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Thursday, October 26, 2000
Hall acquires Series artifacts for new Subway Series exhibit
But say bat Clemens threw at Piazza will not be included
By ERIC AHLQVIST
Editor
With plans for a Subway Series exhibit to open Nov. 16, The National Baseball Hall of Fame's Jeff Idelson returned to Cooperstown from the first two games of the Subway Series Monday with the line-up card from Game 1 and has already secured Game One hero Jose Vizcaino's bat.
But Idelson decided to pass on trying to obtain the infamous piece of bat Roger Clemens hurled in the direction of Mike Piazza during Game Two, although that may well be what fans 50 years from now remember the most from the 2000 World Series.
"When the incident occurred, I thought about trying to get the bat, but I don't think we were trying to promote that type of incident," Idelson said.
The Daily News reported Tuesday the incident was the talk of the town in New York City, and Clemens was fined $50,000 by Major League Baseball before Tuesday night's 4-2 Mets' victory.
Idelson said he and fellow Hall official John Ralph would be attending all the remaining World Series games, and would return with all remaining artifacts at the end of the Series.
"We plan to get an item from the Most Valuable Player of the World Series, and we've talked to Roger Clemens about getting an artifact from his 15 strikeout one-hitter in the ALCS against Seattle," Idelson said. "We also have a jersey from Don Zimmer as he transcends the whole history of the Subway Series."
Zimmer played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, was an original Met in 1962 and has been Yankee manager Joe Torre's right-hand man as the Bombers won three of the past four World Series.
Idelson said the Hall has also secured a pair of spikes from Mets rookie Timo Perez, who tied an NLCS record-tying eight runs. In addition, the Hall has also entered into an agreement with the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) where any fan showing an MTA card when entering the museum will only pay half price.
Idelson said he was pleasantly surprised at Vizcaino's reaction when he asked him for the bat he used to hit the game-winning single in Game One in the bottom of the 12th inning, his fourth hit of the game.
"He said `You're from the Hall of Fame, you take it,"' Idelson said. "Most players are superstitious about giving up a bat right after they got four hits with it, but he wanted us to have it immediately."
The Hall of Fame announced plans last week to open a major exhibition on the history of one of the most compelling rivalries in professional sports, New York's historic Subway Series. The exhibition will open in Cooperstown on Nov. 16 and be on display through 2001.
"The history of Baseball in New York is fascinating and the Subway Series story is an important one to tell," said Hall of Fame President Dale Petroskey. "Baseball has always transcended generations and the Hall of Fame has the unique ability to connect them. As the caretakers of Baseball's storied past and present, our collection of artifacts relating to the 80-year history of the Subway Series is rich; and as such, Cooperstown's museum is proud to present this compelling and entertaining subject, allowing multiple generations of Baseball's fans to connect."
The Hall of Fame's collections contain several artifacts from the Subway Series of 1921-56, as well as ones from the famous 1951 Giants-Dodgers 3-game playoff series. The Museum's collections also include an item dating back to the first post season encounter between two New York teams -- a game program from the 1889 New York Giants (NL)-Brooklyn Bridegrooms (AA) series, which the Giants won, six games to three. The series featured five future Hall of Famers, all of whom suited up for the Giants: Roger Connor, Buck Ewing, Tim Keefe, Monte Ward and Mickey Welch. Among the many other Subway Series and '51 playoff series pieces in the Hall of Fame collections, in addition to tickets, press pins and game programs include:
Decade of the 1920s: 1921: Yankee team-signed game-used baseball from a Waite Hoyt start, autographed Giants baseball, World Series Championship Trophy presented to Manager John McGraw by Giants team in 1923: Yankees autographed baseball, 1928-46: Bill Dickey Yankees cap.
Decade of the 1930s: 1936: Dick Bartell's Giants uniform, 1936-37 bronzed Red Ruffing Yankees mitt.
Decade of the 1940s: 1941: Dodger Whit Wyatt's spikes, Dodger Fred Fitzsimmons spikes and glove, Dodger Dolph Camilli's first baseman's glove, catcher's mask worn by Dodger Mickey Owens, Yankee Johnny Murphy's glove, Yankee Joe Medwick bronzed glove, the bat used by the Yankees' Charlie Keller to hit game-winning double in Game 4, autographed Yankees baseball, autographed Dodgers bat, 1947: Dodger Al Gionfriddo's glove, autographed Yankees baseball, autographed Dodgers baseball, 1949: Ball and bat signed by the Dodgers, ball and bat signed by the Yankees.
Decade of the 1950s: 1951: Bobby Thomson's shoes and bat, and the rosin bag used by Branca in the famous 3-game playoff, Ed Lopat's Yankees cap; Wes Westrum NY Giants cap and shirt, autographed Yankees baseball, autographed Giants baseball, 1951-52 Casey Stengel's Yankees spikes, 1952: Autographed baseball signed by the Yankees, autographed baseball signed by the Dodgers, 1953: Silver Tray from the Yankees, Yankee Phil Rizzuto glove, Yankee Allie Reynolds glove, signed baseball from final out of Game 3 in which Erskine's fanned 14 batters, autographed Yankees baseball; autographed Dodgers baseball, 1955: Jackie Robinson's Dodgers cap, baseball from Game 7, autographed Dodgers baseball, autographed Yankees baseball, 1956: Yankee Don Larsen's cap, a game baseball and the rosin bag from Game Five, Yankee Yogi Berra's mitt, Umpire Babe Pinelli's ball/strike indicator from Game 5, Yankee Phil Rizzuto's spikes, Yankee Mickey Mantle's bat, autographed Yankee baseball, autographed Dodgers baseball.
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