Baseball Hall of Famer and Legion Baseball alum Rollie Fingers, 2023 American Legion Baseball Player of the Year Jacob Cyr, and Americanism Commission Chairman Mark Avis at Cooperstown, N.Y., on May 25. Photo by Steve Cloud / The American Legion

2023 Baseball Player of Year savors Hall of Fame visit

Last August, Jacob Cyr opened the American Legion World Series with the third no-hitter in ALWS history and closed it with a shutout to lead League City Post 554 to Texas’ first ALWS title.

Given the opportunity over this Memorial Day weekend, of course Cyr took the chance to pick the brains of Hall of Fame pitchers in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Cyr’s pitching exploits last summer earned him the 2023 George W. Rulon American Legion Baseball Player of the Year Award. With that honor came a trip to the National Baseball Hall of Fame this spring, where Cyr was recognized on the field during the Hall of Fame East-West Classic.

This year’s edition of the annual Memorial Day weekend event served as a salute to the Negro Leagues. The East team won 5-4, sparked by Ryan Howard’s three-run home run.

The visit to Cooperstown was not only Cyr’s first trip there, but his first to New York at all.

“This place is beautiful, it’s very, very exciting and a pleasure to meet the Hall of Famers up here,” Cyr said. He took pictures with the likes of Jim Rice, Ozzie Smith, C.C. Sabathia and Ken Griffey Jr.

“Legion Baseball was definitely one of the most fun times in my life,” Cyr said. “It’s really cool to see all the (Hall of Fame) guys here and pick some of the pitchers’ brains.”