TRI-VALLEY BEARS PLAY ON SACRED GROUND

The Tri-Valley Bears varsity baseball team takes their seats in the original dugout where Major League Baseball players sat at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown during the annual Hall of Fame game.

Tri-Valley's Greg Swarthout takes his turn at bat in the batters box at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown where Major League baseball players performed during their annual Hall of Fame game.

The historic baseball diamond at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown where major league ball players performed in the annual Baseball Hall of Fame game.

Coaches of Tri-Valley and Ellenville and umpires prior to last Friday mornings game.

The covered grandstand behind home plate at Doubleday Field looks the same as it did 50 some years ago.

The Tri-Valley Central School Bears Varsity Baseball Team at the original 19th century-like entrance to Doubleday Field in Cooperstown.

TRI-VALLEY BEARS PLAY ON SACRED BASEBALL GROUND

COOPERSTOWN--The Tri-Valley Central School Bears varsity baseball team faithfully carried on in the tradition of American's favorite pastime at the "Birthplace of Baseball" in Cooperstown last Friday morning in a non-league game against the Ellenville Central School varsity Blue Devils.

The grand game of baseball and Doubleday Field certainly resonated with the Bears as a number of the players expressed the thrill and great opportunity presented to them in their playing on the baseball field named after Abner Doubleday, allegedly the originator of baseball.

"What a treat," was heard from several players who noted that this same ball field was the home to the annual Hall of Fame game every summer in which two major league teams played and to this day an annual Major League Old Timers game takes place in this park over the Father's Day weekend.

Each year from 1940 to 2008 Doubleday Field hosted the Hall of Fame game which was an exhibition game between two major league squads and traditionally the game was held during the annual induction weekend at the nearby Baseball Hall of Fame.

One of the shop owners on Cooperstown's Main Street pointed out that Major League Baseball put a stop to the game after the 2008 season siting "scheduling difficulties and the fact that there was now inter-league play which was formerly featured at the Hall of Fame game. Doubleday field employees said the attempt to get a minor league team to play in Doubleday Field fell through in 1996 and the fact that the park does not have lights brings the reality that this probably will never happen.

In 2010 the Cooperstown Hawkeyes, a collegiate league team, made Doubleday Field their home park.

The Tri-Valley and Ellenville fans who make the trek up to Cooperstown stood and admired the famous entrance to Doubleday Field and the covered grandstand behind home plate which looks the same as it did 50 years ago and contains no individual seats and just wooden benches with backs.

Doubleday Field opened in 1939 and now contains metal bleacher seats down both foul lines and the outfield also contains bleachers about 10 row deep from right field to center field. Doubleday Field seats 9,800 fans.

The smallest part of the park is in left field near the electronic scoreboard and it was in that location where Ellenville's right fielder Justin Rose hit a three run over the fence game-tying homerun ( 3-3) in the sixth inning.

Those attending or playing in this game last Friday morning could somehow feel the integrity, passion and spirit that this historic baseball field gives.

It gave me a thrill to be able to step out on this historic field to photograph some of the games events.

Ellenville loaded the bases in the eighth inning and Shaquan Taylor drew a walk to score the winning run and gain the 4-3 victory for Ellenville.

Tri-Valley's Joe Mickelson had 3 hits and Steve McInerney went 2 for 5 with a double and an RBI.

Both teams then toured the famous Baseball Hall of Fame.

Additional photo coverage of this day's event can be found at http://bght.blogspot.com/