Ruth Tycobb Honus Wagner Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson. The baseball writers association of America several years later took Over the voting following specified guidelines a ten years of major league experience a seventy five percent of the votes a retired for a minimum of five years .14 a 0-2 13 8 3.66 playoffs 1976, 77, 78, 80, 83 in a a we a so by Era 53.2 4-2 39 28 3.52 world series 1967, 68,�?T 80, 83 saw a so by Era 31.2 2-2 32 15 2.56 8 .467 after minimum retirement a player is on the ballot for 15 years if not elected during that time the. Name is dropped irom ballot. Once dropped the veterans committee takes inem into consideration managerial Victory list a Active through july 26 1. Connie Mack 3,776 2. John Mcgraw. It. 2,840 3. Bucky Harris 2,159 4. Joe Mccarthy 2,126 5. Sparky Anderson a 2,125 6, Walter Alston 2,040 7. Leo Durocher 2,010 8, Casey Stengel 1,926 9. Gene Mauch 1,901 10, Bill Mckechnie v 1,898 the size and weight specified by each player. But those Are just warm ups to the real wonders Here. Life size and startlingly realistic Wood carvings of babe Ruth and Ted Williams Greet visitors in the lobby which like the rest of the lavishly designed museum has the glowing Shadow Ness of a shrine. People take each others pictures beside the legendary figures. Artefacts and photographs chronicle 150 years of baseball history on the second floors West Wing. There Sty Cobbs ripped Black Glove from 1926, and his Bat shoes sliding pads and Detroit Tiger sweater. There s the Ball and Bat used by Hank Aaron for his 3,000th hit. And Reggie Jackson a batting helmet worn when he hit his 500th Home run. In a babe Ruth room entered through a Ballpark turnstile and bathed in Golden Light the faithful can see his Yankee stadium locker his autographed Silver Cigar aped a Gasero Box his Bowling Ball and his Silver Crown a King of swat trophy. A movie room has props from baseball films. There a the Jersey worn by Tab Hunter in a Damn Yankees and the new York knights uniform worn by Robert Redford in a the natural a As Well As his Bat wonder boy. There a the Cap and Jersey worn by Ray Liotta in a afield of dreams a and Geena Davis Rockford peaches uniform from a a league of their the museum a a three Story red Brick building on main Street a is bold and vibrant in design. Its compelling exhibits give even non fans a sense that this is about More than just a game. Its about american heroes nostalgia and mythology. Editors note the National baseball Hall of Fame and museum is open seven Days a week year round except for thanksgiving Christmas and new years Day. Phone 607-547-7200. Mariners told they can t play at Tacoma a a a. It Seattle apr the longest Road trip in Seattle mariners history was extended thursday when the players Union. Rejected Tacoma a Cheney stadium As an alternate site to the kingdom. Seattle had a nine game Home stand scheduled to begin tuesday with games against California Kansas City and Texas. A this is a severe disappointment a mariners president Chuck Armstrong said. A we had really hoped our players would get some Home cooking and get to play outdoors. It would have been Good mariners infielder Mike blowers lives in Tacoma about 30 Miles Southof Seattle. A i never expected it to happen a he said. A i made plans Early this week to take my family to after the rejection the american league announced the mariners will play those games on the Road while King county officials scramble to remove 40,000 faulty acoustical ceiling tiles from the kingdom. A we have every expectation of being Back in the kingdom by aug. 22 against the Toronto Blue jays a Armstrong said. However baseball players said thursday they will strike aug. 12 if there is no agreement on a new labor contract setting in motion the process that could Lead to the sports eighth work stoppage since 1972. A this has been a very frustrating year a Armstrong said. Players for All three opposing teams rejected the Tacoma option. A i think when All was said and done players get themselves based on. Their knowledge of the stadium to agree to play there or be convinced that it was up to major league standards a Eugene Orza the associate general counsel of players Union said in new York. A they regard it As a substandard Field. I done to say that critically or of Tacoma a a added Dan Wilson the mariners player representative a when you have 75 players vote against it and 25 for it who Are you going to listen to if we were the other team wed vote the same Seattle would have had to play Day games in Cheney because the Pacific coast league Tacoma tigers Are playing night games there. The mariners were in Detroit on thursday on a Road trip that wraps up sunday against the Chicago White sox. The american league gave the mariners two options play at Cheney or hit a the Road As Road warriors a Armstrong said. The team voted unanimously to play at Cheney but the California Angels filed a written protest against playing at the minor league stadium. A we Are wondering whether the Angels just wanted the competitive advantage a Armstrong said
