Our Museum in Action

Standing at a mere 5 feet 6 inches, Phil Rizzuto never towered over the infield, but his impact on the game was beyond measure. This glove helped the Yankees second baseman turn 1,217 double plays for the Yankees.

When Wally Pipp was scratched from the Yankees' lineup with a headache on June 2, 1925, Lou Gehrig was given the nod and would go on to start the next 2,130 games. Pipp, however, is much more than an anecdote in Gehrig's Hall of Fame career.

With steady hands and fast feet, Dave Bancroft would amass 4,673 putouts while starting 1,877 of 1,892 career games. This fielding skill and longevity in the middle infield would lead Bancroft to Cooperstown as one of baseball's greatest shortstops.

On July 24, 1968, Hoyt Wilhelm stepped to the mound in relief for his 907th career game, passing Cy Young for the all-time record for appearances by a pitcher. Downplaying the incredible feat of longevity, Wilhelm told Sport, “The next 900 won’t be so tough.”

Though Tommie Agee's first inning solo home run broke open Game 3 of the 1969 World Series, it would be his glove that would help immortalize Agee in autumn glory. Agee used this glove to make two brilliant catches to secure this “Miracle Mets” World Series win.

A mainstay in the St. Louis clubhouse as a player, coach and manager, Red Schoendienst was a symbol of the franchise's rich history. Today, your support can help preserve his glove as part of his legacy from St. Louis to Cooperstown.

In Frankie Frisch's first season in St. Louis in 1927, he managed to tally up a major league record for assists by a second basemen in a single season with 641. Known for his glovework at the at the keystone, Frisch used this Spaulding model glove that 1927 record-setting season.

First patented in the early 1880s, some catchers and infielders would use two fingerless gloves while securing the ball with both hands. Soon after, fingers and additional padding were included on fielding-hand gloves, but a fingerless glove was still used on a player's throwing hand, allowing for increased protection and throwing accuracy.

At over 130 years old, this elegantly painted silk banner may be the earliest baseball championship pennant in existence. The steel blue flag celebrates the triumphant 1883 season of the Philadelphia Athletics, then a club in the major league American Association. 

In May 1927,  just one day after Chicago Cubs shortstop Jimmy Cooney secured all three outs on a Paul Waner line-drive, Tigers first-baseman Johnny Neun would seal a Detroit victory with an unassisted triple play.

With your support, students from underserved communities throughout Upstate New York can participate in interactive learning activities, tour the Museum, receive a boxed lunch and a take-home goodie bag.

Please consider making a gift toward this important education initiative by funding all or a portion of a School Field Trip.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is proud to equip students and educators nationwide with resources for the classroom. Vital lessons and literacy activities can come to life through the lens of our National Pastime.

Help us inspire the next generation of historians and fans by bringing baseball to the classroom

Doug McWilliams spent nearly a quarter of a century photographing players for Topps baseball cards. His donation of more than 10,000 negatives from the 1970s, '80s, and '90s, provides a unique snapshot of baseball history.

Through this Our Museum in Action project, we will reorganize, rehouse, conserve and digitize this massive collection, ensuring that it is preserved for years to come. 

These home films capture a familiar experience for every fan: the road trip to a new ballpark, the exploration of the stadium inside and out, and a focus on the action from first pitch to the final out.

Your support will help us digitize footage from iconic venues, preserving the memories from yesteryear to share with fans for generations to come.