The National Baseball Hall of Fame elected its first members in Cooperstown, Recent York, on this present day in history, Jan. 29, 1936.
Those chosen were five baseball greats — Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson.
The firstclass of inductees were named in preparation for the dedication of the Hall of Fame three years later, in 1939, which was believed to be the centennial of baseball, in response to History.com.
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America, founded in 1908, made its picks based on the players’ legacies.
Babe Ruth was each an ace pitcher and “the best” home run hitter in baseball history, said History.com.
Ty Cobb was considered the “best” hitter in history, in response to the identical source, while Honus Wagner was referred to as a “versatile star shortstop and batting champion.”
Christy Mathewson had more wins than any pitcher within the history of the National League, History.com reported.
Walter Johnson was considered “one of the powerful pitchers to ever have taken the mound.”
The primary induction ceremony wasn’t held until June 12, 1939.
That was after 20 more members had been elected in 1937, 1938 and 1939, in response to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Commercial
Commercial
Inductees included Cy Young, Pete Alexander, George Sisler, Al Spalding and Lou Gehrig, amongst others.
The inspiration created the story that U.S. Civil War hero Abner Doubleday created baseball in Cooperstown in 1839, History.com noted.
While it wasn’t true, baseball officials apparently supported the story to capitalize on the Hall of Fame’s marketing and publicity potential.
The Baseball Hall of Fame still stands because the nation’s hub for all things baseball, attracting roughly 350,000 visitors annually.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame elected its first members in Cooperstown, Recent York, on this present day in history, Jan. 29, 1936.
Those chosen were five baseball greats — Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson.
The firstclass of inductees were named in preparation for the dedication of the Hall of Fame three years later, in 1939, which was believed to be the centennial of baseball, in response to History.com.
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America, founded in 1908, made its picks based on the players’ legacies.
Babe Ruth was each an ace pitcher and “the best” home run hitter in baseball history, said History.com.
Ty Cobb was considered the “best” hitter in history, in response to the identical source, while Honus Wagner was referred to as a “versatile star shortstop and batting champion.”
Christy Mathewson had more wins than any pitcher within the history of the National League, History.com reported.
Walter Johnson was considered “one of the powerful pitchers to ever have taken the mound.”
The primary induction ceremony wasn’t held until June 12, 1939.
That was after 20 more members had been elected in 1937, 1938 and 1939, in response to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Commercial
Commercial
Inductees included Cy Young, Pete Alexander, George Sisler, Al Spalding and Lou Gehrig, amongst others.
The inspiration created the story that U.S. Civil War hero Abner Doubleday created baseball in Cooperstown in 1839, History.com noted.
While it wasn’t true, baseball officials apparently supported the story to capitalize on the Hall of Fame’s marketing and publicity potential.
The Baseball Hall of Fame still stands because the nation’s hub for all things baseball, attracting roughly 350,000 visitors annually.
