Web Resources

Printable Version of Full Newsletter.

Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

MAIN STREET
Of course, I had to save the best for last! The Baseball Hall of Fame is a 10-minute walk from the Otesaga Hotel and is the primary reason I, and others, I'm sure, have made the trek to Cooperstown. Stephen Carlton Clark opened the Hall of Fame in 1939 and inducted the first four classes: 1936 (Babe Ruth), 1937, 1938, 1939. Mr. Clark owned a number of hotels in the area and he thought that by opening a museum dedicated to baseball, it would attract more guests. More than 14 million visitors later, I'd say he was right! The Hall of Fame is located near the end of Main Street. Walking down Main Street is like taking a walk back in time. The buildings all have a Norman Rockwell feel. If you don't stop to look in the windows (most are selling modern day baseball memorabilia and souvenirs), you wouldn't be able to tell what year it was.

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME
The Hall of Fame doesn't offer tours. It's all self-guided so I was totally stoked when I found out I was getting a private tour from the Vice President, Jeff Idelson. If you think I've got a tough job, Jeff's entails traveling around the country collecting baseball memorabilia (they add about 400 new items each year) and he's on a first name basis with every player. Wow! A couple of days after my tour, while I was watching Barry Bonds about to break the homerun record, the sports announcer said, "I see Jeff Idelson from the Baseball Hall of Fame is here!" That was pretty cool since I'd just met him! Anyway, he gave me the scoop ... I learned a lot, both from Jeff and simply from wandering around this incredible shrine. Here's what I found most interesting.

BIRTH PLACE OF BASEBALL?
For one, Cooperstown is not the birthplace of baseball like many believe. There is strong evidence (like a bylaw that banned the playing of baseball within 80 yards of the town meeting house) that it all started in Pittsfield, MA in 1791. The Baseball Hall of Fame is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB). However, the MLB commissioner sits on the board, along with 15 others and they meet twice a year. There are three parts to the Baseball Hall of Fame election committee. If you're interested in more information on this, you can read about it here. The Baseball Hall of Fame is 50,000 square feet and it houses in excess of 2.6 million documents, including files on every player to ever appear in a major league game. There are 500,000 photographs, 12,000 hours of recorded film, video/sound and on top of that 35,000 three-dimensional artifacts (bats, balls, uniforms, etc) and 130,000 baseball cards (including all the ones your mom threw out!).

WHO'S IN THE HALL?
I was shocked when I learned how few players have actually been elected to the Hall of Fame. Can you believe that only 198 former major leaguers have earned a spot in the Hall? That's less than one per cent of those who have played. In addition, 35 Negro leaguers, 23 executives or pioneers, 16 managers and eight umpires have been elected. The total amount comes to just 280. Out of those, only 62 are still alive. BTW: God bless Yankee legend Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto, who passed away last week. If you have time, log on to the Baseball Hall of Fame website to see his hilarious induction speech.

WHEN TO VISIT
It was so amazing for me to walk around and see all these treasured items. The collection is truly unfathomable. Just think; they have Shoeless Joe Jackson's shoes (though they're currently on a road exhibition) and Babe Ruth's “called homerun” bat. Jeff told me that the most popular exhibit is actually the Diamond Dreams: Women in Baseball display. He said that Penny Marshall drew her inspiration from that to create the film A League of their Own. This year, the Hall of Fame honored their latest inductees: Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken. Fifty-five Hall of Famers were present and guess where they stayed? Yup! At the Otesaga Hotel ... I wonder who slept in my bed? Don't even bother to try and make a hotel reservation at the Otesaga Hotel during the weekend that inductees are honored. The hotel closes to the general public during those four days. This year, they had a record crowd of 75,000 people! Even with all the talk of steroids in the sport, baseball is at its peak. The Baseball Hall of Fame is open all year and the busiest months are July and August. But here's a tip: If you want to avoid the crowds, visit in January. More than one person told me that at that time, you can essentially have the place to yourself. Honestly, they said if they get three (only three!) people to visit, it's a good day. Winter hours are from 9am to 5pm, summer 9am to 9pm. Admission prices are $14.50 for adults (13 and over), $9.50 for seniors (65 and over) and $5.00 for juniors (ages 7-12). Baseball Hall of Fame

OVERALL
Before I arrived, I couldn't understand why Cooperstown was so popular with the rich in the summertime back in the old days (pre-air-conditioning). But after feeling the much cooler temperatures and appreciating the views, now I understand. These days, with all the attractions, activities and of course the rocking chairs on the lakeside patio of the Otesaga Hotel, it's no wonder so many memories are created in Cooperstown. But don't take my word for it. Pack up the car or hop on a plane and create some special memories of your own.

VIDEO
Here's a short Johnny Jet video of my trip to Cooperstown, NY. It's also on YouTube, so it only takes a few seconds to load (though the quality is not as crisp). We also have all the Johnny Jet videos ever made on their servers.

NEXT WEEK
Next week, we travel back to Los Angeles via Erie, PA and Pittsburgh to get on yet another 10-hour international flight. You'll have to join me next week to find out where I'm headed.

1 | 2 | << PREVIOUS PAGE | 4

Happy Travels,
Johnny Jet

*PLEASE tell us what you think of this week's newsletter!

All information presented here is accurate at the time of publication but prices, dates and other details are all subject to change. Please confirm all information before making any travel arrangements.

All images are the property of Johnny Jet Inc. and cannot be reproduced, in whole or in part, without our express permission. If you would like to reprint an image, please contact us at info@johnnyjet.com for image re-use rates.

Note: This trip was sponsored by The Otesaga Hotel.




Copyright 2007 JohnnyJet, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.