Guide Note

Founded in 1936, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Cooperstown, New York. There are currently 286 baseball players in the Hall, and each year, members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America and the Hall's own Veterans Committee vote on future inductees.

Fast Facts

1. First five inductees, 1936: Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson
2. Hall of Fame opened in Cooperstown in 1939
3. Located in Cooperstown because Abner Doubleday originally believed to have invented game near there
4. Ten players in Hall only played in Negro Leagues
5. Lou Gehrig and Roberto Clemente only players to bypass 5-year waiting limit
6. Hall open everyday of the year except Christmas

An individual can be elected to the Hall of Fame in one of two ways. The Baseball Writer's Association considers those players who have played at least ten seasons and have been retired from the sport for at least five years. The Veterans' Committee of the Hall of Fame considers anyone whose time in baseball ended at least 21 years ago, and their voting is not resticted to players, but can include umpires, executives, and managers.

In 2008, eight individuals are set to be inducted into the Hall of Fame: pitcher Rich "Goose" Gossage, managers Dick Williams and Billy Southworth, owners Walter O'Malley and Barney Dreyfuss, and former Commissioner of Baseball Bowie Kuhn.