It’s that wonderful time of the year—MLB postseason.
With the American and National League Championship Series ongoing and the 121st edition of the World Series on the horizon, Josh Rawitch and his team at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York are at the ready to preserve the history of the game’s biggest moments.
It’s “all hands on deck” for the Cooperstown-based “Home of Baseball”.
Game-winning home runs, balls, bats, maybe a base or two, throw in a set of batting gloves, whatever and wherever great moments in the postseason are stamped, the Hall of Fame “brain trust” are on the spot to catch that moment in time. Transferring those historic artifacts safely back to their final stop for future generations of fans to appreciate remains a top priority.
Hall of Fame President Rawitch and Jon Shestakofsky, vice president, communications and content, are “warming-up” in the proverbial bullpen. MLB “Jewel Events”; the All-Star Game, Home Run Derby, Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, the World Series, these special times for baseball are not to be forgotten in time.
The Hall of Fame excels at connecting generations by displaying identifiable objects associated with a defining hit or play that made history. Rawitch and Shestakofsky take seriously the responsibility of requesting a specific item from a player or team.
“We definitely ask the players before we do anything,” Rawitch told The Epoch Times from his Cooperstown office. “It’s an incredible honor to go up to each individual player and ask if they would be willing to donate something. Across the board, they (players) are willing to give something.”
When Rawitch is seen in clubhouses, particularly during the postseason, the players understand his mission. Most of the time, as the Hall of Fame president approaches a locker, the player appears to be in shock. According to Rawitch, it is incredibly rare that he introduces himself to a player who says they are unable to donate what is requested of them.
“In that case, it’s because they made a promise to their mother or cousin, that they were going to give that particular item to them. Quite often, if someone says they can’t give us the jersey, they may say can you take a hat or a pair of cleats?”
There appears to be a clear understanding among MLB players of how special it is to have something associated with their career in the Hall of Fame museum.
Rawitch is an expert at knowing what items would be most identifiable for display at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown. With three decades working in MLB front offices, few know their way around clubhouses better than Rawitch.
When the MLB World Tour stopped in Mexico City last season to offer a two-game set between the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants, Rawitch was in attendance. What caught Rawitch’s attention was the offense displayed by Padres third baseman Manny Machado. The Miami-born and raised Machado slugged two home runs in Game 1.
“The Padres were wearing their City Connect jerseys,” recalls Rawitch of the historic series and Machado’s donation of his jersey. “Manny had a really big game, and we wanted to document not just what he did but ultimately the Series. He (Machado) was giddy to do it.”
As for the four clubs remaining in postseason play (New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Guardians, and Yankees), adding to the Hall of Fame museum’s collection from their performances will be transported to Cooperstown with care and thought.
Rawitch tells of he and Shestakofsky, a 20-plus year baseball front-office leader including a decade with the Boston Red Sox organization, when attending a “Jewel Event” such as the World Series, they will bring along an empty suitcase in their travels. This is where they bring back items for the most memorable moments of the games.
“[The suitcase is] with us at all times. Whether it’s shoes, hats, or a glove, they fit in our carry-on. But, specifically with bats, we'll usually work with the clubhouse manager on the safe shipping of it to Cooperstown”, explains Rawitch.
When the scheduled seven-game World Series starts on Oct. 25, Rawitch and or Shestakofsky will be at all of the games. Both Hall of Fame executives will be in the stadium for the series clincher. Trying to collect the most desired items in the midst of a champagne celebration and also being represented in the losing team’s clubhouse, two sets of hands are needed. Everything about how the Hall of Fame collects, categorizes, and displays baseball history is teamwork-oriented.
As planned, about one month after the World Series is in the books, the Autumn Glory postseason tribute will be on display in the museum.
“What we do in Cooperstown is incredibly special—preserving the history of the game we all love.”
