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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Is anybody there yet?
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 …
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.
For those staying at Hartwick, the Oneonta Tigers are playing at home that weekend:
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_sch&cid=571
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-Posh-Pacifier-Binky-Clip-Sports-Baseball_W0QQitemZ190131744704QQihZ009QQcategoryZ79713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
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
Wow, you guys are going to have fun.
I’ll be watching it on TV.
Have a great trip everybody who’s going.
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.org/enterworkflow.do?flowId=calendarOfEvents.displayCalendar&showDetail=true&scheduleId=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.”
54 … hmmm … perhaps the Oneonta game is not being played in Oneonta?
http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/enterworkflow.do?flowId=calendarOfEvents.displayCalendar&showDetail=true&scheduleId=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.
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) …
I’m trying to find links to folks who have been to an HOF induction before … here’s one …
http://www.santoforhall.com/2006/06/27/a-hall-of-fame-experience-by-tom-anderson/
… a few thougts and pics …
#58: Interesting. I was planning to attend the Friday night game, but now I might have to have to hit both…
Here’s some pics of a Philly fan’s trip to the HOF …
http://www.flickr.com/photos/the700level/sets/72157594310153567/show/
Here’s a picture from 2005 … “about 5 hours before the induction ceremony” …
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1419392722064041612FeNSLp
63 … that link is part of a slideshow with some pics that make the induction site scene pretty clear!
Here’s a web page with some info about people/players who will be in Cooperstown selling autographs …
http://www.mabcelebrity.com/shows/current/hof%202007/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.
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!!!
Wow, this is going to be completely insane!
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
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!
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.
70 … horstman … send me an email … see #20 for address …
There’s a coupla mentions of Brooks’ BBQ in Oneonta on the HOF web site … fyi …
http://www.brooksbbq.com/
There’s a new web page up about parking in Cooperstown on Sunday …
http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/visit/parking_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 …
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?
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 …
Weather forecast is looking grim … Steve, what’s your view from Boston?
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!!!
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!
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.
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/article.jsp?ymd=20070730&content_id=2118568&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&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