Classic fans will be talkin' baseball Sunday

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June 18, 2011

Tickets still available for exhibition game at Doubleday Field

By Rob Centorani Staff Writer The Daily Star Sat Jun 18, 2011, 03:30 AM EDT

You can almost hear the conversations in the stands.

"You see that guy?" a father might say as he points to Dave Henderson while his attentive son looks closely. "He homered in the 10th inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series to put the Red Sox ahead and then the New York Mets staged a dramatic three-run rally to win one the most exciting games in baseball history."

Perhaps an Oneonta resident on hand might see Reggie Sanders stroll by and say to a friend: "Remember Oneonta High graduate Tim Christman? In 2001, he made his first and only major-league appearance, pitched two innings for the Colorado Rockies and allowed one run on a homer to that guy."

Memories of all shapes and sizes should flow freely Sunday afternoon at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown. There, the third installment of the Hall of Fame Baseball Classic will take place at 2 p.m.

"I believe it's become what we envisioned," Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson said of the seven-inning exhibition, which will include six Hall of Famers and 24 more former major leaguers, "providing fans an opportunity for a special Father's Day moment with a son or grand dad."

Tickets are still available and can be purchased online at baseballhall.org or by calling 1-866-849-7770. Prices are $12.50 for first- and third-base seats and $11 for outfield seats.

Idelson described tickets sales thus far as "decent." He said they're a little off from the first two years, when the Classic drew 7,006 fans in 2009 and 7,069 last year.

"There's the economy and the time of the year, those are factors that preclude us from having a sellout," Idelson said of drawing a full house at Doubleday, which seats close to 10,000. "We're continuing to build on it because it has been successful. As long as you have a roster full of names fans can relate to, you're going to sell tickets."

What started as a replacement for the Hall of Fame Game _ a Major League Baseball exhibition staged in Cooperstown for 60 years that was discontinued in 2008 when MLB said it would no longer provide teams _ has matured.

It's now a four-day extravaganza that started Friday and runs through Monday, when Hall of Famer Jim Rice will be the featured guest at the fourth annual Business Council Member Golf Classic that begins at 11:30 a.m. at Leatherstocking Golf Course.

Saturday's slate of activities include:

 The Classic Fest from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. in the parking lot at Doubleday Field, where visitors can check out local vendors and listen to live music; The Youth Skills Clinic from 8 a.m.-noon, run by former major leaguers for children ages 6-12 at Doubleday; The Hall of Fame Showcase from 12:30-4:30 p.m. at Doubleday, featuring appearances and programs by former major leaguers and educational events; The Hall of Fame Member Photo opportunity from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Doubleday, giving fans a chance take a picture with Hall of Famers; And the Voices of the Game presentation from 6-7 p.m. at Doubleday, where Hall of Famers Rice, Andre Dawson, Phil Niekro, Ozzie Smith, Goose Gossage and Dick Williams will share memories and stories. Tickets, which are $10 for adults and $5 for children, can be purchased by calling 607-547-0397.

"We're turning Doubleday Field into the hub of activity for the whole day," said Idelson, who added that anyone with a Price Chopper card can enter the Hall of Fame for free Saturday.

In addition to the Classic on Sunday, a parade featuring the game's participants begins at noon at the corner of Main and Fair streets. A hitting contest will follow at 1 p.m. at Doubleday.

This year's Classic will pit the Smiths against the Niekros, with Ozzie Smith and Phil Niekro serving as captains for their respective squads.

But the managerial duties will fall on Williams' lap _ for both teams.

"I'm leaving it up to him," Idelson said when asked how Williams will handle the strategy for each side. "Who am I to tell a guy who won 1,571 games how to manage?"

Gossage, 59, will start for the Smiths and Niekro, 72, will open on the mound for the Niekros.

Smith will lead off and play shortstop for his squad. He'll be followed in the lineup by center fielder Doug Glanville; left fielder Sanders; right fielder Dawson; first baseman Henderson; designated hitter Bill Lee; third baseman Billy Sample; second baseman Mike Timlin; and Gossage.

The Niekros' lineup is as follows: Center fielder Willie Wilson; shortstop Frank Catalanotto; right fielder Dale Murphy; left fielder Rice; first baseman Dmitri Young; designated hitter Jon Warden; third baseman Steve Braun; second baseman Rick Wise; and Niekro.

"You can expect an entertaining seven-inning game, with some of the guys you grew up watching on TV back on Doubleday Field," Idelson said. "You'll see seven Hall of Famers and 20 other former major leaguers for a fun afternoon, with the game being part of the Father's Day experience."

You'll also see some local flavor as former Sidney resident Joel Bennett will play as a reserve for the Niekros.

Bennett, 41, played 17 professional seasons, including brief stints as a right-handed pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies in 1998 and 1999, respectively.

"It'll just be awesome to be on the field with those guys," said Bennett, who teaches physical education at Windsor Middle School and coaches the Black Knights' eighth-grade modified baseball team.

Known for his sharp-breaking curveball, Bennett said he doesn't plan to take it easy Sunday.

"I'll get after it a little bit," said Bennett, who went 2-1 with the Phillies in 1999. "I've been throwing batting practice and I'm still in good shape."

Last year, Bob Feller and Harmon Killebrew managed in the Classic, with Team Feller earning a 9-0 victory.

Feller, inducted in the Hall of Fame in 1962, died at age 92 on Dec. 15 after battling leukemia. Killebrew, a 1984 Hall inductee, succumbed to esophageal cancer May 17 at age 74.

Idelson said the Most Valuable Player award will be named in Feller's honor and his widow, Anne, will present the trophy following the game. Feller was a starting pitcher for the inaugural Classic in 2009 and threw out the ceremonial first pitch last year.

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