Sat, Jun 30, 2007
by Geoff Young
With Tony Gwynn’s induction into the Hall of Fame less than a month away, now might be a good time to revisit plans to meet up at Cooperstown. Here’s what I’m doing; how about you?
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Tags: Baseball, cooperstown, hall_of_fame, mlb, padres, san_diego_padres, tony_gwynn
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June 30, 2007 at 9:11 am
I’m gonna be driving in from Boston for just that day.
If anyone else between Winthrop, MA and Cooperstown would like a ride over let me know. Click on my name to go to my webpage and my email address is there.
I do ask two things, though…. 1) You split the cost of gas… and 2) you not be boring.
Look forward to meeting up with the rest of the ducksnorts gang there!
June 30, 2007 at 9:31 am
My family and I are flying into Detroit on the 27th. We’re picking up a rental car and staying with my aunt in Fremont, OH that nite. Saturday, we’re driving from Fremont to Syrcause, NY, where we’ll be staying during the next few days.
Sunday morning, we’ll get up between 2 and 4, and head out to Cooperstown. It’s a two-hour drive, so hopefully we’ll get to the park at a decent time to get an OK spot. We’ll be in Cooperstown all day Sunday with light camping equpiment (food, umbrella, blankets, cards). We’ll go back to Syrcause Sunday nite. We’ll head back into Cooperstown on Monday to get a good look at the museum (hopefully without the millions of people around). We’ll spend most of the afternoon here before heading to NYC Monday nite.
Tuesday, we’ll bum around NYC during the day (only my fiance has ever been there), before heading to a Yankees game that nite. It will be our only chance to see a game at Yankee Stadium before it’s torn down.
Wednesday, we’ll leave NYC and drive to Pittsburgh. We’ll arrive in Pittsburgh Wednesday afternoon and catch a Pirates game at PNC that nite.
Thursday, we’ll depart Pittsburgh and return to Fremont. On Friday, my fiance, dad, and myself will head to the single greatest amusement park known to man (Cedar Point, check it out - most coasters in a single park in the world and home to the highest and fastest rides in the world as well).
We’ll spend more time in Fremont on Saturday before flying back to San Diego Sunday. Then, my fiance and I get to drive back to Beaumont before trudging into work Monday morning.
June 30, 2007 at 9:44 am
2: I should have mentioned that we’ll be wearing the white “Congrats Tony” shirts that SDSU’s baseball program has been selling at the games. If anyone wants to say hey, go ahead.
June 30, 2007 at 9:48 am
My wife and I are making the trip as well. We’re visiting a friend in med school in Boston the week before and then heading over to Cooperstown…..think we’re staying in Albany unless we can find something better last minute……any suggestions?
June 30, 2007 at 9:50 am
4: Try Schenectady, it’s a touch closer than ALbany. We were originally gonna stay there, but Syracuse was way cheaper.
June 30, 2007 at 10:53 am
Syracuse would have been nice, but it makes a ton more sense(since we’re flying into and out of Boston) to stay east of Cooperstown.
Thanks for the tip.
Are the Padres planning anything specifically for that weekend?
June 30, 2007 at 10:58 am
The Padres are doing their TG appreciation weekend the week before he gets inducted into the HOF. They’re giving away a replica shirt and a visor if I’m not mistaken. That’s also when they’ll unveil the statue.
June 30, 2007 at 11:57 am
Ah, the statue! My brother just got our brick a week or so ago.
There’s no way I can make the Tony Gwynn induction, so I’ll have to live vicariously through everyone else. I hope you all have a blast.
GY, two trips to Abq? Really? Haha, I drove through there a couple times enroute to Houston from San Diego. Sadly we didn’t have time for baseball stops, which would have made the trip 10 times more bearable.
June 30, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Count me as disappointed if they don’t actually organize something in Cooperstown for the people who make the trip
June 30, 2007 at 12:51 pm
…watching it on t.v.
I’m jealous.
June 30, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Fellow reader Brad, myself and my girlfriend will be attending services. Can’t wait to meet you all there!!
June 30, 2007 at 1:02 pm
FYI, I’m about to do some maintenance. Site will be down for about 15-20 minutes.
June 30, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Okay, we’re back. With luck, nothing broke…
June 30, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Lynch Mob and my husband Al will be at Cooperstown for the induction. I’ll be watching on TV.
June 30, 2007 at 5:13 pm
I’ll definitely be there. We’re about 2 hrs away, and heading up on Sunday.
July 1, 2007 at 8:47 am
We’re flying in to NYC on Tuesday night before, spending a couple days in the city and then driving upstate Friday morning. Hope to go to the actual Hall on Friday (bought a family membership so we can pop back in throughout the weekend without worries about the fee).
Gonna spend plenty of time checking out the shops and the crowds. Will head out to the event site early to set up, expecting the Baltimore contingent to be HUGE since they are close enough for “day trippers”.
I really think we should attempt to organize some kind of meeting. Pick a bar and meet there Sat. Afternoon? Maybe a breakfast meeting Sat.?
And if we all sow up early to lay out blankets and stuff for the ceremony, it migt not be a bad idea to band together and set up a “Friar Faithful” section. Might make our “To-ny” chant more audible.
July 2, 2007 at 2:25 pm
Bought my flights today…flying into Syracuse from Chicago on Friday…staying in Syracuse that night…driving into Cooperstown on Saturday and staying until Sunday night…Fly out of Syracuse on Monday night.
There will be 3 of us for the weekend.
Any chance of a party on Sat night? Rent out a room or something at a local establishment?
July 2, 2007 at 8:18 pm
Anyone else getting a Hall of Fame membership?
July 6, 2007 at 2:30 pm
GY … you mentioned a shuttle into Cooperstown? Do you have a link to details? Is it from Hartwick?
July 6, 2007 at 2:35 pm
4 … MarkA … you might give this guy a call on Monday …
Graig Eichler
Director, Residential Life, Housing, and Summer Programs
Hartwick College
406B Dewar Hall
Oneonta, NY 13820
(607)431-4547
… he might have an extra room (and/or a wait list) in a dorm at Hartwick College.
That’s where I’m staying on Saturday night … and I’ve got the reservation thru Sunday night, but I now thinking I want to get back down into NYC on Sunday night, so if you (or anyone else out there) might be interested in the room for Sunday night, drop me an email (imhl58 at hotmail dot com).
July 9, 2007 at 9:23 am
19 … I got an email reply about the shuttle from Oneonta to Cooperstown …
There will be transportation from downtown Oneonta to Cooperstown over the weekend. I will have all the details of bus schedules as you check in. Currently, I am still waiting on the schedules myself.
Thanks,
Graig
[personal contact info removed]
July 9, 2007 at 1:36 pm
I’m starting to get a bit panic-y about not being prepared for this trip to Cooperstown … I’d really like to talk to someone who has been to an induction ceremony before … anyone know anyone?
For starters, I’d ask questions like this …
- what’s best time to get to get to the ceremony site? (ie. is there much/any value to getting there rediculously early?)
- lawn chair versus blanket?
- byo drinks and munchies?
- what’s it like afterwards? ie. plan on it taking 2+ hours to get out of Cooperstown?
- any recommendations on where to park on the day-of?
- what other events are “must do” during the weekend?
- how long are the lines, how crowded is the museum on Saturday and Sunday?
Some of these questions are answered by this FAQ … http://web.baseballhalloffame......nd/faq.jsp … but I’m still interested to talk to somebody with real experience.
Let’s think about a Ducksnorts group seating area … I’d be interested to get to the site (the grounds of the Clark Sports Center, 1 mile from museum) early and stake out an area and be part of the first shift of folks to hold our spots … and in exchange for that, I’d hope some folks would come later and be part of a 2nd and/or 3rd shift to hold spots while I try to rub elbows with an HOF’er
What else?
July 9, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Here’s the link to a map (with location of parking lots) …
http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/visit/maps.jsp
July 9, 2007 at 2:54 pm
22 - I’d be interested in the same answers…
July 9, 2007 at 7:24 pm
I know some of you guys are in NY … can you give me a tip on driving from NYC up to Oneonta/Cooperstown on Saturday … do you have a gut feel for best drive route? I’m considering 3 routes …
1. I-87 to Albany then I-88 back down to Oneonta
2. I-87 to Kingston then cut over thru Catskill Park to Oneonta
3. I-87 to Monroe, then to Liberty/Roscoe and weave up to Oneonta
I’m not really interested in views/scenary … just getting to Cooperstown as fast as possible … less than 4 hours? And I’m guessing that if I’m starting at JFK, then it might be fastest to cut over to New Jersey before heading north?
Thanks for any insights …
July 10, 2007 at 3:53 am
I live in Kingston. I’ve been to Cooperstown by going out Rt 28 to Rt 30, etc (basically, choice 2 above). It’s quite confusing and I wouldn’t recommend going that way. If you’re coming from NYC, just head straight to Albany and pick up 88. That’s probably the most direct way, and a very easy drive. Rt 30 in contrast is basically a winding scenic back road.
Another alternative seems to be to pick up Rt 17 in Harriman for about 70 miles and go from there, but I’ve never been out that way so I can’t vouch for it whatsoever. Rt 17 is a major highway at least, that much I know.
July 10, 2007 at 8:53 am
26 … thanks, Derek! How long does it take you to drive from Kingston to NYC? Then how long from Kingston to Oneonta on 87/88?
July 10, 2007 at 11:54 am
What’s described in #26 as “Another alternative” is the same as what I meant by #3 (in post #25) … and it is this option which Graig Eichler from Hartwich College in Oneonta recommends … and he says it will take 4-4.5 hours.
Also, I got this caution from friend who visited HOF a couple of years ago (not during induction weekend) …
… hmmm, prehaps that’s enough reason to stick with the Interstates (87 to 88)?
July 10, 2007 at 7:23 pm
Kingston to NYC for me is about 80-85 minutes (91 miles), it’s a straight shot down the Thruway (I-87). From Kingston to Albany is about 55 miles, so 45-50 minutes. I don’t really have any experience at the I-88 portion though. Google shows it to be about 1:40 from Albany to Cooperstown.
I also agree with the caution your friend gave you about speeds on the “backroads”. Personally I’d stick with I-87 to I-88. I googled it from Manhattan to Cooperstown, and forced that route. It came up to just a hair over 4 hrs. It’s also definitely the easiest route, I-87 is a very well maintained highway and is literally about as straight as you can ask for.
I-87 also has a 65 MPH speed limit, compared to the “backroads” which range from 55 to 45 (more likely) to 30.
July 10, 2007 at 7:41 pm
29 … you’ve sold me … thanks!
As a bonus, on my way back to NYC from Cooperstown, I’m thinking of cutting over to Danbury, CT and doing some duckpin bowling … unless anyone knows of a duckpin bowling alley in NY that’s more convenient?
July 11, 2007 at 7:44 pm
No problem…it’s not often that an East Coast Padre fan can be of use to the masses…any other q’s on the locale fire away, although I have to admit my expertise basically runs along I-87 from NYC to Albany only.
July 14, 2007 at 10:04 pm
From a recent article about induction weekend …
SUNY Cobleskill and SUNY Delhi [two state university colleges] currently have lots of dorm rooms at reasonable prices.
July 14, 2007 at 10:39 pm
Padres could have a real “run” @ the HOF …
http://web.baseballhalloffame......f_weekend/
2008: Gossage
2009: Rickey
2010: Roberto Alomar and Fred McGriff
2011: Kevin Brown and Benito
July 17, 2007 at 8:18 am
If anyone is interested, my family is attempting to get to the induction site around 6 a.m. on the morning of the ceremony. I’m not sure if we’ll get prime seating or not, but if there is a legitimate interest, I can look into setting up some kind of Ducksnorts or Padres sign. If I could get really creative, I’d find a way to staple an old TG shirt onto a post, but I’m not sure how long it would last. If anyone has any great ideas on how to establish and maintain a group spot, I’m all ears.
July 17, 2007 at 9:11 am
Phantom … I think having a “group spot” is going to be the way to go … I think the key is “blankets” … ie. spread out blankets to claim spots … this is what I was advocating in post #22 … can you send me an email (imhl58 at hotmail dot com) and we’ll “talk” details? I’ll be in Cooperstown on Saturday, going to the museum … and I’ll be asking folks about times (ex. how early can/should someone stake out places at the Clark Sports Center) and spots (ex. where to sit to avoid being behind a TV camera, etc).
July 17, 2007 at 9:36 am
35: I’ll definitely shoot you an e-mail here shortly. It would be really cool if we can organize a giant Padres fan-base (thinking beyond just DS or GLB). I know that the place is gonna be awash in orange, black, and white and I’d like to see us represent.
July 17, 2007 at 9:57 am
I’ll be there in a 1984 jersey … just got it in the mail yesterday … I’m psyched!
July 17, 2007 at 10:19 am
I am going to be there…Padres gear a flow’n…In case some of you are still looking for a place to stay, I have had 2 cancellations and have a room with 2 beds at Ithica College…it is a simple dorm room and would only cost $125, but it is close and available. Let me know if you are interested.
I also plan on going to the HOF on Saturday…can’t wait to walk around and see everything. I am so stoked!!!
What time do the festivities start on Sunday? Is 6am a good arrival time? I was toying with the idea of an eariler run.
July 17, 2007 at 10:22 am
RE: 28…funny, b/c I just got a fairly significant ticket on my drive to Albany last week during a separate visit to Canada/NY…I was warned by many people, but still managed to be tagged at a reasonably impressive speed in a 65 zone…I would say that if you are getting a rental car, make sure it has cruise control…AND USE IT!
July 17, 2007 at 10:36 am
Does anyone have any good ideas about how to stand out in a group and be like a “PADRES FANS HERE!” type spot? I’m thinking a flag or a banner that we can get hold or get in the air would be a good start. I’m gonna cross-post this page at Gaslamp Ball to see if we can coordinate an uber-gathering. I think it would be awesome to get a whole bunch of us together to support Tony.
July 17, 2007 at 10:59 am
I will be there (staying in cooperstown with two friends for the weekend) and definitely want to sit amongst Padres fans if possible.
I was thinking we could take a big pole (like a tall umpbrella or something) and tape the GaslampBall T-Shirt to the top of it.
It’s very distinguishable (all black, retired jersey numbers across the front). That could be an effective flag for the Ducksnorts/Gaslampball Padres crowd
July 17, 2007 at 1:28 pm
41: That might be a good idea. Does anybody know where I can get one? My other thought was trying to get a KhalilBot shirt to use for that purpose. If that doesn’t work, I might just throw up an old navy TG shirt.
July 17, 2007 at 6:06 pm
We need to have a “group chant” … or 2 … perhaps one that fits in Haiku form … perhaps one for before the ceremony … perhaps one for after Tony’s speech (and then chant it as a group loud enough to be heard on the TV
) … who out there is creative enough to do this?
July 17, 2007 at 10:33 pm
Fat Tony ate my pants
Running around the bases
We love him anyway
It is a Haiku…does that count?
July 17, 2007 at 10:43 pm
I guess it actually should read…
Fat Tony is so cool
Running around the bases
We love him always
That is a real Haiku…right?
July 18, 2007 at 9:50 am
44/45 … OK, those are 2 ideas … uh … thanks … we’re just brainstorming here … and one of the rules of brainstorming is not to say how much an idea sucks … so I won’t do that
Not that I’ve got any brilliant ideas … my latest idea is to prepare our group to change “Oooooooooooooh, Doctor, you can hang a star on that baby!” … or some variant thereof …
July 18, 2007 at 10:01 am
40 … Let’s see … what are we talking about here … what is really going to be happening? Well, we’re talking about 60,000 people converging on a small space in the middle of nowhere … that’s a lot of folks … the majority of them are going to be O’s fans … so we’re talking about coral’ing a few Padre fans … so that … why? So that it will be more fun for us? So that our cheers for Tony will be more effective? Yes and yes, me thinks. What else?
Will anyone be claiming space Saturday (ie. and staying there overnight)? Is anyone there already claiming space?
If folks arrive at 6am Sunday, what kinds of things will they do between 6am and when the ceremony starts at 1pm (or 130pm?)? That could be a looong 7 hours … but then again, my body is still going to be on Pacific time and so it’s going to be 3am to my body and so it will likely be interested in sleeping …
Other ideas for things to do …
- Padre trivia contest
- Read GY’s book … pass them around like a yearbook for “signing”
- Tell tales of the 1984 and 1998 season’s and post-season’s
- Play Strat-O-Matic between the 1984 Padres and the 1998 Padres (can somebody bring a Strat game?)
- Trade baseball cards (I’m going to bring a few extra Tony cards I have)
I wonder if there will be a way to connect to a wireless LAN? Probably not … unless ESPN sets something up? Or is there any way one of the locals can set something up?
July 18, 2007 at 10:40 am
48: If someone hooks up a Wireless LAN, then I might be able to hook us up with the Padres broadcast via MLB.TV.
We’re planning on bringing various card games to occupy ourselves during that particularly brutal stretch of day. I’m also going to force myself not to crack open the last Harry Potter tome until I get on the plane on Friday, so hopefully I’ll have some of that left to read.
July 18, 2007 at 6:29 pm
46 … here’s 4 more “chant” ideas …
a - we split up into 2 groups and get far away … one group yells “Duck” … then other group then yells “Snorts”
b - something simple like … “Ducksnorts loves Tony Gwynn” (we could split up into 4 groups to do this one)
c - “84″ … “98″ … “84″ … “98″ … “84″ … “98″ …
d = mix of a & c … “Duck” … “Snorts” … “84″ … “98″ … “Duck” … “Snorts” … “84″ … “98″ …
July 19, 2007 at 8:13 am
50: Well, I’m gonna try to find a flag this weekend. If I can’t find one, I’ll just staple a TG shirt to a pole and that will be our beacon of fandom. I still have no idea at what time we’re allowed to start assembling. I would recommend getting there as early as possible so that we can get a group going.
July 19, 2007 at 8:26 am
Is anybody there yet?
July 19, 2007 at 8:27 am
51 … I’m asking because I know I want to be … and sorta am, mentally … man, this is gonna be rough stretch to try to get some work done before the trip … I think it’s cool that TG’s saying he’s not sleeping well … it’s fun to get that excited about something …
July 19, 2007 at 9:40 am
I still have an extra room at Hartwick college…two beds. I prepaid for it, so I can’t just cancel. Anyone interested?
I plan on getting to the site pretty early as well…blanket in hand. Cards, computer, Harry Potter, and other misc. entertainment tricks…might even bring a pillow and a binky.
July 19, 2007 at 12:59 pm
For those staying at Hartwick, the Oneonta Tigers are playing at home that weekend:
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.....mp;cid=571
July 19, 2007 at 4:47 pm
54 … and a trip to that ballpark has come HIGHLY recommended to me by a friend here who has been there. I’m not going to do that because I’m only going to be in the Cooperstown area on Sat & Sun and so will be doing the museum on Sat and the induction on Sun and then I’ve got to scoot …
53 … do you have a “Tony Gwynn binky”? If not, I’ll bet someone will have one for sale there
Here’s the closest I could find on ebay …
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Boys-P.....dZViewItem
ps. I have a room paid for at Hartwick that I’m not going to use Sunday night also … at the time I booked it, the booking just had to be done ’cause other options were far and expensive … I’m OK making a donation to Hartwick, seems like a nice instituion of higher learning
July 19, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Wow, you guys are going to have fun.
I’ll be watching it on TV.
Have a great trip everybody who’s going.
July 20, 2007 at 8:26 am
The other “can’t miss” event at Cooperstown during HOF weekend that I’ve had recommended to me by 2 folks I’ve talked briefly with is the “RED CARPET ARRIVALS” … on Saturday night at the museum …
http://web.baseballhalloffame......leId=33096
… “Fans begin to gather around 6 p.m. with festivities starting at 7:30 p.m. Hall of Famers will begin to arrive between 9 and 9:30 p.m.”
July 21, 2007 at 10:56 am
54 … hmmm … perhaps the Oneonta game is not being played in Oneonta?
http://web.baseballhalloffame......leId=33099
The annual New York-Penn League game featuring the Oneonta Tigers and Aberdeen IronBirds entertains fans at Doubleday Field.This game is FREE and open to the public.
July 21, 2007 at 3:32 pm
I’ve talked on the phone to 2 people who have been to recent induction ceremonies … the most applicable experience was a fellow who went last year … attendance was “only” ~20,000 … he drove into Cooperstown on Sunday morning about 7am and parked in town (ie. didn’t have to park in the trolly-lots) … then he spent the morning with his son enjoying Cooperstown, breakfast at a local diner, some time in the museum (was not crowded), lots of baseball celebreties signing autographs along the streets of downtown … they didn’t walk over to the induction site until after noon … an area of about 50 yards was fenced off for the VIPs … they were able to sit about 20 yards behind that fence … so they were 70 yards from stage … yikes, hard to see much … but there was video monitors that they could also see which helped them to see what was going on on-stage … afterwards, he and his son walked by downtown and again mingled with fans and had a few brushes with baseball celebrities (for example, he talked with Buck O’Neill for a few minutes while getting his autograph, I didn’t ask him how much he paid, but what he said was there were many guys there signing autographs to make a few bucks) …
His Saturday experience was that *many* people had staked out spots early in the afternoon along Main St in front of the HOF museum for the “red carpet arrivals” (which are until pretty late at night, see #57).
The other fellow I talked to turned about to be someone invited to attend Sandberg’s induction … so he was sitting in the VIP area … so his experience isn’t going to be applicable
… except to say that he got to the induction site at 10am and got himself seated and then when the ceremony started, the MC said “hello to all 40,000 of you here today” and the guy turned around and looked behind him and first realized how big the crowd had become all they way across the field and up the hill (at the top of the hill were folks with motor homes and other umbrella / canopy thingys to create some shade (otherwise, most folks were out in the dead-hot-sun) …
July 21, 2007 at 3:35 pm
I’m trying to find links to folks who have been to an HOF induction before … here’s one …
http://www.santoforhall.com/20.....-anderson/
… a few thougts and pics …
July 21, 2007 at 3:49 pm
#58: Interesting. I was planning to attend the Friday night game, but now I might have to have to hit both…
July 21, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Here’s some pics of a Philly fan’s trip to the HOF …
http://www.flickr.com/photos/t.....3567/show/
July 21, 2007 at 4:03 pm
Here’s a picture from 2005 … “about 5 hours before the induction ceremony” …
http://travel.webshots.com/pho.....1612FeNSLp
July 21, 2007 at 4:09 pm
63 … that link is part of a slideshow with some pics that make the induction site scene pretty clear!
July 21, 2007 at 4:36 pm
Here’s a web page with some info about people/players who will be in Cooperstown selling autographs …
http://www.mabcelebrity.com/sh.....main01.htm
… and Tony’s on the list for $115 … and that sounds like if you’ve prepurchased a ticket … and Ripken’s not on the list … hmmm … fyi.
July 21, 2007 at 6:01 pm
Well, so much for my idea of not having a chair…looks like I am making a walmart run on Friday day in Syracuse…
Oh man am I starting to get really excited!!!
July 21, 2007 at 7:26 pm
Wow, this is going to be completely insane!
July 22, 2007 at 7:33 am
65 … this is a bit off-topic … but seeing that Steve Garvey is going to be in Cooperstown selling/signing autographs has renewed my interest to pursue removal of the #6 from the CF wall at Petco … the key to my plan to make this happen is to get Steve Garvey to request it! So, I’m hoping to work up the guts to ask him about it at Cooperstown … this may be my only chance to talk to him … and how many people could possibly be keeping him busy signing autographs, so I’m hoping he’ll have some time on his hands to talk to me about it … wish me luck
July 23, 2007 at 8:36 am
Ok, so I know some of you are on the e-mail list and others are not, so here’s my tentative idea for a group gathering:
My family has a bunch of old Padres beach towels. You remember ‘em. Well, once we’re in the region, we’re gonna hit a Walmart and acquire some PVC or sign posts. We’ll try to create bannners with the Padres beach towels. We’ll take ‘em down once the ceremony starts, but I think this will be as effective as anything else to draw attention to ourselves. Also, we’ll be sure to try to save as much space as possible, but it’s gonna be tight.
See ya there!
July 23, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Coronado.. do you still have those beds available?
My buddy and i are staying in Albany on Saturday night but you’re a lot closer and i can still ditch the hotel.
Didi put me on to your site.
My plans are NY City Friday and watching Mets-Nationals that night. Head for Albany sometime later on Saturday.
Hall of Fame on sunday.
July 24, 2007 at 11:26 am
70 … horstman … send me an email … see #20 for address …
July 25, 2007 at 8:38 am
There’s a coupla mentions of Brooks’ BBQ in Oneonta on the HOF web site … fyi …
http://www.brooksbbq.com/
July 25, 2007 at 8:41 am
There’s a new web page up about parking in Cooperstown on Sunday …
http://www.baseballhalloffame......g_info.jsp
… and it sounds ominous … adding an extra 60,000 folks to a town of 2,000 is gonna be a CRUSH … I’ve been backing off getting there “early” … but this is swaying me back to the value/importance of getting into town before the hords from Baltimore …
July 25, 2007 at 9:15 am
What’s the best route from Albany on Sunday morning?
Are beach umbrellas allowed on the field or do they block the view?
Is it reasonable to set up chairs/blankets on the field then walk into town and return for the ceremony?
July 25, 2007 at 10:20 am
74 … I’ve been trying to find answers to questions like this for weeks now … and I’m unsatisfied with what I’ve come up with … so many unknowns …
re: route … the HOF web page suggests coming into Cooperstown from the north … see link in #22 for details (link at the top labeled “Driving Directions” …
re: umbrellas … don’t know about “allowed” … check out pics from 2005 at link in #63 … if I were you, I’d bring it … set it up for “pre-ceremony” and plan to take it down during the ceremony … worst case scenario is that “they” tell you you can’t put it up at all, I s’pose …
re: walk into town … sounds “reasonable” to me … but so far I’ve not found anyone who has actually done this … and I don’t know what the risks are (someone walk off with your chairs/blankets, or repositions them at some random location at the back/top-of-the-hill)? See comment #69 for perhaps being part of a “group” that might keep watch on your chairs/blankets …
Drop me an email (#20) and we can try to meet up there …
July 26, 2007 at 11:04 am
Weather forecast is looking grim … Steve, what’s your view from Boston?
July 27, 2007 at 3:56 pm
The weather forecast is very iffy. If anyone needs a room in Albany for Sat. or Sun. nite, I just canceled my reservation at the La Quinta Albany Airport.
Instead I’m gonna leave from North Jersey very early Sunday morning and spend Sunday night in Utica. It’s closer to Cooperstown so easier to get back and see the Hall on Monday.
No need for a sun umbrella. Bring the rain umbrellas!!!
July 28, 2007 at 4:52 pm
I’m in East Berne, NY waiting for the AM when we’ll head to the Induction. It looks to be about 80 mins from where I am.
Starting to get excited already!
July 29, 2007 at 6:13 am
And…I’m off! Going way late but I figured it’s gonna be a zoo any way you look at it. No need to put the family thru more zoo than necessary. Should be in Coop by 10:30.
August 1, 2007 at 2:11 pm
I’m finally able to get on-line … just for a quick minute … last Saturday and Sunday were amazing, wild, unforgetable, etc … so much to see and do and folks to mingle and visit with … I feel like if I ever go again, I’ll plan to spend full days Friday and Saturday and Sunday and Monday in Cooperstown!
And Phantom was so right-on to figure out a way to connect … I did “find” him … but there was still no way to easily get there … what a ZOO … I was probably about 100 yards away from him and it took me about a half-hour to get there … then had a BLAST meeting him (and Brad and Russ and Mike) … but I was running out of time to wade thru the crowd to get a program (I did) and still get back to my chair before the ceremony started (I did) …
mlb.com has posted the video of the induction ceremony …
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/articl.....p;c_id=mlb
… and I’ve watched it and it’s great! If you do watch it, look for me waiving my hat at the 125:15 mark behind the flag which is behind the “5.5″ sign