Preview Of Pedro Martinez's Hall Of Fame Exhibit
COOPERSTOWN, NY (CBS) - Day One is in the books of our journey to the Baseball Hall of Fame in small town Cooperstown, NY. My photographer Chris Gobeille and I made the four hour drive from Boston early Thursday morning. Still love pulling down Main Street where you get nothing but baseball - from Doubleday Field to the Hall itself.
I haven't been here since my son played out here at an awesome Field of Dreams facility not too far from the Hall. Over 100 teams of 12-year-olds come in from around the country and play baseball games for a week. They live on the grounds in barracks with their coaches, exchange pins with other teams, and barely sleep.....all the stuff you would want to do as a kid.
Had a chance to walk around the Hall of Fame with long time President Jeff Idleson. Jeff is a great story. He was born in Newton, got a job as a vendor at Fenway while in Junior High School, did stats for Red Sox radio, and then got a job in the Red Sox PR department. From there, he was the PR man for George Steinbrenner's Yankees, PR man for the World Cup, and then joined the Baseball Hall of Fame. Loves the game and treats people like family. Just a great, great man.
Jeff took us in the plaque room and showed us where Pedro's plaque will be on Sunday night. The wording on the plaque is everything to the Hall of Fame. Those words will be read forever by the visitors to the Hall and the folks here want to sum up each HOFer's career the right way. One thing I always notice is that most start with _____ All-Star.....again showing why being named (or not named) an All-Star is a big deal and should be for the players. It defines their careers.
There is also a Pedro Martinez exhibit here at The Hall. It features artifacts from each of Pedro's stops along his MLB career.....the Dodgers, Expos, Red Sox, and Mets (no Phillies). The two items from the Sox? The jersey he wore at the 1999 All-Star game at Fenway when he struck out 5 of the 6 hitters he faced and the hat he wore when he pitched Boston to a Game 3 win in the 2004 World Series in St Louis.
Very cool stuff and I urge one and all to make the trek at some point in your life to Cooperstown. It's an awesome place.
We'll have more over the weekend as Pedro goes into The Hall on Sunday along with Randy Johnson, John Smoltz, and Craig Biggio.