After Fenway, the three of us continued to a little town in the heart of the state of New York - Cooperstown to visit the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. But why would a tiny town like Cooperstown be home to the HoF?In the early 1900s, a Congressional Committee decided to investigate the origins of baseball - who invented it? Where was the first game played? First and second-hand accounts and evidence ultimately traced America's Pastime to Abner Doubleday from Cooperstown, NY. It was here that MLB built the Hall and Doubleday Field, both home to the "spirit" of the greatest game the world has known.
As our footsteps echoed through this sacred shrine, whispers of names such as Ruth, DiMaggio, Gehrig, Cobb, Robinson, Aaron, Kaline, Bench and all of the greats haunted us. It was as if we had taken a step back in time from 2008, a journey back to the prime of the Bronx Bombers, the antics of the Gashouse Gang, the conspiracy of the Black Sox and the magic of the Big Red Machine.
The memories captured so sharply behind these glass encasements told a story not only of baseball, but of the struggles and triumphs of our nation. Baseball was a safe haven for fans who suffered through the Great Depression. It was a game that reminded Americans of home and what we were fighting for during the World Wars. It embodied freedom and hope during the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam. Even though we are not old enough to have experienced any of this, Cooperstown so perfectly captured the importance of baseball to American History.
Memories of past legends are resurrected. The greatest moments of the game are relived. This is Cooperstown. Welcome to Baseball.
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