Cooperstown Baseball HOF Induction Weekend

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y.  The stars will be out in Cooperstown this weekend, but you won't need to stay up for the late show to learn the top 10 reasons to come to Cooperstown, July 24-27, for the induction of the Class of 2009:

1. See Rickey Henderson, Jim Rice and the family of Joe Gordon receive Hall of Fame plaques, the membership card of the most exclusive honor in sports, at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown. Admission is free.
2. Be a part of the largest gathering of baseball legends anywhere when 51 returning Hall of Famers take the stage to welcome their newest peers.
3. Watch as Tony Kubek is honored with the Ford C. Frick Award and Nick Peters is presented with the J.G. Taylor Spink Award during the Induction Ceremony.
4. Get time on the field with Hall of Famers during PLAY Ball with Ozzie Smith. "The Wizard" will be joined by fellow Hall of Famers Wade Boggs, Harmon Killebrew and Eddie Murray for two hours on non-stop interaction Friday on Doubleday Field. Call 607-547-0397 for information on how to participate.
5. Catch a game at historic Doubleday Field as the Oneonta Tigers take on the Tri-City ValleyCats in a New York-Penn League competition at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is free.
6. Join in the fun as 2008 inductees Goose Gossage and Dick Williams, along with 2005 inductee Ryne Sandberg, compete against selected audience members in the family-fun game show Connecting Generations on Saturday at 3 p.m. Call 607-547-0397 for tickets.
7. Join the pageantry and excitement of the Red Carpet Arrivals as Hall of Famers and other dignitaries enter the Museum beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Participate in trivia contests, win prizes, and most exciting of all, watch as the Hall of Famers arrive on trolleys on their way into a private reception.
8. Visit the Hall of Fame during special extended hours during Hall of Fame Weekend. The Museum is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday. Members can enter one hour early on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
9. Children ages 5 to 12 have a chance to spend the afternoon enhancing their baseball skills with former Major Leaguers like George Foster and Lee Smith on historic Doubleday Field in the Legends for Youth Skills Clinic at 1:30 p.m. on Friday. Call 607-547-0397 for tickets.
10. Be there Monday as Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice recap their weekend and share memories from their baseball careers in a Legends Series event at 10:30 a.m. at the Clark Sports Center. Call 607-547-0397 for tickets.

The 2009 Induction Ceremony will be held on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown unless severe weather forces the event to be canceled. Seating is unlimited. The Ceremony will be televised live on MLB Network, broadcast nationally on Sirius XM Radio Home Plate Channel 175 and will be available via a Webcast at BaseballHall.org.