SAFE AT HOME

This summer in Cooperstown, N.Y., the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum celebrates its 50th anniversary as the spiritual home of the game and as the repository of its treasures. From the essential (the Babe's bat) to the eccentric (the Babe's bowling ball), the Hall has it all. Enjoy the tour

Author:
SI Staff

MAYS STEPPED HERE: ON MAY 30, 1971, WILLIE MAYS CROSSED THIS PLATE AT CANDLESTICK PARK TO SCORE AN NL-RECORD 1,950TH RUN

RED-LETTER DAY: BRAVES MANAGER EDDIE MATHEWS WROTE THE LINEUP CARD FOR HANK AARON'S 715TH

KAS IN KOUFAX: THE ARTFUL DODGER HAD 13 STRIKEOUTS IN THE FIRST OF HIS FOUR NO-HITTERS

BOWLING BAMBINO: RUTH ROLLED A LOT OF STRIKES, BUT HE NEVER HIT 300 WITH HIS PERSONAL BALL

TOOTHPICK: THIS WEE WILLIE KEELER MODEL WEIGHS A MERE 34 OUNCES

LUMBER: RUTH SWUNG THE BIGGEST BAT ALLOWED, A HEFTY 60 OUNCES

AN ELECTRIC PERFORMANCE: THE BROOKLYN DODGERS PLAYED THEIR FIRST HOME GAME UNDER THE LIGHTS IN 1938

VINTAGE ASH: THE INDIANS' TRIS SPEAKER USED A COLORFUL STICK IN THE ROARING '20s

1883
A STUDY IN LEATHER: SINCE THE DAYS OF ITS FINGERLESS ANCESTOR(ABOVE), THE BASEBALL GLOVE HAS EVOLVED INTO A MUCH HANDIER TOOL

1884
PLAYERS OFTEN WORE A GLOVE ON EACH HAND, ONE WITH FINGERTIPS SEWN ON (RIGHT)

1903
AMONG THE EARLIEST INNOVATIONS WERE A PADDED HEEL AND A WEB AT THE THUMB

1909
WITH THIS GLOVE, SHORTSTOP NEAL BALL OF CLEVELAND MADE THE CENTURY'S FIRST UNASSISTED TRIPLE PLAY

1910
AT THIS STAGE, THE GLOVE BEGAN TO GROW AND FATTEN

1920
GEORGE SISLER OF THE ST. LOUIS BROWNS EMPLOYED AN EARLY FIRST BASEMAN'S MITT

1921
CHIEF MOSES YELLOWHORSE, A PIRATE PITCHER, WORE THIS MODEL

1924
WALLY PIPP HANDLED FIRST BASE FOR THE YANKEES FOR A TIME

1926
BUT AS HISTORY TELLS US, PIPP'S MITT GAVE WAY TO LOU GEHRIG'S

1933
HACK WILSON ROAMED THE BROOKLYN OUTFIELD WITH THIS LEATHER

1936
MICKEY COCHRANE'S CATCHER'S MITT WAS A THING OF BEAUTY

1951
A THREE-FINGERED GLOVE WAS IN VOGUE BY THE '50s

1953
AT LAFAYETTE HIGH IN BROOKLYN, KOUFAX WAS STYLISH AT FIRST BASE

1970
NO GLOVE WAS PUT TO BETTER USE THAN ORIOLE THIRD BASEMAN BROOKS ROBINSON'S IN THE '70 WORLD SERIES

CLASS PASS: THE 1914 GIANTS ISSUED A SEASON PASS IN THE FORM OF A SCORING PENCIL

THIEF'S REWARD: KING KELLY WAS GIVEN A MEDAL FOR STEALING BY A BOSTON FAN NAMED NUF CED McGREEVEY

WARM WELCOME: THE REDS GAVE OUT SILVER INVITATIONS TO THE DEDICATION OF REDLAND FIELD

OUR HERO: IN 1916 WHITE SOX PITCHER EDDIE CICOTTE WAS GIVEN A WATCH BY CHICAGO ADMIRERS

CROWNING GLORY: AFTER WINNING 24 STRAIGHT IN '36-37, GIANTS PITCHER KING CARL HUBBELL WAS GIVEN A CROWN BY SEAGRAM'S

STUCKON YOU: IN 1897 FANS OF THE BOSTON BEANEATERS IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES WITH BEAN-POT PINS

HOME SWEEPER: UMPIRE JOCKO CONLAN CLEANED HIS PLATES WITH THIS WHISK, CIRCA 1964

BACK TO HIS ROOTS: AS A KID, JOHNNY MIZE PLAYED BALL ON THE RED CLAY OF THE HIGH SCHOOL FIELD IN DEMOREST, GA.

GOLDEN SLIPPERS: YUTAKA FUKUMOTO EARNED THESE SHOES FOR STEALING 1,000 BASES IN JAPAN

A MEAN SOLE: COBB LEFT SOME SCARS WITH VINTAGE-1925 SPIKES AND QUITE A FEW OTHERS

TOE TO TOE: AFTER ALLIE REYNOLDS OF THE YANKEES NO-HIT THE RED SOX IN 1951, MEMBERS OF BOTH TEAMS SIGNED THE PITCHING RUBBER

THIRTY FOUR PHOTOS

BRET WILLS

PHOTO

BRET WILLS

PHOTO

BRET WILLS

1876

FRED THAYER

PHOTO

BRET WILLS

1878

PHOTO

BRET WILLS

1883

PHOTO

BRET WILLS

1885

PHOTO

BRET WILLS

1936

MICKEY COCHRANE

PHOTO

BRET WILLS

1941

MICKEY OWEN

PHOTO

BRET WILLS

1970

PHOTO

BRET WILLS

1979

STEVE YEAGER

PHOTO

BRET WILLS

1988

CARLTON FISK

SIX ILLUSTRATIONS

INSULATION: TY COBB'S ASSAULTS ON THE BASE PATHS WERE SOFTENED BY HIS SLIDING PADS

MASKED BALL: THE FACE OF THE GAME HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS, FROM THE FIRST CATCHER'S MASK(INVENTED BY THAYER, A HARVARD PLAYER, IN 1876) TO THE STEEL CAGES WORN BY YEAGER (INVENTOR OF THE THROAT FLAP) AND FISK

EARLY ARMOR: IN 1915 CATCHER CLAUDE BERRY WORE THE FIRST KNOWN PROTECTIVE CUP

June 12, 1989