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June 16, 2012

Classic to include stars and sunshine

By Rob Centorani Staff Writer The Daily Star Sat Jun 16, 2012, 03:30 AM EDT

COOPERSTOWN _ Star power? You bet, especially with Hall of Famers Ozzie Smith, Tony Perez, Carlton Fisk, Bert Blyleven, Phil Niekro and Eddie Murray on the field for the fourth edition of the Hall of Fame Classic.

Sunshine? Expect plenty of it for the seven-inning exhibition that begins at 2 p.m. Saturday at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown.

Big attendance numbers? Well, we'll see.

The first three Classics have averaged 6,588 fans, about two-thirds capacity at Doubleday.

"When you talk to the people who have come here with their dads and sons, they'll tell you it's because of the love of the game," 2002 Hall of Fame inductee Ozzie Smith said Friday during the Legends Youth Skills Clinic at Doubleday. "It's just about getting the word out that this is a great place to spend Father's Day.

"It's only been three years," he continued. "We'll just continue to grow the program and hopefully, we'll continue to grow the attendance."

For the first time in its brief history, the Classic will not be played on Father's Day. Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson said moving to the day before Father's Day will make attending the game easier for fans.

"We listened to the ticket holders," Idelson said. "Some felt Saturday would be better than Sunday. There's nothing more sacred than Father's Day, so flipping the date made sense. We expect attendance to be robust. Ticket sales have been robust. The event continues to be extremely popular. There are not many events around here that draw between 5,000 to 9,000 people."

Idelson said tickets are still available and can be purchased at Doubleday Field, beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday. Tickets along the first- and third-base lines cost $12.50, and outfield seats are $11.

Perhaps a local high school team could help in terms of attendance.

Oneonta High's Class B state championship team will take part in the Cooperstown Game Day Parade, which starts at noon Saturday, and the Yellowjackets will be introduced to the fans during the middle of the first inning. OHS capped a 24-2 season with a 2-0 victory over Briarcliff last Saturday at Conlon Field in Binghamton to earn the program's first state title.

"Winning a state title in any sport is no easy task," Idelson said. "That it's the first for OHS made it even more special. Because this is Hall of Fame Classic weekend, it made great sense to give them a platform to honor their excellence. They had a phenomenal season and it's an honor for us to pay tribute to them."

Smith, 57, has played in every Classic. The shortstop extraordinaire during his days in a San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals uniform has become the face of this exhibition.

"During the 10 years he's been a Hall of Famer, he's been nothing short of spectacular in terms of accessibility to the fans in Cooperstown and representing the Hall of Fame around the country. He may have retired, but he hasn't lost his popularity. He cares deeply about the game and he cares about people. He wears the Hall of Fame mantle as well as anyone I've seen."

Asked why he continues to come back to play in the Classic, Smith said: "It's connecting generations. Some of these kids here probably don't know who a lot of us are, but if they're baseball fans, through electronic media they can find about a guy just by going to the computer. If you're a baseball fan, this is just part of the love of the game."

Some no doubt will recall the intense rivalry between Smith's Cardinals and Howard Johnson's New York Mets in the 1980s, when their teams dominated the National League's East Division.

So with Smith coaching the Wizards and Johnson hitting sixth for the Knucksies on Saturday, can we expect any brush-back pitches?

Absolutely not.

Competitive spirit has never been a staple of this event.

"It's all about allowing these people to enjoy themselves and I think a lot of people who come here will get to watch some of the people they watched growing up," Smith said. "We'll have some fun."

Longtime Mets fans should remember Johnson's contributions in the 1980s and early 1990s. The switch-hitting third baseman had two seasons of at least 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases. He also led National League hitters in home runs (38) and RBIs (117) in 1991.

"Having someone like Johnson who starred for a team within driving distance of Cooperstown is an added bonus for the game," he said of Johnson, a member of the Mets' 1986 World Series championship squad.

Though the game itself rarely includes tense moments, they do keep score.

Team Knucksie earned an 8-6 win last season behind a three-run homer from Dmitri Young in the fifth inning off of Bill Lee. Young won the inaugural Bob Feller Award, which is given to the game's Most Valuable Player.

Young, who also won the pre-game hitting contest last year, will bat fourth for the Knucksies on Saturday.

Right-hander Bert Blyleven, inducted into the Hall of Fame last June, will get the start for the Wizards. Niekro, known for his baffling knuckleball during his Hall of Fame career, will start for the Knucksies.

The pre-game hitting contest will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Rob Centorani can be reached at rcentorani@thedailystar.com or 607-432-1000, ext. 209.