Baseball Hall of Fame Weekend in Cooperstown

It is Hall of Fame Weekend at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.  There are festivities throughout the weekend including a Parade of Legends with Hall of Fame members riding down Main Street beginning at 6 PM Saturday and a red carpet arrival at the steps of the Hall of Fame museum.

This year there will be three new inductees added to baseball's shrine.  Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert, 19th Century catcher/infielder James Laurie " Deacon" White and umpire Hank O'Day will be honored in ceremonies Sunday beginning at 1:30 PM on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center.

Ruppert is the 33rd executive elected to the Hall of Fame.  Ruppert made history when he acquired Babe Ruth from Boston prior to the 1920 season. He also  built the original Yankee Stadium which opened in 1923.  His Yankee teams won 10 American League pennants and seven World Series Championships.

"Deacon" White was a bare-handed catcher in the early days of professional baseball.  He later played third base.  He played in the first professional league called the National Association which began in 1871.  White was able to get 2,067 hits and bat .312 over a 20-year professional career.

O'Day becomes the tenth umpire to gain entry into the Hall.  He worked National League games for 30 years.  He umpired in ten World Series, including the first "modern" World Series in 1903.

40 Hall of Fame members are expected to be on hand for the induction ceremonies on Sunday.  There is no admission charge.  Sunday's inductions will bring the total to 300 Hall of Fame members.