"It has been a little more than two years now since I last visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown with my nephew Jason. We really enjoy baseball, both the history of the sport, as well as how the game is currently played today. But we have also visited a number of different ballparks in the last two years, some multiple times, with more trips planned in the future.
The Baseball Hall of Fame and the Village of Cooperstown is a wonderful place to experience; in fact, I visited the museum on a few occasions with my father as a kid during Hall of Fame Weekend, which is when the latest class of players, coaches, writers, etc. is inducted into the Hall of Fame, as part of a huge induction ceremony.
I remember hanging out next to Leatherstocking Golf Course in Cooperstown, watching legends like Yogi Bera and Tom Seaver tee off. I also enjoyed walking around the various shops and buildings in downtown Cooperstown, collecting autographs from the old-time ball players who had traveled to Cooperstown for induction weekend. The first legendary player I met was Don Larson - so far he is the only pitcher to throw a perfect game in the World Series. He played for the New York Yankees and threw the perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers on October 8, 1956. Although, in high school, I also played a memorable game with my varsity team on Doubleday Field in Cooperstown.
But I may have appreciated the history of baseball more so than ever before, when I visited the museum two years ago with my nephew. There were many historical objects in the museum's collection that I really admired, such as an exhibit entitled, "Taking the Field: the 19th Century," along with other exhibits like, "Picturing America's Pastime," "Pride and Passion: the African-American Baseball Experience," "Babe Ruth: His Life and Legend," and "Viva Baseball!"
However, it was also intriguing to see how the world had taken notice of baseball in the 1800s. For example, the nineteenth century exhibit displayed a group of transfer printed ceramic dishes, some of which had been manufactured in America, but there were others that had been produced in Staffordshire, England. The English examples were produced as children's plates in the 1860s under the brand "American Sports." Some of the dishes were even decorated with inscriptions like, "Base Ball. Caught on the Fly.," Base Ball Striker and Catcher," Base Ball Running to First Base," Base Ball Out on the Third Base," as well as untitled plates."
Nevertheless, I made it a priority while walking around the museum's nineteenth century exhibit last week to photograph the ceramic plates that are on display. The following objects were all manufactured in Staffordshire, England after 1860.
National Baseball Hall of Fame
My Nephew Jason Outside the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY
See Article for More Information
My Nephew Jason Outside the Hall of Fame's Room Where all the Inducted Player's Plaques Hang
See Article for More Information
My Nephew Jason with Norman Rockwell's "Tough Call" Painting
Rockwell Painted this Artwork in 1948
See Article for More Information
Ceramics on Display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame
19th Century Baseball Themed Ceramic Plate on Display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame
Plates Made in Staffordshire, England
See Article for More Information
Information on Display with the Plates
See Article for More Information
19th Century Baseball Themed Ceramic Plate on Display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame
Plate Made in Staffordshire, England
See Article for More Information
No comments:
Post a Comment