Thursday, Jul. 09, 2009

All-Star Exhibit: Hall of Fame artifacts include Stan Musial jersey, Ozzie Smith spikes

There's no easy way to get to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Nestled more than four hours away from New York City and Boston, Mass. -- and more than 20 miles off Interstate 88 in the rolling hills of central New York -- it's a 16-hour drive from St. Louis.

"Cooperstown is not the kind of place anyone goes on their way someplace else," Hall of Fame and Museum Senior Director of Exhibitions and Collections Erik Strohl said. "It's not very accessible, so we want to bring the exhibits to the people. It's a rare opportunity to see something you might not otherwise get to see."

So, more than 100 artifacts from the Hall of Fame's museum, including items of local interest, will be displayed Friday through Tuesday at the Major League Baseball FanFest inside America's Center in downtown St. Louis.

Strohl, a native of the Allentown, Pa., area, and National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Senior Curator Tom Shieber, from University City, will create a mini museum in the America's Center that will give All-Star visitors a taste of what is in Cooperstown without making the trip.

"Obviously, there are going to be a lot of things that appeal to baseball fans from across the country and around the world," said Shieber, a lifelong Cardinals fan. "But we are obviously going to include quite a bit of the rich tradition of St. Louis baseball."

A feature of the exhibit is a 1952 St. Louis Cardinals jersey worn by legendary Hall of Famer Stan "The Man" Musial as he won his third consecutive batting title (and sixth of seven National League hitting crowns for his career) with a .336 average.

The display will also include a pair of well-worn spikes filled by Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith in the 1982 World Series, when the Cardinals defeated Milwaukee four games to three. They still have a little bit of dirt between the white, plastic cleats.

"We would never clean them," Shieber said. "That dirt is part of the history and charm."

Legend has it that Negro Leagues star James "Cool Papa" Bell was so fast that he could flip off the light switch and be in bed before the room got dark. A set of flip-up sunglasses he wore during day games while he manned the outfield will be part of the display. Bell played for the St. Louis Stars as well as negro leagues powerhouses the Kansas City Monarchs, Homestead Grays and the Pittsburgh Crawfords.

An item that will appeal to all baseball fans, no matter where they are from, is a New York Yankees jersey that Babe Ruth wore while he hit .359 with 49 homers during the 1930 season.

"How can you talk about baseball without talking about Babe Ruth?" Strohl asked. "People love to see that jersey."

Cream-colored with the familiar navy pinstripes, the jersey does not have the famous, interlocking capital N and Y on the chest. But on the back it bears Ruth's number 3, a feature which has only been included since the 1929 season, when Yankees ownership thought numbers would make the players more identifiable to fans, Strohl said. Ruth got number 3 because he batted third in the batting order. Lou Gehrig, who batted behind him, wore number 4, according to Strohl.

Inside the collar of the jersey was embroidered "G.H. Ruth, for The Babe's given name, George Herman.

Shieber, who helped transport the traveling Hall of Fame museum exhibit Baseball As America around the country as well as taking a display to the All-Star festivities every year, said none of the artifacts have ever been lost or damaged.

"We're very serious about security and making sure that things are transported and displayed in a way that assures they will be protected," Strohl said. "It's our job to care for these things for all of posterity and we take it very seriously."

Since the traveling display was added to the All-Star Game festivities in 1991, it has become a fan favorite.

"The FanFest has become the event of the year for baseball fans," Strohl said. "This is a great opportunity to bring part of the Hall of Fame to the people."

And that's especially sweet for Shieber, who feels like a kid with some really cool stuff to take to school for show and tell.

"I'm very excited to be able to bring these things home to the fans of St. Louis," he said.

While All-Star Game tickets are hard to find and expensive, FanFest tickets are still available at MLB.com for $30 for adults and $25 for kids.