This year's HOF class has six living inductees, a number reached just five times and eclipsed onceGETTY IMAGES
The Baseball HOF induction ceremony on Sunday is "expected to draw another tremendous crowd rivaling the 50,000-plus on hand" in '16, according to Charlie Vascellaro of the Oneonta DAILY STAR. This year's class has "six living inductees, a number that has been reached just five times and eclipsed only once" by the first HOF class in '39. Sunday's expected turnout continues a "recent trend that has brought three of the five largest attendance figures" in HOF induction history, "averaging between 45,000 to 50,000" from '14-16. The "resurgence of record crowds comes directly after a record-low smattering of 2,500" for the '13 induction, which "featured no living Hall of Famers and a rain-drenched ceremony." The '07 induction of Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. was the "most highly attended Induction Ceremony, drawing an approximate 82,000 fans" (THEDAILYSTAR.com, 7/25).
HELPING HAND: The COOPERSTOWN CRIER in a front-page piece notes in an "effort to raise funds to help revitalize Doubleday Field," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a grant of up to $3M for the village of Cooperstown to "support rehabilitation efforts and upgrades that will modernize and preserve the historic ballpark." The $5.8M project was "aligned with the tourism and downtown revitalization strategies identified by the Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council." New York state Sen. James Seward earlier this year announced a $1M grant for the project, which will "yield reconstructed third-base bleachers" (COOPERSTOWN CRIER, 7/27).
