2017 Baseball Hall of Fame induction attendance could break into top five

Published 3:15 pm Friday, July 28, 2017

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Three popular baseball players with northeastern ties should ensure another strong attendance for Sunday’s National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction.

First baseman Jeff Bagwell, outfielder Tim “Rock” Raines and catcher Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez will be inducted along with former Major League Baseball commissioner Allan “Bud” Selig and baseball executive John Schuerholz. It is a strong enough lineup to wonder if the 2017 induction will rival or even beat the attendance numbers for the past three inductions, all of which are in the top 5 for crowd size.

“When I was there with Craig … walking down the streets in Cooperstown, to see all the orange out there, it was really, really cool … You know, baseball has become so big in Houston, and people travel,” Bagwell said July 21 in a pre-induction Hall of Fame media conference.

Teammates for 15 seasons in Houston, Bagwell and Biggio are the first two inductees to feature an Astro logo on their Hall of Fame plaques. Biggio’s 2015 induction, with pitchers Pedro Martínez, Randy Johnson and John Smoltz, drew an estimated 45,000 fans, which is fifth best on the attendance list.

No one is suggesting this year’s group will top, or even get close to the best attended induction, 2007, when Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gywnn drew an estimated crowd of 82,000. But it could push 2015 out of the top five, or at least break 40,000-plus fans for the fourth-straight year. Last year, the induction of Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza drew an estimated 50,000, tied for second best with the 1999 induction of George Brett, Robin Yount, Nolan Ryan and Orlando Cepeda.

At No. 4 on the list is the 2014 induction with an estimated 48,000 fans for the induction of players Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and Frank Thomas and managers Bobby Cox, Tony LaRussa and Joe Torre.

Whatever the final attendance estimate turns out to be Sunday, this year’s induction has the elements of a well-attended event.

The Houston fans packed Cooperstown for Biggio’s induction, and were in the village early, with many arriving the Thursday or Friday before induction. In addition, Bagwell is from New England. He was born in Boston and grew up in Connecticut. He said Friday he has heard from people from high school and college who said they will be at the induction, “which will be exciting to me.” 

A large part of Raines’ fan base is also close to Cooperstown. He played the first half of his career with the Montreal Expos, and was told Friday by Montreal reporters that at least four charter buses are coming from the Quebec city, about a five-hour drive away.

Raines could be the last Expo inducted into the Hall of Fame, depending on Vladimir Guerreo’s possible induction and cap selection. Raines was voted into the Hall by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on his 15th and final ballot, increasing the excitement for his fans, who have been touting his candidacy for years.

Raines said Friday he has a special bond with the fans in Montreal.

“Well, seriously, it was probably the greatest 12 years in baseball that I was able to play,” he said. “I enjoyed playing there. I enjoyed the atmosphere. The fans were awesome to me.”

Raines has been an ambassador for the Toronto Blue Jays; he said the job has taken him to Montreal the past four years. Raines also played three seasons with the New York Yankees, and was a key player on the 1996 World Series champions. He was also on the 1998 championship team, but missed the Series with an injury.

Rodríguez played a season with the Yankees and a season with the Astros as well, but he is going to be inducted as a Texas Ranger, only the second player to do so, after Ryan in 1999. One Dallas paper even ran a column proclaiming him the first “real” Ranger to go into the Hall.

He will also be the fifth players inducted in the Hall from Puerto Rico, following Roberto Clemente (1973), Cepeda (1999), Tony Perez (2000) and Robbie Alomar (2011). With big Puerto Rican populations in the Northeast, Rodríguez could draw a fan base similar to Martínez, who is from the Dominican Republic. 

Induction Weekend begins Friday with its annual lead-off event, Play Ball with Ozzie Smith, which raises money for the Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program for Youth Leadership Development. The four Hall of Famers will give baseball tips to small groups of fans in a round-robin setting.

The ceremonies begin on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown with the Hall of Fame Awards Presentation.

Klein writes for the Cooperstown, New York Crier.