Save the Hall of Fame Game Contact:
Baseball Hall of Famers Urged to Help Save Hall of Fame Game
WASHINGTON, DC (April 21, 2008)-- The savethefamegame.com campaign announced today that it has sent a letter to all of the living members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, asking them to please join the effort to save the annual Hall of Fame Game in Cooperstown, a baseball and American tradition since 1940.
Major League Baseball announced its plan to discontinue the annual summer tradition following the 2008 contest between the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs, to be played on June 16 in Cooperstown.
The letter to Hank Aaron -- who played in the 1955, '63, '74 and '76 Hall of Fame Games -- is copied below, and can also be found here in PDF format.
Text of the savethefamegame.com letter to living Hall of Famers
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April 21, 2008
Dear Mr. Aaron,
My name is Kristian Connolly, and I am a former Cooperstown resident, currently living in Washington, DC. I am contacting you today with the assistance of the staff at the Hall of Fame.
You may be aware that Major League Baseball recently decided to end the annual Hall of Fame Game in Cooperstown following the 2008 season. Many Hall of Famers have participated in the Hall of Fame Game and have a true understanding of what the game means to the national pastime, baseball fans across the country, and to Cooperstown and the surrounding area.
As a member of baseball's most exclusive fraternity, and as an iconic figure in the history of America's national game, I am pleading with you today to please speak up against ending a nearly 70-year-old American tradition.
I launched the savethefamegame.com campaign to give people the ability to contact MLB commissioner Bud Selig, MLB president Bob Dupuy and Players Association head Donald Fehr to urge them to reverse their decision. With five members of Congress and people from all corners of the country showing their support, it's clear that keeping this tradition alive is important to a great many people.
I'm reaching out to you and to your fellow Hall of Famers because your word carries tremendous weight in this area, and you have the real capacity to stand up for the sport and for the fans to which you have given so much, and which have given so much to you in return.
The recent steroid and drug scandals, the late starts to playoff and World Series games, and more have all helped to put baseball on the defensive against accusations of greed, of valuing profit motives over tradition and sportsmanship in baseball, and of ignoring and/or imperiling its most impressionable fans, the nation's children. Since 1940, the Hall of Fame Game has celebrated the national pastime on the sport's historic home field in the sport's celebrated hometown. It has been symbolic of sportsmanship, of exciting kids and adults alike about the game, of connecting to the present and reconnecting to the sport's revered history, and of fine athletic traditions.
Please do not underestimate the desire out there to save the Hall of Fame Game, and the impact that you can have in helping to reverse this terrible decision and keeping a true baseball and American tradition alive. I hope you'll seriously consider lending your voice to the growing chorus of people that love and care about our national pastime.
Thank you for your time. Best of luck in the coming months and beyond.
Sincerely,
Kristian Connolly
CC:
Sparky Anderson
Luis Aparicio
Ernie Banks
Johnny Bench
Yogi Berra
Wade Boggs
George Brett
Lou Brock
Jim Bunning
Rod Carew
Steve Carlton
Gary Carter
Orlando Cepeda
Bobby Doerr
Dennis Eckersley
Bob Feller
Rollie Fingers
Carlton Fisk
Whitey Ford
Bob Gibson
Goose Gossage
Tony Gwynn
Monte Irvin
Reggie Jackson
Ferguson Jenkins
Al Kaline
George Kell
Harmon Killebrew
Ralph Kiner
Sandy Koufax
Tommy Lasorda
Lee MacPhail, Jr.
Juan Marichal
Willie Mays
Bill Mazeroski
Willie McCovey
Paul Molitor
Joe Morgan
Eddie Murray
Stan Musial
Phil Niekro
Jim Palmer
Tony Perez
Gaylord Perry
Cal Ripken
Robin Roberts
Frank Robinson
Brooks Robinson
Nolan Ryan
Ryne Sandberg
Mike Schmidt
Red Schoendienst
Tom Seaver
Ozzie Smith
Duke Snider
Bruce Sutter
Don Sutton
Earl Weaver
Billy Williams
Dick Williams
Dave Winfield
Carl Yastrzemski
Robin Yount