This weekend I was fortunate enough to play a couple of rounds at the Leatherstocking Golf Course of the Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown, New York. This was the National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Weekend in Cooperstown and the annual Hall of Fame Golf Tournament. I was paired with David Winfield and Reggie Jackson. Dave Winfield did not make the start but I had a wonderful round of golf with Reggie Jackson. I don't usually play in front of thousands of people so it sure is nerve wracking. It took a few holes to get the jitters out of my system but Reggie was a joy to play with. He is nearly as fit now as he was in his playing days. Its hard to believe the guy is 59 years old. Well Mr. October (engraved on his lefty clubs) was still in a competitive spirit although we finished in the middle of the pack.
Jane Clarke hosts a very gracious get together at her estate the first official evening of the gathering. I spent a lot of time with Steve Carlton, Robin Roberts, Jim Bunning, Brooks Robinson (a fabulous guy), Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg (Inductees this year), Yogi Berra, Buck O'Neal (he may not be a Hall of Famer, but he is a Hall of Fame gentleman), Tony Perez, Orlando Cepeda, Sparky Anderson, Ralph Kiner, Sandy Koufax, Juan Marichal, Bob Feller, Whitey Ford, Johnny Bench, Gary Carter, Al Kaline, Kirby Puckett, Ozzie Smith, Lou Brock, Billy Williams, George Brett, Harmon Killebrew and many others.
Later that night, my wife and I went down to the restaurant to look for my oldest son's retainer--he left it on his room service plate. Well, there was no sign of the retainer but Willie Mays was there finishing a late supper. Well, he was good friends with my father-in-law so with a bit of liquid courage in her, my wife went up and introduced herself and the rest of us. He signed a ball for each of my two sons (his is the hardest signature to get by far) and they were thrilled to meet him and get his autograph on a ball.
The second day starts off with early golf, lunch--Reggie had to leave for an autograph signing but I enjoyed lunch with Yogi Berra and Carlton Fisk.
Later there was a 6pm cocktail party and awards ceremony. There were 53 Hall of Famers in attendance this year, the most ever assembled in one place. I got to meet nearly everyone at the outdoor gathering including Bill Murray who was there as a guest of Ryne Sandberg and played in the golf tournament. He was very funny and charming. My wife especially enjoyed meeting him. He was a fan of her father's (Richie Ashburn, who played 2 years with the Cubs)
That evening was dinner at the Otesaga's ball room for all Hall of Famers and their families. This year my wife and mother-in-law and I had dinner with Tom Seaver and his wife Nancy, Steve Carlton, Bob Gibson and Red Schoendeist. Wow! That was a blast and the stories were funny and insightful into the art of pitching--then and now. Steve, Bob and Tom are very knowledgable wine afficionados. Tom brought some excellent California Cabernets and spoke about his own vineyard he started. His very limited production will be first bottled in 3 years and I'm looking forward to going out there and seeing his artisan operation. Bob Gibson was the pitcher that my father admired most and was the toughest to face. Bob was kind enough to point out that by the time they faced each other, Rich was on the downside of his career while he was starting to become the dominant pitcher of his era. Richie once fouled off 14 straight pitches against Bob as lead-off hitter in the 1st inning before finally drawing a walk.
Well, this is a golf site, not a baseball site so here are some photos of the Leatherstocking Course:
The 1st tee
The 2nd hole
The 3rd green
The 4th tee
The 4th approach
The 5th tee
The 10th green
The 13th tee
The flag is beyond a series of canted ridges on this short par 4 with a deep grass pit to the left of the green
The 15th approach
The green sits in a depression 40-yards beyond the flanking bunkers
The 16th tee
The 16th green
The 17th
The 18th tee
How much do you want to cut off? The green is about 90 yards to the left of the small stone building on the left.
The 18th approach
Reggie Jackson looking fit while studying the 16th tee
Yogi Berra (in blue shirt at side of green), George Brett (white shirt) and Bill Murray (yellow visor)
This is a delightful resort with lots to do for families and many having nothing at all to do with baseball. If you don't like crowds, stay away during Hall of Fame Weekend. It is packed! It is a charming Victorian village with a beautiful mountain lake--The Glimmerglass of JF Cooper's Deerslayer stories.