What The Baseball Hall of Fame Can Learn From Pro Football's Hall of Fame
By Paul Semendinger
August 12, 2024
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NOTE - This article was written for the IBWAA and was published in their daily newsletter Here's The Pitch on August 10, 2024
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A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. That was a place I had always wanted to visit — and am so glad I finally did.
My experience there was amazing. The Football Hall of Fame is an outstanding place to celebrate football's great history, to remember the big games and the legends, and to be inspired by greatness. I loved every minute I was there.
But, before I continue, let me take a huge step backwards, just so I can be very clear...
I love the Baseball Hall of Fame. I love every aspect of it.
Cooperstown is a great little village.
The Baseball Hall of Fame provokes awe and majesty and wonder. I can get lost in the artifacts and displays. I could spend the rest of my life at the Baseball Hall of Fame and be happy forever.
I have visited the Baseball Hall of Fame countless times. I have done a great deal of research there for my various books. The people on the library/research staff are first rate.
A few years ago, I pitched, and won, the semi-final game of a tournament series at Doubleday Field. That was one of the highlights of my life.
In addition, one of the key moments in my novel Scattering the Ashes takes place at the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Baseball Hall of Fame is a magical place that I will always love.
But, much in the same way that I love Yankee Stadium, when I visit ballparks and stadiums that are even better, I have to stop, take note, and assess all of this fairly
Yes, I love the Yankees. What is also true is that CitiField is a better stadium. Fenway Park, PNC Park, and Camden Yards are also nicer ballparks. The truth is... the truth.
And while I love the Baseball Hall of Fame, there are some things that the Football Hall of Fame does better — much better.
I noticed that at the moment my son Ethan and I entered the museum. After paying the admission fee, I saw my son talking to a man in a yellow sport coat. The man turned to me and smiled. I recognized him immediately.
"Tiki?" I said. The man smiled even bigger and said, "No, Ronde. Tiki doesn't have a jacket like this."
There, at the entrance to the museum, greeting the guests, was Ronde Barber, Tiki Barber's twin brother, and a member of the Football Hall of Fame. Ronde, Ethan, and I talked, for more than a few minutes about football, Ronde and Tiki's books, the fact that Tiki belongs in Canton, the 100 years of the New York Giants, and Tiki's radio show in New York on WFAN. Ronde wasn't just there for a photo shoot, he was there to greet, talk, and engage with the fans. How amazing is that?
A short while later, Joe DeLamielleure, another Football Hall of Famer, arrived to greet the attendees to the museum. Ethan and I also enjoyed a few minutes talking with Joe DeLamielleure.
Of note, we were not there at induction weekend. We were visiting on a random Friday in July...
I have been to the Baseball Hall of Fame countless times. I have never been greeted at the entrance by a Hall of Fame baseball player. I've never been greeted there by any baseball player.
I thought to myself, "Wow. That's a great personal touch. Baseball should do something similar.
“There are many Hall of Famers who could take a day a year to greet the fans and say hello. There are also countless living All-Stars, and others, who baseball could ask to spend a day there.”
How great would that be, as one enters the hallowed Halls of Cooperstown, to be greeted by Johnny Bench — or even Butch Wynegar.
I thought, even when one enters Disney World, he is greeted by Mickey Mouse or another character. It says something when the representatives from the place being recognized are there in person to welcome visitors. Baseball could do this. It would not be difficult. It would simply take a moment to reflect on a simple way to add a special element to the fans' experience. Having Hall of Famers, in person, at the entrance, speaks volumes about the caring nature of the experience one gets at the Football Hall of Fame.
And, before people wonder if only the lesser stars (if that's even possible among Hall of Famers) are present in Canton, as I strolled through the museum that day I was wearing my John Riggins jersey. I was told by numerous people that Riggins himself had been at the museum only a week before. John Riggins was there, greeting guests, and even doing a presentation in one of the museum's small theaters. Football does this right.
The volunteers at the Football Hall of Fame were also first rate. We were engaged by them numerous times. They talked about the game, the exhibits, and the history. They smiled a lot. They were friendly and welcoming. I believe the same is true in Cooperstown, but, somehow, maybe it was mid-west America, in Canton, it was a little different. "Come find any of us in these blue shirts, we're all here to help."
The football museum is also brighter, more open, and less cluttered. In Cooperstown, there is often so much to see, it's almost overwhelming. In Canton, it seems more care and time was spent making sure each display had just a few pieces that told football's story. I felt less rushed there and more able to take it all in.
I also appreciated the small workshops and presentations at the Football Hall of Fame. Ethan and I spent about 40 minutes with a staff member who discussed the history of the football helmet with us in a small theater. After the presentation, we were permitted to touch and even try on some of the helmets.
It was all very personal and real. With baseball, the artifacts are seemingly more "off-limits." I get the sense that one can "see and not touch" there. It's not that way at the Football Hall of Fame. These small little touches make a big difference.
I will say that the Baseball Hall of Fame's gallery where the plaques are is much more majestic than football's where the busts are all located. The baseball plaques also tell the story of each player. Football displays only the names, not the players' accomplishments.
I'll never stop loving the Baseball Hall of Fame. It is one of my favorite places to visit. I go there often and always love it there. But, after visiting Football's Hall of Fame, I can't help but think that with a little fine-tuning, the Baseball Hall of Fame experience can be enhanced a great deal.
I'd love for the people in Cooperstown to reach out to me to discuss more. I can help. Sometimes the best people to help make a fan's experience greater aren't the so-called experts, but the fans themselves.
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Dr. Paul Semendinger is still pitching at 56 years old. His team just reached the playoffs again. Paul is also the author of baseball books The Least Among Them and From Compton to the Bronx (with Roy White). Paul's new book on the Battle of Gettysburg (Volume One of Three) should be out this autumn. Paul also runs the Yankees site Start Spreading the News.
For further comparisons, if you haven't already been there, a visit to the Basketball Hall Of Fame in Springfield, MA and the Hockey Hall Of Fame in Toronto may be in order. I haven't personally been to either one (I have only been to the baseball one), but it would make it interesting to make further comparisons.