Cooperstown Strikes Back & May The Fort Be With You

Since our retirement from baseball stadium touring, we've decided to visit forts. We are now the Traveling Fabulous Fort...Folks. As you know, we previously traveled to the Alamo, so Fort Ticonderoga being our second fort pretty much makes us fort experts now. 

Fort Ticonderoga is close to 5 hours north of us. In other countries, if you drive 5 hours north, you'd probably hit another country. Here, you're still in New York. Unfortunately, the circumstances of the current pandemic basically ensures that crossing state borders ends up being more of a pain in the a$$ than it's worth, so this summer's travel plans had to be relegated to the great state of New York.

It would probably be odd if all we did today was post about forts...or would it?

Just kidding. We did actually do some baseball related activities this year against all odds. From Fort Ticonderoga is 3 hours from Cooperstown, but it took us close to 4 hours because the GPS led us up the hill and back down like the Grand Old Duke of York on a single lane road. We felt that the Hall of Fame was due a second trip, because of Mike Mussina's and Mariano Rivera's recent inductions. 

Due to COVID-19 protocols, this visit was definitely different. For starters, we had to reserve a time slot for our visit. We had to wear a mask while inside the building as well as on the streets of town. Everyone was given styluses at the entrance in order to utilize the touch screens at certain exhibits and markers were on the floor and in sitting areas to designate social distancing. Despite the restrictions, it was actually quite peaceful and enjoyable. We never felt that we couldn't get to an exhibit due to crowds. 

In addition to our stylus, the man at the front desk assessed gave us a team-specific scavenger hunt based on our clothing. This plays right into our wheelhouse because then the Hall of Fame suddenly became a competition for us. A competition that we'd win at all costs. Even if it meant knocking a small child over to do so. 

We will now share with you the results of the scavenger hunt that we won fair and square, but was not given a prize for at the end. In fact, we aren't even sure that we were congratulated on the victory. 

First up for the Yankees is Lou Gehrig's locker and for the Mets is Pedro Martinez's 3,000th K jersey.

Second is Joe Dimaggio's retired #5 jersey and Tom Seaver's 19-strikeout game baseball cap.

Third is Mariano Rivera's World Series cap and Dwight Gooden's rookie jersey.

Fourth is Babe Ruth's Home Run Record Crown and Tommie Agee World Series glove.

Fifth is Yogi Berra's perfect game mitt and Ray Knight's 1986 World Series helmet. 

Sixth is Aaron Boone's ALCS home run bat and Johan Santana's first no-hitter ball.

Seventh is Mickey Mantle's rare 1952 Topps card and David Wright's final game helmet. 

Eighth is Aaron Judge's 44th home run (of his rookie season) jersey and Pete Alonso's rookie batting gloves.

Ninth is Derek Jeter's World Series jersey and Casey Stengel's retired number. 

The real reason of visiting the Hall of Fame has nothing to do with the scavenger hunt, but that was a bonus. The real reason was not to celebrate Derek Jeter's induction (even though there's an entire display for him). If you don't know how Serena feels about Derek Jeter by this stage of our blog, we don't know what you've been reading. 

The real reason was to visit the plaques of these two men:

Before you assume that Serena's animosity prevented from taking a photo of Derek Jeter's plaque, we'd like to inform you that there was no plaque due to COVID-19. There was a sign that said so and everything. 

Sidebar: these two signs hung in strategic locations made us laugh. 

You're welcome. 

Our Roadtrip to Cooperstown

Well, folks. We finally did it. We kept one of our promises. We made it up to Cooperstown to visit the Hall of Fame. Serena hadn't been there since she was a munchkin and this was Lisa's first visit. We'll post a good chunk of photos in the blog below, BUT we did post a few to Instagram and Twatter that we're not going to repost here. Therefore, if you're concerned that you've missed something, be sure to check out one or both of those social media outlets (@TravelingBBabes).

We arrived in Cooperstown Friday night. Serena made us a killer playlist and if you follow us on Instagram, you would've had an opportunity to enjoy one of our many exceptional sing along videos.

As per Google maps, it should only take us four and a half miles. We determined that Google lies to us. It took us over five hours. Partly because the Cross Bronx Expressway is Hades. If you've read or seen Percy Jackson, you may think Hades is beneath LA, but that's false. It's actually the Cross Bronx. However, a major factor in us arriving so late is the fact that you must travel miles and miles of creepy country road in the dark surrounded by ghost fog.

Some of you may not be in touch with the supernatural and/or the show, Supernatural, but ghost fog is a very real danger. It's like fog, only worse. It has all of the dangerous components of normal fog, but includes ghosts that may try to infiltrate your automobile or person. And then kill you.

Obviously, we survived.

We headed out to the village of Cooperstown the next morning. We parked at Doubleday Field and got to watch a bunch of old fat men attempting to play baseball. It was an embarrassing display of athletic prowess. Men in your 20's? We've seen your future. And it's ugly.

 We found this statue in the parking lot. It's called "Sandlot."

The price for admission to the Hall of Fame is $23.

 

 

They recommended that we start our tour on the second floor. From there, we headed up to the third floor and then back down to the first. We walked through a hallway of "lockers" for each team in the league before reaching the exhibits.

 

The rest of the 2nd floor exhibits included:

We found the fact that the Chicago Cubs recording 116 victories fascinating considering the Cubs are...well...the Cubs. How things have changed.

 Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig's lockers:

 

 

 Women in Baseball:

 

 Tom Seaver:

 Not Tom Seaver:

On the third floor, we found an exhibit on super fans and crazy characters at ballparks. Like...legit fans and individuals that were once alive and attended ball games. They have an exhibit. They were so f*cking weird and memorable that they have their own exhibit. We need to be in this exhibit. It's our new goal in life.

The super fan display was just outside the "Sacred Ground" exhibit, which basically catalogs what we, as baseball fans, love about going to baseball games.

The Hank Aaron exhibit led us into the "One for the Books" exhibit, chronicling all of the records that have been set and broken in baseball throughout history.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The actual Hall of Fame Gallery is on the first floor. Here is where we found the exhibits for the new inductees, including John Smoltz:

 

We snapped a few pics of some of our favorites:

 

 

 

 

This gallery housed the original class of inductees as well as the most recent:

 

 

 

Also on the first floor is an area for children:

 

 

There would've been more photos of us fooling around in the kids' section, but we were hindered by an extremely obnoxious family. The parents were actually more rude than the children. Blame them for our failure.