Matter of Fact Monday: BASEBALL

This week's prompt for Matter of Fact Monday was baseball, and my facts are about the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, which is visited by more than 350,000 people a year.

1. Following the discovery of the Doubleday baseball philanthropist Stephen C. Clark, purchased the ball $5 with the idea of displaying the ball aqnd other artifiacts. With the assistance of Alexander Cleveland, the two garnered support for the establishment of a national baseball museum.

2. With the cooperation of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, the first class of former players was chosen to be honored. They were Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson.

3. The Baseball Hall of Fame officially opened its doors on June 12, 1939. Of the 25 greats who had been elected to the Hall by then, 11 were still living. All of them attended the event, which took place as a part of the 100th anniversary celebration of baseball.

SOURCE: National Baseball Hall of Fame