Baseball Hall of Fame to host American Legion Weekend

Baseball Hall of Fame to host American Legion Weekend

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and The American Legion are teaming up to celebrate The American Legion’s Centennial and spotlight Hall of Famers who served in the armed forces and those who had played Legion Baseball before going on to the Major Leagues.

This event, which is hosted by The American Legion Department of New York, takes place from 9 a.m., Friday, March 29 to 5 p.m., Saturday, March 30 at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

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"There has been a huge impact on the game of baseball that we see that we celebrate here in Cooperstown as a result of American Legion Baseball,” said Jon Shestakofsky, vice president of communications and education at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “Almost a quarter of our Hall of Famers grew into the ballplayers they became through The American Legion.

“Legion Baseball is a part of baseball and its history and its development over time. We don’t just celebrate the Major Leagues, we celebrate baseball and its interconnections with American history. That’s why it’s so important to us to recognize The American Legion and all they’ve done to help people. Not everyone who played Legion Baseball ended up (in the Hall of Fame) but Legion Baseball made a huge impact on so many people. The fact that veterans come back from service and want to build up their communities through baseball goes to show what baseball means. It’s amazing to see those connections between the great intuitions of our American culture coming together to benefit people.”

Tickets are $12 for admission at the door for American Legion Family members, Legion Baseball players and immediate guests. Admission is free for active duty and career retired military.

Special events for the weekend include:

Plaques of the Gallery Tour. Aimed at people of all ages, this program educates visitors about the history of the Hall of Fame gallery and the process by which each plaque is made and installed in this 20-minute guided tour.

Guided Museum Tours. These special tours honor military members highlighting artifacts and players that have served their country.

Artifact Spotlight: Military Artifacts. Hall of Fame staff members share the stories of some of the artifacts not currently on exhibit. This presentation will highlight items related to baseball and the military.

Operation Gratitude. Visitors can honor military personnel and veterans by taking some time out of their visit to write a letter to soldiers and veterans. All letters will be sent to Operation Gratitude.

More events are expected to be added.

To RSVP for the event, click here.