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59-670: Baseball Hall of Fame members Mordecai Brown (1902), Joe Kelley (1892), Heinie Manush (1922), Kid Nichols (1889) and Frank Selee (1888-1889, MGR) were all members of Omaha teams. After a partial season in 1936, the Omaha Packers were succeeded in the Western League by the Omaha Cardinals in 1947. The Western League franchise helped set the foundation for today's Class AAA Omaha Storm Chasers . Minor league baseball first came to Omaha, Nebraska, in 1879, as

118-474: A few cases, like umpires, they wear caps without logos. (Executives are not depicted wearing caps.) Additionally, as of 2015, inductee biographies on the Hall's website for all players and managers, and executives who were associated with specific teams, list a "primary team", which does not necessarily match the cap logo. The Hall selects the logo "based on where that player makes his most indelible mark." Although

177-415: A manager and sportswriter) had first approached the idea of making a memorial to the great players of the past in what was believed to have been the birthplace of baseball: Cooperstown, New York , but the idea did not muster much momentum until after his death in 1925. In 1934, the idea for establishing a Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was devised by several individuals, such as Ford C. Frick (president of

236-442: A maximum of ten years of eligibility (lowered from fifteen years for the 2015 election). Under special circumstances, certain players may be deemed eligible for induction even though they have not met all requirements. Addie Joss was elected in 1978, despite only playing nine seasons before he died of meningitis. Additionally, if an otherwise eligible player dies before his fifth year of retirement, then that player may be placed on

295-409: A separate era of baseball. Five years after retirement, any player with 10 years of major league experience who passes a screening committee (which removes from consideration players of clearly lesser qualification) is eligible to be elected by BBWAA members with 10 years' membership or more who also have been actively covering MLB at any time in the 10 years preceding the election (the latter requirement

354-681: A series of renovations in spring 2005. The Hall of Fame also presents an annual exhibit at FanFest at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game . Among baseball fans, "Hall of Fame" means not only the museum and facility in Cooperstown, New York, but the pantheon of players, managers , umpires , executives, and pioneers who have been inducted into the Hall. The first five men elected were Ty Cobb , Babe Ruth , Honus Wagner , Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson , chosen in 1936; roughly 20 more were selected before

413-470: A special election at the 1939 Winter Meetings in Cincinnati, specifically to elect Gehrig (most likely because it was known that he was terminally ill , making it uncertain that he would live long enough to see another election). Nobody else was on that ballot, and the numerical results have never been made public. Since no elections were held in 1940 or 1941, the special election permitted Gehrig to enter

472-542: Is listed as the Angels despite playing one fewer season for that team than for the Astros. In 2001, the Hall of Fame decided to change the policy on cap logo selection, as a result of rumors that some teams were offering compensation, such as number retirement, money, or organizational jobs, in exchange for the cap designation. (For example, though Wade Boggs denied the claims, some media reports had said that his contract with

531-539: Is now a residential area. Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York , operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-related artifacts and exhibits, honoring those who have excelled in playing , managing , and serving

590-403: The 2009 election process ; the main committee did not select a player, while the panel for pre–World War II players elected Joe Gordon in its first and ultimately only vote. The main committee voted as part of the election process for inductions in odd-numbered years, while the pre-World War II panel would vote every five years, and the panel for umpires, managers, and executives voted as part of

649-657: The Cincinnati Reds when he was their manager in the 1980s. (Baseball's Rule 21, prominently posted in every clubhouse locker room, mandates permanent banishment from MLB for having a gambling interest of any sort on a game in which a player or manager is directly involved.) Rose later admitted that he bet on the Reds in his 2004 autobiography . Baseball fans are deeply split on the issue of whether these two should remain banned or have their punishment revoked. Writer Bill James , though he advocates Rose eventually making it into

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708-831: The Council Bluffs Rails . The team disbanded on July 27, 1935, with a 33–31 overall record. Omaha regained a franchise, when the Omaha Robin Hoods rejoined the Western League in 1936. The new owners were the Fontenelle Brewery, makers of a beer labeled "Robin Hood". The Omaha Robin Hoods were forced to play some early games in Lincoln, Nebraska , due to weather. Then a fire destroyed the Omaha ballpark in

767-640: The National League ) and Alexander Cleland, a Scottish immigrant who decided to serve as the first executive secretary for the Museum for the next seven years that worked with the interests of the Village and Major League Baseball . Stephen Carlton Clark (a Cooperstown native) paid for the construction of the museum, which was planned to open in 1939 to mark the "Centennial of Baseball", which included renovations to Doubleday Field. William Beattie served as

826-583: The Negro leagues have also been considered at various times, beginning in 1971. In 2005, the Hall completed a study on African American players between the late 19th century and the integration of the major leagues in 1947, and conducted a special election for such players in February 2006; seventeen figures from the Negro leagues were chosen in that election, in addition to the eighteen previously selected. Following

885-564: The Omaha Crickets in 1928–1929. The Crickets finished 71–86 (6th) in 1928 and 81–75 (3rd) in 1929. As the Omaha "Packers" (1930–1935), Omaha continued play in the Western League. The Omaha Packers finished 2nd in 1930, with a 76–66 record. Omaha then finished last in the eight–team league in 1931 (49–97) and 1932 (48–88). The Packers finished 63–61 (5th) in 1933 and 49–79 (7th) in 1934. The 1935 Omaha Packers were 22–15, when Omaha moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa , on June 25, 1935, to become

944-729: The Omaha Green Stockings , played as members of the Northwestern League , where all the other members had "stockings" monikers. The 1879 Mashers/Green Stockings finished with a 5–13 record playing alongside the Davenport Brown Stockings , Dubuque Red Stockings and Rockford White Stockings in the four–team league. In 1885, the Omaha Omahogs became founding members of the early Western League . The Omaha Omahogs played as members of

1003-480: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays required him to request depiction in the Hall of Fame as a Devil Ray.) The Hall decided that it would no longer defer to the inductee, though the player's wishes would be considered, when deciding on the logo to appear on the plaque. Newly elected members affected by the change include the following: Sam Crane (who had played a decade in 19th century baseball before becoming

1062-665: The United States House of Representatives by Rep. Richard Hanna , a Republican from New York, and passed the House on October 26, 2011. The coins, which depict baseball gloves and balls, are the first concave designs produced by the Mint. The mintage included 50,000 gold coins, 400,000 silver coins, and 750,000 clad (nickel-copper) coins. The Mint released them on March 27, 2014, and the gold and silver editions quickly sold out. The Hall receives money from surcharges included in

1121-489: The 1990s. The Hall of Fame includes one female member, Effa Manley . The newest members of the Hall of Fame, inducted on July 21, 2024 , are Adrián Beltré , Todd Helton , Jim Leyland , and Joe Mauer . In 2019, former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera became the first player to be elected unanimously. Derek Jeter , Marvin Miller , Ted Simmons , and Larry Walker were to be inducted in 2020, but their induction ceremony

1180-406: The 2010 changes, Negro leagues figures were primarily considered for induction alongside other figures from the 1871–1946 era, called the "Pre-Integration Era" by the Hall; since 2016, Negro leagues figures are primarily considered alongside other figures from what the Hall calls the "Early Baseball" era (1871–1949). Predictably, the selection process catalyzes endless debate among baseball fans over

1239-526: The Buffaloes to lead the Western League. Baseball Hall of Fame player Heinie Manush hit .376 with 20 home runs for the Omaha Buffaloes in 1922. Omaha finished 1921 95–73 (2nd), 1922 91–77 (4th) and 1923 92–74 (4th) before the 1924 Omaha Buffaloes finished 103–61 and captured the 1924 Western League Championship under Manager Art Griggs . Remaining in the Western League, the franchise played as

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1298-544: The Commissioner's Office made reparations, but the negative publicity damaged the Hall of Fame's reputation, and made it more difficult for it to solicit donations. In 2012, Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed a law ordering the United States Mint to produce and sell commemorative, non-circulating coins to benefit the private, non-profit Hall. The bill, H.R. 2527 , was introduced in

1357-413: The Hall always made the final decision on which logo was shown, until 2001 the Hall deferred to the wishes of players or managers whose careers were linked with multiple teams. Some examples of inductees associated with multiple teams are the following: In all of the above cases, the "primary team" is the team for which the inductee spent the largest portion of his career except for Ryan, whose primary team

1416-570: The Hall had been sold on the collectibles market. The items had been lent to the Baseball Commissioner 's office, gotten mixed up with other property owned by the Commissioner's office and employees of the office, and moved to the garage of Joe Reichler , an assistant to Commissioner Bowie Kuhn , who sold the items to resolve his personal financial difficulties. Under pressure from the New York Attorney General,

1475-487: The Hall of Fame, compared the people who want to put Jackson in the Hall of Fame to "those women who show up at murder trials wanting to marry the cute murderer ". The actions and composition of the Veterans Committee have been at times controversial, with occasional selections of contemporaries and teammates of the committee members over seemingly more worthy candidates. In 2001, the Veterans Committee

1534-606: The Hall while still alive. If a player fails to be elected by the BBWAA within 10 years of his eligibility for election, he may be selected by the Veterans Committee. Following changes to the election process for that body made in 2010 and 2016, the Veterans Committee is now responsible for electing all otherwise eligible candidates who are not eligible for the BBWAA ballot — both long-retired players and non-playing personnel (managers, umpires, and executives). From 2011 to 2016, each candidate could be considered once every three years; now,

1593-567: The Hall, and voted on a reduced number of candidates from among players whose careers began in 1943 or later. Separate committees, including sportswriters and broadcasters, would select umpires, managers and executives, as well as players from earlier eras. In the first election to be held under the 2007 revisions, two managers and three executives were elected in December 2007 as part of the 2008 election process . The next Veterans Committee elections for players were held in December 2008 as part of

1652-485: The Hall. An expanded library and research facility opened in 1994. Dale Petroskey became the organization's president in 1999. In 2002, the Hall launched Baseball as America , a traveling exhibit that toured ten American museums over six years. The Hall of Fame has since also sponsored educational programming on the Internet to bring the Hall of Fame to schoolchildren who might not visit. The Hall and Museum completed

1711-506: The Omaha Indians in 1902, winning 27 games. The Indians finished last with a 49–79 record in 1903. The 1904 Omaha Rangers finished with a record of 90–60 to capture the 1904 Western League Championship under Manager Pa Rourke. The team was led by Jack Pfiester and Del Howard . After the success of 1904 under owner/manager Billy "Pa" Rourke, the renamed Omaha Rourkes played in the Western League from 1905 to 1920. Rourke managed

1770-618: The Omaha Omahogs in 1892, at age 20. The 1895 Omaha Omahogs moved to Denver, Colorado , during the Western Association season on July 22, 1895, before the team folded on August 22, 1895. In 1898, the Omaha Omahogs rejoined the Western League under Hall of Fame league President Ban Johnson and were 22–39 when the franchise relocated to become the St. Joseph Saints on July 6, 1898. In 1900, now owned by Manager Pa Rourke,

1829-569: The Omaha Omahogs rejoined the Western League. Omaha remained as members for the next 35 seasons of the Western League. The Omahogs finished 4th in 1900 and 5th in 1901. The Omaha Indians (1902–1903) finished 84–56 (.600) in 1902, just percentage points behind the Kansas City Blue Stockings (82–54 .603) for the Western League Championship. Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Mordecai Brown pitched for

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1888-472: The Omaha in 1898, 1900–1910, 1912–1915 and 1917. The 1907 Omaha Rourkes finished 84–63 to win the 1907 Western League Championship. In Pa Rourke's last season as Manager, Omaha finished 92–57 to capture the 1917 Western League Championship. The franchise became the Omaha Buffaloes (1921–1927), after owner Pa Rourke sold the team to new owner/manager Barney Burch. In 1921, Jack Lelivelt hit. 416 for

1947-528: The Western League in 1887, 1892, 1898 and 1900–1901. The 1885 inaugural Western League season featured the Omahogs and the Cleveland Forest Citys , Indianapolis Hoosiers , Kansas City Blues , Milwaukee Milwaukees and Toledo Avengers . Omaha gained a franchise in the new league after St. Paul, Minnesota , withdrew their proposed team due to financial difficulties. Omaha folded after starting

2006-416: The ballot at the first election at least six months after his death. Roberto Clemente set the precedent: the writers put him up for consideration after his death on New Year's Eve, 1972, and he was inducted in 1973. The five-year waiting period was established in 1954 after an evolutionary process. In 1936 all players were eligible, including active ones. From the 1937 election until the 1945 election, there

2065-494: The early morning hours of August 14, 1936. Omaha, at 56–44, was forced to move to Rock Island, Illinois , where the team finished the 1936 season as the Rock Island Islanders . After the 1936 season, Omaha remained without a minor league team until the Omaha Cardinals rejoined the Western League in 1947. From 1885 through 1898, the various short-lived Omaha teams played their home games at several locations on

2124-500: The election process for inductions in even-numbered years. Further changes to the Veterans Committee process were announced by the Hall in July 2010, July 2016, and April 2022. Per the latest changes, announced on April 22, 2022, the multiple eras previously utilized were collapsed to three, to be voted on in an annual rotation (one per year): A one-year waiting period beyond potential BBWAA eligibility (which had been abolished in 2016)

2183-525: The entire group was inducted at the Hall's 1939 opening. As of January 2024 , 346 people had been elected to the Hall of Fame, including 274 former professional players, 23 managers, 10 umpires, and 39 pioneers, executives, and organizers. 118 members of the Hall of Fame have been inducted posthumously, including four who died after their selection was announced. Of the 39 members primarily recognized for their contributions to Negro league baseball , 31 were inducted posthumously, including all 26 selected since

2242-403: The first curator of the museum. According to the Hall of Fame, approximately 260,000 visitors enter the museum each year, and the running total has surpassed 17 million. These visitors see only a fraction of its 40,000 artifacts, 3 million library items (such as newspaper clippings and photos) and 140,000 baseball cards. The Hall has seen a noticeable decrease in attendance since

2301-450: The frequency depends on the era in which an individual made his greatest contributions. A more complete discussion of the new process is available below . From 2008 to 2010, following changes made by the Hall in July 2007, the main Veterans Committee, then made up of living Hall of Famers, voted only on players whose careers began in 1943 or later. These changes also established three separate committees to select other figures: Players of

2360-420: The game. — Ogden Nash , Sport magazine (January 1949) Contrary to popular belief, no formal exception was made for Lou Gehrig (other than to hold a special one-man election for him): there was no waiting period at that time, and Gehrig met all other qualifications, so he would have been eligible for the next regular election after he retired during the 1939 season. However, the BBWAA decided to hold

2419-439: The hope of heightening the value of their own selection. After no one was selected for the third consecutive election in 2007, Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt noted, "The same thing happens every year. The current members want to preserve the prestige as much as possible, and are unwilling to open the doors." In 2007, the committee and its selection processes were again reorganized; the main committee then included all living members of

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2478-446: The level of Jackson or Rose. Jackson and Rose were both banned from MLB for life for actions related to gambling on their own teams—Jackson was determined to have cooperated with those who conspired to intentionally lose the 1919 World Series , and for accepting payment for losing, and Rose voluntarily accepted a permanent spot on the ineligible list in return for MLB's promise to make no official finding in relation to alleged betting on

2537-405: The local tourist trade, and Prohibition , which devastated the local hops industry. Clark constructed the Hall of Fame's building, which was dedicated on June 12, 1939. (His granddaughter, Jane Forbes Clark , is the current chairman of the board of directors.) The erroneous claim that Civil War hero Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown was instrumental in the early marketing of

2596-710: The merits of various candidates. Even players elected years ago remain the subjects of discussions as to whether they deserved election. For example, Bill James ' 1994 book Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame? goes into detail about who he believes does and does not belong in the Hall of Fame. The selection rules for the Baseball Hall of Fame were modified to prevent the induction of anyone on Baseball's "permanently ineligible" list, such as Pete Rose or "Shoeless Joe" Jackson . Many others have been barred from participation in MLB, but none have Hall of Fame qualifications on

2655-422: The mid-1990s, dropped players were made permanently ineligible for Hall of Fame consideration, even by the Veterans Committee. A 2001 change in the election procedures restored the eligibility of these dropped players; while their names will not appear on future BBWAA ballots, they may be considered by the Veterans Committee. Players receiving 5% or more of the votes but fewer than 75% are reconsidered annually until

2714-476: The mid-2010s. A 2013 story on ESPN.com about the village of Cooperstown and its relation to the game partially linked the reduced attendance with Cooperstown Dreams Park, a youth baseball complex about 5 miles (8.0 km) away in the town of Hartwick . The 22 fields at Dreams Park currently draw 17,000 players each summer for a week of intensive play; while the complex includes housing for the players, their parents and grandparents must stay elsewhere. According to

2773-545: The north side of Omaha. According to newspaper writeups in the Omaha Bee and other local sources, supplemented by Sanborn maps in some years, the early ballparks of the various clubs were: After those various false starts in the 19th century, Omaha professional baseball moved to the south side and finally found some success. From 1900 to 1936, Omaha played home games at the Omaha Baseball Park . The ballpark

2832-775: The season with a record of 4–24. Omaha was replaced by the Keokuk Hawkeyes on June 6, 1885. The league itself folded on June 15, 1885. The Omaha Omahogs were members of the Western Association in 1888–1890 and 1894–1895, before rejoining the reformed Western League both times. The 1888 Omahogs were a charter member of the Western Association, along with the Chicago Maroons , Davenport Onion Weeders , Des Moines Prohibitionists , Kansas City Blues, Milwaukee Brewers , Minneapolis Millers , St. Louis Whites , St. Paul Apostles and Sioux City Cornhuskers in

2891-630: The sport. The Hall's motto is "Preserving History, Honoring Excellence, Connecting Generations". Cooperstown is often used as shorthand (or a metonym ) for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The Hall of Fame was established in 1939 by Stephen Carlton Clark , an heir to the Singer Sewing Machine fortune. Clark sought to bring tourists to the village hurt by the Great Depression , which reduced

2950-534: The story, Prior to Dreams Park, a room might be filled for a week by several sets of tourists. Now, that room will be taken by just one family for the week, and that family may only go into Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame once. While there are other contributing factors (the recession and high gas prices among them), the Hall's attendance has tumbled since Dreams Park opened. The Hall drew 383,000 visitors in 1999. It drew 262,000 last year. A controversy erupted in 1982, when it emerged that some historic items given to

3009-559: The ten–team league. The 1889 Omaha Omahogs finished with a record of 83–38 to capture the Western Association Championship behind Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Kid Nichols and with Baseball Hall of Fame manager Frank Selee . The 1891 Western Association team was named the Omaha Lambs for just one season, finishing 51–39 to place 3rd in 1891. Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Joe Kelley hit .316 for

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3068-463: Was added for the 2016 election). From a final ballot typically including 25–40 candidates, each writer may vote for up to 10 players; until the late 1950s, voters were advised to cast votes for the maximum 10 candidates. Any player named on 75% or more of all ballots cast is elected. A player who is named on fewer than 5% of ballots is dropped from future elections. In some instances, the screening committee had restored their names to later ballots, but in

3127-495: Was also known as Rourke's Park from 1911 to 1934 and Vinton Street Park from 1935 to 1936. The park was sometimes called Western League Park as well, or just League Park . The ballpark had a capacity of 10,000 (1920), 8,500 (1931) and 6,000 (1936), with dimensions (Left, Center, Right) of 320-368-298 (1936). Fans entered at entry gates on 15th Street and Vinton Street. In 1927, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig played in an exhibition game at Rourke Park that drew thousands. The ballpark

3186-546: Was bounded by South 15th Street (west, third base); Vinton Street (south, first base); buildings and Castelar Street (north, left field); and buildings and South 13th Street (east, right field). City directories give the address as 2519 South 15th Street. The Vinton Street Park was destroyed by fire in August 1936, forcing Omaha to move to Rock Island, Illinois , and finish the season as the Rock Island Rocks . The site

3245-597: Was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic until September 8, 2021. The ceremony was open to the public, as COVID restrictions had been lifted. Players are currently inducted into the Hall of Fame through election by either the Baseball Writers' Association of America (or BBWAA), or the Veterans Committee , which now consists of four subcommittees, each of which considers and votes for candidates from

3304-453: Was in effect. (DiMaggio, for example, retired after the 1951 season and was first eligible in the 1953 election.) The modern rule establishing a wait of five years was passed in 1954, although those who had already been eligible under the old rule were grandfathered into the ballot, thus permitting Joe DiMaggio to be elected within four years of his retirement. Z is for Zenith The summit of fame. These men are up there. These men are

3363-422: Was no waiting period, so any retired player was eligible, but writers were discouraged from voting for current major leaguers. Since there was no formal rule preventing a writer from casting a ballot for an active player, the scribes did not always comply with the informal guideline; Joe DiMaggio received a vote in 1945, for example. From the 1946 election until the 1954 election, an official one-year waiting period

3422-486: Was reformed to comprise the living Hall of Fame members and other honorees. The revamped Committee held three elections, in 2003 and 2007 , for both players and non-players, and in 2005 for players only. No individual was elected in that time, sparking criticism among some observers who expressed doubt whether the new Veterans Committee would ever elect a player. The Committee members, most of whom were Hall members, were accused of being reluctant to elect new candidates in

3481-418: Was reintroduced, thus restricting the committee to considering players retired for at least 16 seasons. The eligibility criteria for Era Committee consideration differ between players, managers, and executives. While the text on a player's or manager's plaque lists all teams for which the inductee was a member in that specific role, inductees are usually depicted wearing the cap of a specific team, though in

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