Last year’s Hall of Fame class was a bummer. Crowds were estimated at 2,500, but many reports numbered it might have even been in the hundreds.
That’s not about to happen this year, as people are already making the pilgrimage to see managers Bobby Cox, Tony LaRussa and Joe Torre go in alongside first ballot guys Greg Maddux, Frank Thomas and Tom Glavine on Sunday. Sure, 2013 was a far cry from 2007 when the induction of Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. brought in close to 80,000 people, but even Cooperstown’s Mayor, Jeff Katz, would call that an anomaly.
And if Katz is right, Sunday’s attendance will be among the best ever. And let’s face it…Baseball needed this. The Hall of Fame needed this.
“Everything looks good. We’re ready for about 50,000,” Katz told The Hall of Very Good Tuesday. “I’ve heard hotels are booked as far as Albany and Syracuse, but I can’t confirm that.”
But that’s not the only thing Katz is happy about. The baseball writer and SABR member has ties with a pair of the newly elected Hall of Famers.
“”t’s a stellar class for this summer. Six greats, all first ballot, all deserving. It’s going to be very exciting,” Katz told The Hall back in January. “As the only Mayor in Cooperstown history who was both a White Sox and a Cubs season ticket holder (though not concurrently). I love the Chicago angle of (Greg) Maddux and (Frank) Thomas.”
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