Lee Smith joins Hall of Famer lineup for Memorial Day Weekend celebration in Cooperstown
(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – Lee Smith held the all-time saves record for more than a decade after closing out games for 18 big league seasons.
Fittingly, Smith will resume his closer role Memorial Day Weekend in Cooperstown, joining a lineup of seven Hall of Famers for an unforgettable celebration.
Hall of Famers Harold Baines, Wade Boggs, Rollie Fingers, Fergie Jenkins, Jim Kaat, Ozzie Smith and Lee Smith headline an action-packed slate of events May 22-25 at the home of baseball, including the new Hall of Fame Film Series, the opening of the Getting the Nod exhibit celebrating the beloved bobblehead doll, the sold out Night at the Museum event and the Hall of Fame Memorial Day Weekend Golf Tournament. Former major leaguers Vince Coleman, Jeremy Jeffress and Jason Kendall will also be part of the lineup.
The new Hall of Fame Film Series will feature six titles screened over four days at Cooperstown’s National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and Fenimore Art Museum, with many including a follow-up question-and-answer session with Hall of Famers, former players or the filmmakers. Many screenings also include a pre-event reception.
Films, many of which have very limited tickets remaining, include:
Thursday, May 22
Diamond Diplomacy (Sneak Preview)
This film tells the little known story of 150 years of history between the U.S. and Japan through the shared love of baseball. The film is structured around the baseball stories of two former players, Masanori “Mashi” Murakami and Warren Cromartie, and weaves through key points in history examining subjects like racism, international relations, and the influence of sports.
5:30 p.m., Fenimore Art Museum; Pre-movie cocktail reception starts at 5 p.m.
Free admission but tickets must be reserved; Limited tickets still available
Q&A with director Yuriko Gamo Romer following the film
Friday, May 23
Just a Bit Outside: The Story of the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers
This film, which won Best Sports Documentary at the 2024 Louisville Film Festival, chronicles the 40-year love affair between a struggling blue-collar city and a perfectly matched blue-collar team that came oh-so-close to winning the World Series.
2 p.m., Hall of Fame’s Grandstand Theater
Admission to the Museum and ticket required; Limited tickets still available
Q&A with Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers and filmmakers Sean Hanish and Kelly Kahl following the film
Joy in Wrigleyville
At 12:46 a.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 3, the impossible finally happened. The Chicago Cubs won the World Series. It was an event so iconic and exhilarating for the legions of Cubs fans who'd been waiting their whole lives for this to become reality. Joy in Wrigleyville tells the story of this epic World Series not through the players, the coaches or the broadcasters, but from the perspective of the passionate fans of a historic franchise that hadn’t won a World Series in over 100 years.
5:30 p.m., Hall of Fame’s Grandstand Theater; Pre-movie cocktail reception starts at 5 p.m.
Ticket required but no Museum admission needed; Sold out
Q&A with Hall of Famers Fergie Jenkins and Lee Smith following the film
Saturday, May 24
The Sandlot
This beloved 1993 film is a coming-of-age story that features a group of young baseball players in 1962.
1 p.m., Hall of Fame’s Grandstand Theater
Admission to the Museum and ticket required; Limited tickets still available
Birds of a Different Game
Narrated by Golden Globe Award-winning actor, Missouri native and lifelong Cardinals fan John Goodman, Birds of a Different Game-The 80’s Cardinals documents one of the most unique, memorable and successful eras in the history of the iconic St. Louis Cardinals franchise.
6:15 p.m., Hall of Fame’s Grandstand Theater
Ticket required but no Museum admission needed; Sold out
Q&A with Jim Kaat, Ozzie Smith and Vince Coleman following the film
Sunday, May 25
The Battered Bastards of Baseball
Starring Kurt Russell, this 2014 film is the true story of the Portland Mavericks, a scrappy, independent baseball team of underdogs in the 1970s.
10 a.m., Fenimore Art Museum; Pre-movie coffee and pastries reception starts at 9:30 a.m.; Limited tickets still available
Q&A with the filmmakers plus Rob Nelson, former Portland pitcher and the founder of Big League Chew, following the film
Memorial Day Weekend in Cooperstown will also feature the Hall of Fame’s popular Night at the Museum program. The Hall of Famers will join former major league stars to greet fans throughout the Museum on Saturday, May 24, beginning at 5 p.m.
The Getting the Nod exhibit, located on the third floor, will open to the public at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 24, and feature the renowned collection of more than 900 bobbleheads donated by Jeffrey H. Loria, former owner of the Miami Marlins. Loria’s diverse collection of bobbleheads includes such players as Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Satchel Paige, Ken Griffey, Jr., Clayton Kershaw and Giancarlo Stanton, and hundreds of bobbleheads will be on exhibit in Getting the Nod.
The Hall of Fame will also host the Cooperstown Clinic on Saturday, May 24. The event for youth ages 7-12, which begins at 10 a.m. at historic Doubleday Field, will feature former big leaguers Vince Coleman, Jeremy Jeffress and Jason Kendall along with the Big League Chew bubblegum blowing contest with founder Rob Nelson and a Make Your Own Bobblehead activity in celebration of the opening of the Getting the Nod exhibit.
Registration begins at 9 a.m. at Doubleday Field and costs $15, which includes a Museum ticket and admission to a screening of the movie The Sandlot at 1 p.m. in the Hall of Fame’s Grandstand Theater. Children must be accompanied by an adult at both the clinic and the movie screening, and adults can purchase Museum admission upon entering the Hall of Fame.
Also as part of the weekend, guests can golf with legends at historic Leatherstocking Golf Course on Otsego Lake. Participants will enjoy an unforgettable day of golf, and individuals, pairs or foursomes of all skill levels are welcome to join the Hall of Fame Memorial Day Weekend Golf Tournament. A Hall of Fame member or former major leaguer will join each foursome and serve as the team captain. A fundraiser for the Museum, the scramble-format tournament highlights a full lineup of activities for participants during this unforgettable weekend. For more information on supporting the Hall of Fame through this exclusive golf outing, please call 607-547-0310.
The Museum will return to its summer hours on Sunday, May 25, with doors open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. through the day before Labor Day.
For more information on Memorial Day Weekend programming, please visit baseballhall.org/memorialday.
