Tens of thousands are gathering in Cooperstown, New York, today for the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony. This year’s inductees include Dick Allen, Dave Parker, CC Sabathia, Ichiro Suzuki, and Billy Wagner.
The event starts at 1:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on MLB Network, MLB.TV, MLB.com, and the MLB App. It is also available for streaming at https://baseballhall.org. The ceremony takes place at Clark Sports Center, near the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Fans can attend for free with unlimited lawn seating. The weather may be hot in July, so attendees should prepare accordingly. Services for the hearing impaired and allowances for service dogs are provided.
Ichiro Suzuki nearly achieved unanimous election by appearing on 393 of 394 ballots. He is noted for his 4,367 career hits across Major Leagues and Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. CC Sabathia was elected as a first-ballot Hall of Famer after a distinguished pitching career. Billy Wagner received votes in his final year on the ballot to secure his place in the Hall.
Dave Parker and Dick Allen were chosen by the Classic Baseball Era Committee. Both players are being inducted posthumously.
Tom Hamilton received the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasters, while Thomas Boswell was honored with the BBWAA Career Excellence Award.
More than 50 Hall of Famers are expected to attend this year’s festivities including Sandy Koufax and Rollie Fingers.
Hall of Fame Weekend began with Ozzie Smith’s “Turn Two with Ozzie” fundraiser featuring Joe Mauer and Jim Thome.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum has extended hours during this weekend, allowing visitors to explore its newest exhibit on baseball’s influence in Japan.
