National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum facts for kids
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The Hall of Fame in 2020
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| Established | 1936 (Baseball) Dedicated June 12, 1939 |
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| Location | Cooperstown, New York, U.S. |
| Type | Professional sports hall of fame |
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| Visitors | 260,000/year (average as of 2018) |
| Founder | Stephen Carlton Clark |
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a special place in Cooperstown, New York. It's a museum and a hall of fame that celebrates the history of baseball in the United States. It shows off cool baseball items and honors players, managers, and others who were amazing in the sport.
The Hall's main idea is "Preserving History, Honoring Excellence, Connecting Generations." People often just say "Cooperstown" when they mean the Hall of Fame. The museum also decides who gets into the Hall of Fame each year.
Stephen Carlton Clark started the Hall of Fame in 1939. He wanted to bring visitors to Cooperstown, which was struggling during the Great Depression. The Hall of Fame building opened on June 12, 1939. There was a popular story that Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown in the 1830s. This story helped make Cooperstown the perfect spot for the Hall.
The Hall has grown over the years. In 1994, a bigger library opened. The Hall also created a traveling exhibit called Baseball as America. It visits museums across the country. Today, the Hall offers online programs for students who can't visit in person.
Contents
Who is in the Baseball Hall of Fame?
When baseball fans talk about the "Hall of Fame," they mean two things. First, it's the museum in Cooperstown. Second, it's the group of amazing players, managers, umpires, and others who have been chosen to be honored there.
The first five people chosen in 1936 were Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson. They were inducted when the Hall opened in 1939. As of 2025, 351 people have been elected. This includes 278 players, 23 managers, 10 umpires, and 40 pioneers or executives.
Many members, like 119 of them, were inducted after they had passed away. This includes 31 members from the Negro Leagues. Only one woman, baseball executive Effa Manley, is in the Hall of Fame.
The newest members as of January 21, 2025, are Dick Allen, Dave Parker, CC Sabathia, Ichiro Suzuki, and Billy Wagner. In 2019, Mariano Rivera was the first player ever to be chosen by every writer who voted.
How are Hall of Fame members chosen?
Players can be chosen for the Hall of Fame in two main ways. One way is by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). The other way is by the Veterans Committee. This committee looks at players from different time periods.
To be eligible for the BBWAA vote, a player must have played in the major leagues for at least 10 years. They must also have been retired for five years. A special committee checks if players meet the basic requirements.
Writers who have covered MLB for at least 10 years can vote for up to 10 players. To get into the Hall, a player needs to be named on 75% or more of the ballots. If a player gets less than 5% of the votes, they are dropped from future elections. Players who get 5% or more but less than 75% can be considered for up to 10 years.
Sometimes, a player can be chosen even if they don't meet all the rules. For example, Addie Joss played only nine seasons before he died. But he was still elected in 1978. If a player dies before their five-year waiting period, they can be put on the ballot sooner. This happened with Roberto Clemente in 1973.
The five-year waiting period started in 1954. Before that, the rules were different. For example, Lou Gehrig was elected in a special vote in 1939. This was because he was very sick, and they wanted him to be honored while he was still alive.
Z is for Zenith
The summit of fame.
These men are up there.
These men are the game.
If a player isn't elected by the writers after 10 years, the Veterans Committee can consider them. This committee also votes for managers, umpires, and executives.
Players from the Negro Leagues have also been considered. In 2005, the Hall studied African American players from the past. In 2006, 17 more figures from the Negro Leagues were chosen.
People often debate who should or shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame. It's a big part of being a baseball fan!
Players who were banned from baseball
For a long time, players who were permanently banned from Major League Baseball could not be in the Hall of Fame. The most famous players affected were Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson. Both were banned for actions related to betting on games involving their own teams.
Jackson was involved in the Black Sox Scandal in 1919. He was accused of helping to lose the 1919 World Series on purpose. This led to baseball's Rule 21, which bans anyone involved in betting on games they play in.
Rose was banned in the 1980s for betting on the Cincinnati Reds when he was their manager. He later admitted to betting on the Reds in his 2004 book.
For many years, fans argued about whether Rose and Jackson should be allowed into the Hall. In 2025, the rule preventing banned players from being considered was removed.
Players and managers with multiple teams
When a player or manager is inducted, their plaque shows them wearing the cap of a specific team. The Hall of Fame decides which team's cap to use. They choose the team where the person made their biggest impact.
Sometimes, players played for many teams. Here are some examples:
- Frank Robinson: He played for the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles. He chose the Orioles cap for his plaque. He won two World Series with the Orioles.
- Catfish Hunter: He played for the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees. He chose not to have any team logo on his cap. He didn't want to pick one team over the other.
- Nolan Ryan: He played for the New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers. He chose the Rangers cap. He had many famous moments with them, like his 5,000th strikeout.
- Reggie Jackson: He played for the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees. He chose the Yankees cap. He won two World Series with them and earned the nickname "Mr. October."
- Carlton Fisk: He played for the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox. He chose the Red Sox cap. He is famous for a game-winning home run in the 1975 World Series with Boston.
- Tony La Russa: He managed the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals. He chose not to have a logo. He felt his induction was for his time with all three teams.
- Greg Maddux: He played for the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Cubs. He chose not to have a logo. He felt both fanbases were important to his career.
- Randy Johnson: He played for many teams, but mostly the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks. He chose the Diamondbacks logo. He won four Cy Young Awards and a World Series with them.
- Roy Halladay: He played for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies. His family chose not to have a logo on his cap after he passed away.
The Museum Experience
The idea for a Baseball Hall of Fame started with Sam Crane in the 19th century. But it didn't really take off until the 1930s. Stephen Carlton Clark paid for the museum's construction. It was planned to open in 1939 to celebrate 100 years of baseball.
About 260,000 people visit the museum each year. Over 17 million people have visited in total. The museum has a huge collection: 40,000 items, 3 million library items (like photos), and 140,000 baseball cards. Visitors only see a small part of this collection at one time.
The number of visitors has gone down since the mid-2010s. One reason might be Cooperstown Dreams Park, a youth baseball complex nearby. Many families stay there for a week of games. They might only visit the Hall of Fame once during their trip.
First Floor Highlights
- Baseball at the Movies shows items from famous baseball films.
- The Bullpen Theater hosts daily events like trivia games. It has pictures of famous relief pitchers.
- The Plaque Gallery is the most famous part of the museum. It has a special plaque for every Hall of Fame member. Each plaque has a picture and a description of their achievements.
- The Sandlot Kids Clubhouse has fun, interactive displays for younger visitors.
- A theater area constantly plays the funny "Who's on First?" routine by Abbott and Costello.
- Scribes and Mikemen honors baseball writers and broadcasters. It has items related to their work. Outside, there are statues of famous players like Johnny Podres, Roy Campanella, and Satchel Paige.
- An Education Gallery hosts school groups and special presentations.
Second Floor Highlights
- The Grandstand Theater shows a 12-minute film about baseball. It looks like an old baseball stadium with replica seats.
- The Game is the main exhibit on this floor. It shows the history of baseball from its beginnings to today. It has many artifacts.
- The Souls of the Game: Voices of Black Baseball tells the story of Black baseball players.
- Diamond Dreams celebrates women in baseball.
- ¡Viva Baseball! is an exhibit about baseball in Latin America, in both English and Spanish.
- Whole New Ballgame opened in 2015. It covers the last 45 years of baseball. It has video walls and interactive parts.
- The Today's Game exhibit displays new items given to the Hall of Fame recently.
Third Floor Highlights
- Autumn Glory is all about post-season baseball, like the World Series. It has a display of World Series rings.
- One for the Books tells the story of baseball's most important records. It has over 200 items. Visitors can search for records using a special computer.
- Sacred Ground is about baseball stadiums. It shows how ballparks have changed over time. It also has a computer tour of old stadiums like Comiskey Park and Ebbets Field.
- The Your Team Today exhibit looks like a baseball clubhouse. It has 30 locker stalls, one for each Major League team. Each stall has a jersey and other items from that team.
Special Events
2014 Commemorative Coins
In 2012, the U.S. government decided to make special coins to help the Hall of Fame. These coins show baseball gloves and balls. They were the first curved coins made by the United States Mint.
The Mint released the coins on March 27, 2014. The gold and silver coins sold out quickly. The Hall of Fame gets money from the sale of these coins.
See also
In Spanish: Salón de la Fama del Béisbol para niños
- All-American Girls Professional Baseball League § National Women's Baseball Hall of Fame inductees
- Award share
- Baseball awards § United States
- Bob Feller Act of Valor Award
- Honor Rolls of Baseball (1946) (managers, executives, writers, umpires)
- List of Major League Baseball awards
- List of members of the Baseball Hall of Fame
- Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
- Nisei Baseball Research Project
