Moriah: Cooperstown 2015: Pedro danced, Reggie cursed, Pete disappeared
From SABR member David Moriah at Sports Collectors Digest on August 19, 2015:
Approximately 45,000 delirious baseball fans brought tiny Cooperstown, N.Y., to life for the 2015 Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony and related events throughout the weekend of July 24-26.
For the first time since 1955, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America selected four players for HOF immortality, resulting in a class of recently retired players who were quite familiar to today’s fans. The result? A crowd that ranked in the top five of all HOF inductions, easily topping the average yearly attendance of about 15,000 fans.
Craig Biggio turned out the largest contingent, as the streets of Cooperstown were flooded with the bold orange and yellow colors of Astros jerseys and hats. The popular Biggio played his entire career in Houston and is the first player in the franchise’s 53-year history to earn a ticket to Cooperstown wearing an Astros cap. As a result, Astros fans turned out in force to cheer for their hero.
Slightly fewer in number but decidedly louder and more enthusiastic were fans of Pedro Martinez, only the second HOFer to hail from the Dominican Republic. Pedro’s election ended a 32-year Dominican drought dating back to the election of Juan Marichal in 1983, and Dominican pride was on display with flags, music and loud cheering, which Martinez enthusiastically encouraged. He broke into a Latin dance move when called to the podium, and finished his remarks by calling on Marichal to join him in hoisting the flag of their native country.
Approximately 45,000 delirious baseball fans brought tiny Cooperstown, N.Y., to life for the 2015 Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony and related events throughout the weekend of July 24-26.
For the first time since 1955, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America selected four players for HOF immortality, resulting in a class of recently retired players who were quite familiar to today’s fans. The result? A crowd that ranked in the top five of all HOF inductions, easily topping the average yearly attendance of about 15,000 fans.
Read the full article here: http://www.sportscollectorsdigest.com/features/cooperstown-weekend-2015-pedro-danced-reggie-cursed-and-pete-disappeared
Originally published: September 2, 2015. Last Updated: September 2, 2015.