One thing I’ve always loved about my job here is that it gives me the freedom to dig into the history of local sports.
In particular, I’ve taken some deep dives into Plant City’s rich baseball scene. I’ve been everywhere from Plant City Stadium and the Plant City Photo Archives and History Center to various kitchen tables and living rooms around town, learning as much as I could about those who dug in at the plate before many of us could even swing a bat. This town has been something like a haven for Major Leaguers, minor leaguers, Negro Leaguers and semi-pro players alike, which explains why folks around town hold the sport in such high regard.
But for all the hardball history contained in this town, there’s nothing quite like a visit to Cooperstown. The Baseball Hall of Fame, located in upstate New York, is sacred ground. Other sports have their own Halls, but there’s nothing quite like Cooperstown for the diehard sports fan.
That’s why, every year, I envy an ever-changing group of Plant City kids who get to visit Cooperstown.
As a sports history nerd, I can’t stress enough how lucky kids in our town are that they can get a golden ticket — seriously, there is a golden ticket — to play in the annual Cooperstown Dreams Park Tournament. And there are also teams, such as the Plant City Wildcats, that apply for the trip and eventually get to go.
I know the local kids who attend the tournaments are generally pretty young, around 10, 11 or 12 years old. I know they don’t always get how big a deal it is that they don’t just get to play, but they get to play there. I have heard that it does tend to hit them when they get there, take it all in and set foot on the ballpark’s pristine fields.
There’s nothing quite like it.
And, of course, it’s also an opportunity to visit the Hall of Fame. Who in their right mind could pass that up? It’s an incredible learning experience. As cool as it is to see the elected players’ plaques, I’m more fascinated by the exhibits they have in the building. They’ve got all kinds of equipment — some seemingly older than time itself, some from the past decade — and everything on display has a story to tell.
The museum does offer Internet users the option of an interactive virtual tour, which is cool. I’ve never been able to go to the Hall of Fame myself, even when I lived in New York, so I’ve played around with it. But I know that no matter how many times you look at something online, it doesn’t hit you the same way that physically being there does. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’d seen pictures and videos of the Grand Canyon while in school, and seeing it in person a few winters ago was still one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I know it’s a weird example to pull out for a column about baseball, but it proves my point: you never really know until you finally go.
I know the kids going to Cooperstown this week are excited, even if the magnitude of being there hasn’t hit them all yet. I just want them, and everyone that will go after them, to know that they’re going to have an experience most kids could only dream about.
So, if you’ve got a ticket to Cooperstown — golden or otherwise — don’t take that trip for granted. You might just catch yourself telling your own kids and grandkids about it someday.