THE DAILY STAR
Merchants are saying they’re hoping for a boost to what some say has been a lackluster first half of the summer.
This weekend, the National Baseball Hall of Fame will induct former star players Bert Blyleven and Roberto Alomar and former general manager Pat Gillick.
Blyleven, 60, a pitcher known for his curveball, played for the Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers, Pittsburgh Pirates, ClevelandIndians and Los Angeles Angels while amassing 287 victories.
Alomar, 43, a second baseman with the San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox, was an excellent hitter and fielder, winning 10 Golden Glove awards.
The players were selected by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Gillick, former general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies, was tabbed by the Hall’s Expansion Era Committee.
According to Ted Hargrove, who owns T.J.’s Place on Main Street, the Expansion Committee would have helped local business by adding the late George Steinbrenner’s name to those who will be honored thisweekend.
Steinbrenner, the former New York Yankees owner who died last year, remains a popular figure from a nearby metropolis, Hargrove noted.
“The streets would be full with Steinbrenner on the program,” he said last week, as a lunch time crowd filtered in and out of his restaurant and memorabilia shop.
Hargrove said business was brisk in June, but dropped off sharply in the first half of July.
“And if it’s this slow in July, it doesn’t look good for the rest of the year,” he said. Across the street at Legends Are Forever, owner Jeff Foster said he also thinks Steinbrenner would have been a nice addition to the program.
“I don’t think Steinbrenner would have changed the summer, though,” Foster said. “We really haven’t recovered from 2008 yet. “People are much more conservative about what they’re going to buy, and probably they should be,” he said.
Worries about jobs, spending, and rising prices for essential goods and services have made potential customers hesitant about discretionary spending, Foster said.
“It’s not just in Cooperstown; it’s everywhere,” he said.
In 2007, keeping his business stocked was a primary concern, Foster said. Now he’s focused more on selling what’s already on display.
Susan O’Handley, executive director of the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce, said she’s looking forward to a strong induction weekend.
“We’re holding our own here, and when you look at the big picture, the economy, the price of gas, that’s a good thing,” she said. “This is a great place for a family to go on vacation.”
Internet inquiries on the Chamber’s website bode well for a good-sized crowd on induction weekend and a good second half of summer, she said.
Jeff Idelson, president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, said attendance at the shrine this year has been about on par with last year, and last year was not a bad one.
“We’re looking forward to a great weekend, and our bus count indicates we’ll have a good crowd,” he said.
Hall of Fame
July 21, 2011
Merchants hopeful weekend will boost business
Hall of Fame president expects a good crowd for Induction on Sunday
- Hall of Fame
-
-
Legends game has seen drop in attendance rates
The National Baseball Hall of Fame's annual seven-inning exhibition game featuring former major league players will be held this weekend.
-
'Wall that Heals' to be on display
While the fifth annual Hall of Fame Classic will bring a lot of fun to Cooperstown Saturday, with its switch to Memorial Day Weekend, the organizers wanted to do something special to honor local veterans as well.
- Hall of Fame releases results from survey Ninety-seven percent of the American public believes that negative health effects exist from using steroids, yet only 19 percent believe that steroid use is a big problem among high school students, according to a national study announced in New York City last week.
-
Scouts honored with opening of museum's Diamond Mines exhibit
Hall of Fame executive Branch Rickey once described the role of a scout as having the ability to “assay the gold content in a handful of ore.� Today, the long and storied history of those same miners, always on the lookout for the next diamond in the rough, is told at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
-
Movie props from '42' arrive in Cooperstown
Artifacts from the movie "42" will be on display in an exhibit at the National Baseball Hall of Fame beginning in late July.
- World Series Gala planned If you can’t be right at the game, where better to watch Game Three of the World Series than the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum?
-
Van Horne, Conlin and Hemond to be honored
Hall of Fame Award winners excel at being able to communicate insight on the game of baseball. Dave Van Horne did it over the radio for fans with playby- play, Bill Conlin did it with a pen and paper for the readers of the afternoon newspaper and Roland Hemond did it for baseball franchises as an executive and general manager.
-
Merchants hopeful weekend will boost business
Merchants are saying they’re hoping for a boost to what some say has been a lackluster first half of the summer.
-
52 Hall of Famers expected for Induction Weekend
It is almost here. In about two weeks, baseball’s elite will gather in Cooperstown for the National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Weekend to welcome the three newest members Roberto Alomar, Bert Blyleven and Pat Gillick.
-
American Red Cross presents Hall of Fame with award; blood drive planned
This year marked the fifth anniversary of the American Red Cross and the National Baseball Hall of Fame teaming up to help save patients’ lives.
- More Hall of Fame Headlines
-
