The roots of the Baseball Hall of Fame dates back to 1934, when Stephen C. Clark, a resident of Cooperstown, N.Y.—where Abner Doubleday purportedly invented baseball in 1839—purchased a baseball used by Doubleday and displayed it in Cooperstown’s Village Club. The display was popular and soon, with the support of baseball’s presidents and commissioner, Clark began receiving memorabilia from across the country.
National League President Ford Frick suggested that a Hall of Fame be created in Cooperstown to celebrated baseball’s centennial in 1939. He asked the Baseball Writers' Association of America to vote for the five greatest players in baseball history as the inaugural Hall of Fame class, though the Hall of Fame itself wasn’t scheduled to open for another three years.
Ty Cobb, who retired with the most hits and best batting average in baseball history, received the most votes, appearing on 222 of the 226 ballots. He was followed by slugger Babe Ruth and shortstop Honus Wagner with 95 percent of the vote, and pitchers Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson with 90 percent and 84 percent, respectively.
Read Full Article »