In this post, I comment on my experience being part of the media group covering the National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on July 26, 2026.

I once again attended the National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cooperstown, NY, as a member of the media representing the Wilkes-Barre, PA, Times Leader newspaper. Various topics from the day will be included in my upcoming newspaper columns.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame this year were: Carlos Beltran, Andruw Jones, and Jeff Kent – and congratulations to them on being forever enshrined as among the greatest players in baseball history. Great players indeed, but without the superstar power of an Ichiro Suzuki, who was inducted into the HOF last year, this year’s crowd was substantially smaller than in 2025.

Nonetheless, Induction Ceremony Day is always a great opportunity to see the many Hall of Famers who return to Cooperstown each year – and I was happy to have the opportunity to witness and appreciate the importance of baseball history. Here then, are my various observations from the day:

• Carlos Beltran is the sixth player from Puerto Rico to become a Hall of Fame inductee, and there was a large contingent of people from Puerto Rico or having Puerto Rican descent in attendance. They were loud and proud with several chants of “Puerto Rico…Puerto Rico…Puerto Rico!” and the waving of the Puerto Rico flag throughout the afternoon. As you would imagine, the loudest applause and reception was in honor of Beltran.
• Brian Kenny of MLB Network was once again on hand to serve as the emcee of the event and to introduce the 57 returning Hall of Famers and three new inductees. The 60 Hall of Famers in attendance is the largest contingent in the history of the Hall of Fame.
• Rollie Fingers, the Hall of Fame reliever, was recognized for returning to Cooperstown for his 34^th consecutive year. His daughter, Shaylin Fingers, did a great job singing our national anthem.
• Jane Forbes Clark, Chairman of the Board of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, recognized and honored Rick Monday who, playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1976, prevented two people who ran onto the field from burning the American flag. As part of the USA 250 observance this year, the flag Monday saved is on loan to the Hall of Fame and Museum throughout the summer.
• Forbes Clark also recognized three members of the Hall of Fame who passed away over the past twelve months: Ryne Sandberg, Bill Mazeroski, and Bobby Cox. Sandberg, the great Chicago Cub second-baseman, passed away the day following last year’s induction ceremony. Ryne was remembered for his natural talent, combined with an extreme work ethic that made him into a Hall of Famer. Mazeroski of the Pittsburgh Pirates was remembered for his stellar defensive ability and hitting the only World Series Game Seven walk-off homerun in the history of the major leagues. Cox, the legendary manager with the Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays, was remembered for not only the many games he won as a manager, but also for how he mentored and developed players, as well as his fiery interactions with the umpires in defense of his team and players. He was ejected from a record 162 games during his career – which equates to one full regular season of baseball games.
• Mazeroski gave a short, three-minute speech when he was inducted into the HOF in 2001, so overcome by emotion by being elected that he was unable to speak longer. Of course, his humble comments, admission that he could not deliver the 12-pages of remarks he prepared, extreme joy and appreciation resulted in a standing ovation. Video of Maz’s speech is available on YouTube, and you will appreciate him even more if you take a few moments to watch it.
• While on the topic of baseball people we lost in the past twelve months, I have to mention the great writer John Feinstein. Do yourself a favor and read his books on a variety of sports subjects. He was a giant among sportswriters and authors, and will long be remembered.
• Congratulations to 92-year-old Bill White who received the John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award for his extraordinary efforts to enhance baseball’s positive impact on society. White was honored for his long career in baseball and considerable contributions was a player, broadcaster, and executive. He broke a color barrier as a player and again when he became President of the National League. He was loudly applauded by the crowd.
• Bill White is the seventh winner of the Buck O’Neil Award, established in 2007 to “honor someone whose efforts broadened the game’s appeal and whose character, integrity and dignity is comparable to the late O’Neil who passed away in 2006 after eight decades of contributions to the game and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.” (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) O’Neil was the first recipient of the award in 2008, followed by Roland Hemond in 2011, Joe Garagiola in 2014, Rachel Robinson in 2017, David Montgomery in 2020, and Carl Erskine in 2023.
• My first memory of Bill White was in 1964 when he was the first-baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals. The Philadelphia Phillies were 6 ½ games in the lead for the National League pennant with eleven games to go but proceeded to lose ten games in a row. The Cardinals won the NL pennant and defeated the New York Yankees in that year’s World Series. Johnny Callison, the Phillies slugging right-fielder and my favorite player at the time, was out of action with a flu-like illness, but out of desperation manager Gene Mauch put Callison into the game against St. Louis as a pinch-hitter. Weakened by his illness, Callison still managed to get a single. Even though pitchers were then the only players allowed to wear a jacket while on the bases, Mauch sent a jacket in for the shivering Callison. Instead of protesting that decision, the Cardinals allowed it to happen and Bill White even helped Callison zip-up the jacket. That’s class, and White still has plenty of it at age 92.
• By the way, the book I Was Right on Time – My Journey from the Negro Leagues to the Majors by Buck O’Neil with Steve Wulf and David Conrads should be required reading for everyone. There are so many lessons to be learned from this baseball legend, who was an even better human being and continually taught love, togetherness, and understanding.
• Induction Sunday was another beautiful sunny day in Cooperstown, about 80 degrees and an occasional slight breeze. Once again, Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, a melanoma survivor, led the effort to provide free sunscreen for the thousands of fans attending the induction ceremony. Schmidt, the Mike Schmidt Skin Cancer Prevention Initiative, Baseball Hall of Fame, Philadelphia Phillies, and Richard David Kahn (RDK) Melanoma Foundation are doing a great job in educating people about how to stay safe while being outside in the sun.
• In a video introducing Jeff Kent to the crowd, his former manager Dusty Baker said he didn’t know if Kent would smile or cry during his HOF induction. Kent was known throughout his career for his tough demeanor and the wall he often put up to deflect others from focusing on him. Well, Kent did a little of both, humbled and thankful for being enshrined in the HOF. Kent was a hard worker who batted in the lineup behind Barry Bonds and took it as a personal challenge when teams intentionally walked Bonds to pitch to him. He enjoyed making opponents pay for overlooking him.
• Kent his 351 of his 377 career homeruns while playing second base. That’s a record for most homers by a second-baseman. He said he always tried to represent the game with integrity and he recognized Hall of Fame second-basemen Joe Morgan and Ryne Sandberg for setting the example and standards for him to follow.
• Eddie Murray taught Kent how to be calm at the plate while batting with the bases loaded. Murray said he focused solely on driving in the runner on third base, and with that relaxed approach he did much more than that. Murray hit 19 grand slams during his Hall of Fame career.
• Kent also quoted something he attributed to Tommy Lasorda who observed “the money lies in the RBIs.”  Perform and you will be rewarded.
• “I’m naturally a half-empty guy. I see what’s broken and I want to fix it,” Kent said. “That’s probably what drew me to this game. But looking back, I think I complicated the game a lot more than it needed to be. And Dusty (Baker) was the opposite. Dusty didn’t complicate the game. He respected it.”
• Kent concluded his remarks by mentioning the lessons learned along the way, including discipline, integrity, character, and respect.
• Andruw Jones looked back at his long career and thanked his manager, Bobby Cox, for believing in a 19-year-old rookie who set a record as the youngest player to homer in the World Series – Jones hit two home runs in his first two World Series at-bats. Incredibly, he began that 1996 season in High-A minor league ball with Durham. “For my 12 years with the Braves, he (Cox) was my only manager,” Jones said. “He was like a second father to me. I know he’s looking down, laughing and would be so happy for me and my family.”
• “I feel like a rookie again today surrounded by so many hall of famers,” Jones said.
• The first member of the Hall of Fame from the island nation of Curacao, Jones credited the strong winds in his home country for teaching him how to play centerfield. Fans from Curacao holding high the Curacao flag were on hand to honor him. He recognized them and other MLB players from Curacao who set the stage for him.
• MLB players from Curacao include Jones, as well as Didi Gregorius, Kenley Jansen, Hensley Meulens, Jurickson Profar, Jonathan Schoop, and Andrelton Simmons.
• Jones recalled going to see Hank Aaron for advice. “If I was in a slump, Bobby would send me to Hank Aaron’s office, and I felt like I was going to see somebody that I was in trouble with,” Jones said. “But Hank never talked with me about baseball. He always talked, ‘How’s your family? How’s everything? How’s your kids?’ He meant to try and relax your mind and take your mind away from the game, because he knew how hard the game was. Hank was one of the greatest ever to play this game and an even better human being. We miss you, Hank. Thank you.”
• It was a bittersweet day for Jones, whose father passed away ten years ago. He said his Dad introduced him to the game; the elder Jones was also a center-fielder and taught Andruw the position. “Dad was a great player and taught me everything,” he said. “I would not be in the Hall of Fame without him.”
• Andruw Jones thanked former teammate Chipper Jones, his “brother from another mother” who was active in promoting Andruw’s HOF candidacy. “The Jones boys have made it!” Andruw exclaimed.
• Andruw concluded by thanking all of his teammates who made him a better player, as well as all support staff including trainers, clubhouse attendants, maintenance, food services, even the Public Relations staff, for all of their help over the years.
• Carlos Beltran was a five-tool player who did it all during his long major league career – making plays look easy. He thanked the fans, especially his fellow Puerto Ricans, for their support and said his induction into the HOF “is a celebration of Puerto Rican baseball.”
• He thanked God, family, friends, managers, coaches, fans, and mentors for enabling him to have a career recognized by the Hall of Fame. “Behind every player, there is a village of people,” Beltran said. “So thinking about my career, there’s no doubt that I couldn’t accomplish this on my own…I want to talk about gratitude. It reminds us that none of us can accomplish anything alone.”
• Beltran said success and failure are both teachers and offered an important piece of advice everyone can and should follow: “Always treat people the right way,” he said.
• The sixth Hall of Famer from Puerto Rico, he joins the following Puerto Rican legends in Cooperstown: Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Alomar, Ivan Rodriguez, and Edgar Martinez.
• Beltran thanked hitting coach Kevin Long and Royals teammate George Brett, a fellow Hall of Famer, for the tremendous effect each had on him and his career.
• Remember the great players throughout baseball history, Beltran advised, while thanking the HOF for maintaining and promoting baseball’s legacy.
• In the post-ceremony media availability, it was pointed out that Andruw Jones captured just 7.3 percent of the vote in his first year of eligibility for the HOF. He made it in his ninth year on the ballot. That bodes well for players who have seen their voting percentages rise in recent years, including Chase Utley who hopefully will be voted into the Class of 2027. My fingers are crossed!

REMEMBER

◊ Learn more about the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, its inductees, and the history of baseball by visiting www.baseballhall.org. Even better, plan a visit to Cooperstown to see it in person.

◊  Here are some great quotes about our national pastime: Babe Ruth: “Baseball was, is, and always will be to me the best game in the world.” Walt Whitman: “I see great things in baseball. It’s our game – the American game.” Jim Bouton: “You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball and in the end it turns out it was the other way around all the time.” Gaylord Perry: “The trouble with baseball is that it is not played the year round.” Herbert Hoover: “Next to religion, baseball has had a greater impact on our American way of life than any other American institution.” A. Bartlett Giamatti: “For me, baseball is the most nourishing game outside of literature. They are both re-tellings of human experience.” And Yogi Berra: “Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too.”¹

◊ Visit www.davidajolley.com for additional blog posts, other interesting content, and updates on future book releases and appearances.

1. Various Authors: www.brainyquote.com ↩︎