Connect to Cooperstown With Museum’s Free Virtual Programs

As plans for the return of baseball begin to come into focus, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is continuing to provide fans and students the chance to delve into history and interact with game’s biggest names.

The Museum’s Education Department is offering free Virtual Field Trips, Curator Spotlights and Voices of the Game programs via live online events as part of Safe at Home, the Hall of Fame’s digital outreach compilation.

Upcoming programs include (all times Eastern):

Virtual Curator Spotlight: One for the Books

Tuesday, May 12, 2 p.m.

Join a Hall of Fame curator for a special virtual program featuring a behind the scenes look at the creation process behind our exhibits. Records hold a special place in the hearts and minds of baseball fans, and our popular One for the Books exhibit explores the stories behind baseball’s most sacred records.

Virtual Field Trip: Statistics: Batter Up!

Wednesday, May 13, 2 p.m.

It’s the final day of the 1941 season and Ted Williams’ batting average is .39955. What will he do? Sit this one out and guarantee an historic .400 season or take a chance and aim for mathematic immortality? Find the answer to this and other exciting stories in a unit full of whole numbers, fractions and decimals, percentages, proportions and problem solving.

Safe at Home with Boog and Chipper

Wednesday, May 13, 7:30 p.m.

Join Hall of Famer Chipper Jones and ESPN’s Jon “Boog” Sciambi on Instagram Live as the two discuss the game’s latest news and share memories on and off the field. Jones and Sciambi will be paired for ESPN Major League Baseball telecasts this season.

Virtual Voices of the Game: Tyler Kepner

Friday, May 15, 11 a.m.

Join us for a live conversation with Tyler Kepner, national baseball writer for The New York Times since 2000, and formerly a beat writer for the Yankees and Mets. Kepner has written three books on baseball, including “K: A History of Baseball in 10 Pitches.” Kepner will join us to talk about his duties at The Times, the possibility of starting a shortened season and his own memories of visiting Cooperstown as well as take questions from viewers.

Virtual Hall of Fame Spotlight: Giamatti Research Center

Tuesday, May 19, 11 a.m.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame Library is the foremost repository of baseball information, in all formats, in the world. Founded in 1939 along with the Hall itself, the Library is a specialized research facility whose collections and services are available to all, subject to our policies for access and use. This special virtual experience will highlight the Museum’s archive featuring a special interview with a Hall of Fame Librarian Jim Gates. This experience will give our virtual visitors the unique opportunity to learn about the Museum’s vast library archive and digital collection.

Safe at Home with Boog and Chipper

Wednesday, May 20, 7:30 p.m.

Join Hall of Famer Chipper Jones and ESPN’s Jon “Boog” Sciambi on Instagram Live as the two discuss the game’s latest news and share memories on and off the field. Jones and Sciambi will be paired for ESPN Major League Baseball telecasts this season.

Virtual Field Trip: Geography: Baseball from Coast to Coast

Thursday, May 21, 1 p.m.

Since the days of players traveling by train to get from stadium to stadium, geography has always played an important role in professional baseball. Where are baseball teams established and why? How do people and the physical environment influence the game? In this unit, students will explore these questions and more through map work, research, and creative activities.

Virtual Voices of the Game: Al Oliver

Friday, May 22, 11 a.m.

Join us for a live conversation with former big league standout Al Oliver. On Sept. 1, 1971, Oliver was a part of the first all-minority lineup in baseball history with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 1982 National League batting champion and the owner of a lifetime batting average of .303, Oliver will discuss playing with Hall of Fame teammates like Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell and Bill Mazeroski, his memories of his 1971 world championship with the Pirates and his current calling as a deacon and motivational speaker.

Register to participate in these free virtual programs by visiting the Museum’s Events webpage at baseballhall.org/events.

These events are a part of the Museum’s regular virtual programming series, and past programs can be found at the Hall of Fame’s YouTube Channel.

Connect with the Museum through all the Hall of Fame’s online offerings via Safe at Home, which features educational and cultural resources that include:

The Museum’s Digital Collection at collection.baseballhall.org, which features historic photographs, scouting reports, audio oral histories and artifact images from the Museum’s vast collection

Free downloadable educational curriculum which cover 15 different topics ranging from mathematics to character development and are tailored to three different school levels from elementary to high school

Transcription opportunities for fans as part of our ongoing digitization of our Correspondence Collection

Historic and current videos at the Hall of Fame’s YouTube Channel, featuring Hall of Famer biographies, in-depth interviews and highlights of past Hall of Fame Weekends

Online exhibits that provide a virtual tour of the Museum, as well as through Google Arts & Culture

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