Cooperstown, New York.
The area in itself is quite beautiful. Surrounded by hills and trees and a beautiful lake, Cooperstown is a rather small town.
It is also home to the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. I've been there twice. Both times, during induction ceremonies.
This is the time of the year to go. It is quite remarkable to be browsing at their baseball card display, only to have Bob Feller sidle past you with a casual nod. Or to pass Ernie Banks looking at Three Finger Brown's plaque, a sideways smile on his face. Or to walk past a sidewalk cafe and see Johnny Pesky enjoying an afternoon lunch at a pizzeria.
Then there were the ceremonies. Bench. Yaz. Schoendienst. Harry Carrey singing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame". Seeing the stage full of legends: Aaron, Mays, Banks, Stargell, Mantle, Ford, Doerr, McCovey...it is simply overwhelming.
The next day (back then) was the Hall of Fame Game, which is no more. It was a joy to sit in Doubleday Field, watching a practice game with the Royals (they were supposed to play the Reds, who were stuck in Montreal that day). It had a great view, where again, the hills towering over the town were quite visible. Then, a few Hall of Famers joined the fun on the field - new inductee Johnny Bench took a few swings. The biggest cheer of the day went to the legendary Happy Chandler, who jogged onto the field, waving to the fans like he was a 20-year-old ***.
Baseball heaven.
:thumbsup:
