Just back from the front lines known as Cooperstown, NY. Yes, I said it, "Holy #%*!". At 9 am the place was full and for the next 4 hours a steady stream of people, 3 across, continued to pour in on foot. Buses from the outer parking (where I parked, at $25 per car) like they were on a schedule, dropping off another load. Tour bus after tour bus after tour bus. and at 1:30 pm the stage finally came to life. Thank God there were some clouds, otherwise I don't think there were enough ambulances in town to haul away the heat exhausted. We found refuge beside the U-Haul truck that the museum was using for storage at the souvenir stand. Here there was about 2 or 3 feet of shade and we could watch from around the back. What an experience. I think all went well, you just had to realize what was going on. After the ceremony it was a simple case of good planning gone bad. Waiting for the buses everyone felt they deserved to be on the first bus. Nobody was more tired than them, nobody else had anywhere to be but them, this was all about them. I got a chuckle out of this. I told my son, "We'll get there eventually, and by then there won't be a crowd". Two hours after the closing we got to our car and two hours later we got to our hotel. All in all 6:30 am until 8 pm for a 3 hour ceremony. In hindsight I'm happy My son and I went, and I'm happy my wife and daughter didn't. They met us on Monday.
Top picture is the Cooperstown Newspaper for Thursday August 2, 2007. The next picture is from Main Street and Pioneer Street downtown, the third picture is Cal Ripken, Jr.'s induction speech from here we stood (you can see the corner of the U-Haul truck) and the last picture is after the crowds thinned out and we moved closer. It was while Kansas City Royals announcer, Denny Mathews, was speaking. Denny won the Ford Frick award.
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