The fan from Saratoga Springs, outside the crowd-control fence at the 2006 National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction, said he tries to make it to Cooperstown on that weekend every year.
In fact, he always means to come for 3-4 days. But he forgets, happens to hear something on the radio, and finds himself dashing west on Route 20 the day of.
Those of us here in town are always very aware of Induction Weekend. It looms large, as do fireworks on the National Mall on the Fourth of July for people living in Washington, D.C. As the Masters does in Augusta, Ga. As the return of the swallows does Capistrano. As the groundhog does Punxatawney.
Locals know what’s happening locally. But it makes sense to remind everybody else.
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That’s brought to mind by what the business community, in any event, is calling a dismal turnout at this year’s very nice induction of a great baseball star, Rich “Goose” Gossage, into the Hall of Fame on Sunday, July 28.
The HoF is estimating it brought 14,500 fans to town, but everyone else considers that optimistic.
Certainly, nothing could stack up to last year’s record 85,000 crowd for the induction of Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn, an exceptional experience for fan, businessperson, and anyone who lived through it.
Still, Ted Hargrove, proprietor of TJ’s Place and the Home Plate Restaurant for the past 31 years, said, business-wise, it was the worst weekend in memory.
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During that same weekend, the Hall of Fame board of directors elected three new members, a Hall of Famer, a baseball owner and – a jaw-dropping choice – MLB President Bob Dupuy. In a year where MLB was much decried in these parts, the HoF board elects another top MLB executive – in addition to Commissioner Bud Selig – into its ranks.
On the one hand, it may mean – bestill, beating hearts – that Selig is considering retiring – finally! – and Dupuy is learning the ropes in anticipation of a transition.
It might also suggest the Hall of Fame has a tin ear about local opinion or just doesn’t care about local needs outside the walls of 25 Main. Local folks on the board of directors are limited to former or current Hall of Fame or Clark Estates’ associates.
In a perfect world, you would hope that perhaps local representatives – the mayor, as mayor, or chairman of the county Board of Representatives, in his role as chairman – would be brought on as directors to champion local interests within an institution so central to our community life.
As it is, the Hall of Fame is being pulled in various directions by its various constituencies – the MLB, the players, the owners, corporate sponsors, the fans. The Village of Cooperstown and County of Otsego are just two voices of many.
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Which returns us to that fan from Saratoga Springs.
If Hall of Fame Induction Weekend is important to the business community, the business community should promote it. The Cooperstown and Otsego County chambers should form a joint committee and start thinking about how to get fans here at the end of July 2009.
If sales- and bed-tax revenues are important to the county, it should be ensuring its tourism-promotion efforts are sufficiently muscular to ensure the flow is unstemmed.
Community commerce related to the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum is too important to be left to the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum. Let’s control our own destiny to the degree we can.

Labels: Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, Editorial, Hall of Fame Induction, Opinion