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Baseball's best shine in the Hall of Fame (photos)

Road Trip 2010: After a lifetime as a fan, CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman finally makes it to Cooperstown.

Daniel Terdiman
Daniel Terdiman is a senior writer at CNET News covering Twitter, Net culture, and everything in between.
Daniel Terdiman
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1 of 29 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Hitting science

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y.--To any baseball fan, the name "Cooperstown" means just one thing: The Hall of Fame.

Nestled into this tony town deep in upstate New York state, the Hall of Fame is a true treasure trove of baseball memorabilia and a celebration of the best players who ever put on a uniform.

Though he is a lifelong fan, CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman had never been to Cooperstown before, so when putting together Road Trip 2010, he made a point of scheduling a stop at the famous museum.

Throughout the building are mementos of the game's glorious past--and of some of its scandals as well.

But the display shown here is a recollection of one of the game's best and brightest: Ted Williams, the Red Sox great, who treated hitting like a science. "On each of the 77 baseballs displayed [here]," a sign at the Hall of Fame reads, Williams "has assigned a batting average. Each indicates what he believes his own average would be if pitches were delivered in these areas of his strike zone."

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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2 of 29 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Bobby Thomson's gear

In 1951, the New York Giants' Bobby Thomson broke Brooklyn Dodgers fans hearts forever with his pennant-winning "Shot Heard 'Round the World," a home run that sent the Giants to the World Series. Here are the bat, hat, and spikes Thomson was wearing when he hit the home run.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Thomson stats

In its library, the Hall of Fame keeps a tremendous collection of archival documents--more than 3 million in all.

One amazing set of documents is in this book, a 1951 set of game-by-game stats from box scores for every player in the National League. This page shows Bobby Thomson's stats for the end of the year, including his batting line from the last regular season game of the season--the pennant-winning game against the Dodgers when he hit his "Shot Heard 'Round the World."

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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4 of 29 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Panamera at the Hall

This is the Porsche Panamera 4S that CNET reporter Daniel Terdiman is road-testing as part of Road Trip 2010. It is parked in front of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Babe Ruth plaque

The heart of the Hall of Fame is the gallery of plaques celebrating each member of the Hall. Perhaps no player best represents what the history of the game is about than Babe Ruth, whose plaque is seen here.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Ruth bat and ball

This is the bat that Babe Ruth is said to have used to hit his famous "called shot" in the third game of the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs, and the ball that he hit for his last career homer, number 714, on May 25, 1935.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Hall and military

At the front end of the gallery of plaques is this one, commemorating each member of the Hall of Fame who served in the Armed Forces.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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T206 Wagner

This could be the single most famous--and valuable--baseball collectible ever, a 1909 T206 Honus Wagner baseball card. Once owned by hockey great Wayne Gretzky, the card is said to be worth more than $3 million.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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1952 Topps Mickey Mantle

The most famous of modern-era baseball cards, this is the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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The oldest ball

This is the oldest known ball from a scheduled baseball game. The game took place on September 20, 1854, between the Knickerbockers and the Gothams of New York City.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Barry Bonds home run ball

This is the baseball that San Francisco Giants great Barry Bonds hit for his 756th career home run, on August 7, 2007, which broke the all-time record for homers, previously held by Hank Aaron since 1974.

"The fan who caught the ball put it up for auction, with [fashion designer] Marc Ecko purchasing it on September 15, 2007.

"For the next eight days, Ecko polled fans in an Internet vote, asking participants to select one of three options: A) Bestow the ball intact to Cooperstown, B) Permanently brand the ball with an asterisk before sending it to Cooperstown, or C) Launch it into space forever.

"More than 10 million votes were cast, with 47 percent of the vote in favor of branding the ball before sending it to Cooperstown....While nearly half the votes supported branding the ball with an asterisk, Bonds has never tested positive for steroids in testing conducted by Major League Baseball.

"Though the [Hall of Fame] does not condone altering artifacts, this baseball was accepted because of its historical significance."

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Babe Ruth's locker

Babe Ruth's locker from Yankee Stadium, as seen at the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Called shot

As part of its archives, the Hall of Fame's library has a file on every single ballplayer who ever played in a Major League game. For Babe Ruth, the files are inches thick and include this one, which is devoted entirely to the legend of his called "shot," in the 1932 World Series.

The files are comprised mainly of newspaper clippings, though many of the clippings are copies.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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14 of 29 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Hank Aaron gallery

In 2009, the Hall of Fame opened a brand-new permanent exhibit on Hank Aaron, called "Chasing the Dream."

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Aaron's gear

This is the uniform Aaron was wearing when he hit his 715th home run, breaking Babe Ruth's all-time career record.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Jackie Robinson

In 1947, the Brooklyn Dodgers brought on a young African-American player named Jackie Robinson, finally breaking the color barrier and integrating the Major Leagues. Robinson went on to have a Hall of Fame career, though he spent the first years of that career being hounded by racism.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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17 of 29 Daniel Terdiman/CNET

Robinson's gear

This is gear Jackie Robinson wore during his illustrious career.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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African-American experience

Here's the entryway into the African-American baseball experience exhibit, which celebrates the contributions of African-American players throughout the game's history.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Cubs champions

This exhibit commemorates the Chicago Cubs' last World Series championship, in 1908.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Black Sox ticket

A ticket to the 1919 World Series, in which several members of the heavily favored Chicago White Sox conspired to throw the Series to the Cincinnati Reds. The team did lose and became known as the Black Sox. Those involved in the plot were banned from the game forever.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Women in baseball

Though baseball is a sport dominated by men, women have had some impact on the game. The Hall of Fame commemorates that impact with its exhibit "Diamond Dreams." But no woman has ever played in the Major Leagues.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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AAGBPL uniforms

A set of uniforms from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which began during World War II, when many Major League players were at war. The league was a hit, outlasting the men's return, and it was the subject of the Penny Marshall film "A League of their Own," starring Geena Davis and Tom Hanks.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Viva Baseball

About a quarter of all Major Leaguers are now from Latin America, and in 2009, the Hall of Fame debuted a new permanent exhibit celebrating their impact on the game. It's called "Viva Baseball."

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Brothers in success

Livan and Orlando Hernandez were two Cubans who made it to America and became stars in the Major Leagues. Their uniforms are seen here as part of the "Viva Baseball" exhibit celebrating the participation of Latin American players.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, Click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Ebbets Field

This stone from Brooklyn's Ebbets Field is a reminder of the fact that the Dodgers once played--and were cherished in--Brooklyn. After the 1957 season, they moved to Los Angeles. Their one-time neighbors, the New York Giants, moved at the same time to San Francisco.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Big Red Machine

One of the most feared modern baseball dynasties was the Big Red Machine, the mid-1970s-era Cincinnati Reds, which featured all-time hit king Pete Rose, catcher Johnny Bench, second baseman Joe Morgan, and many other stars. Bench and Morgan are in the Hall of Fame, while Rose is permanently banned for having bet on the game while manager of the Reds at the end of his record-breaking career.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Hit-breaking shoes

These are the spikes Pete Rose wore when he broke Ty Cobb's all-time hit record.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Andre Dawson

Last weekend, the Hall of Fame inducted its latest member, longtime Montreal Expos, Chicago Cubs, and Boston Red Sox star Andre Dawson.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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Gehrig and DiMaggio

This classic photograph shows a young Joe DiMaggio smiling at Yankees great Lou Gehrig. DiMaggio would go on to become a great in his own right.

Click here to read the related story on the Baseball Hall of Fame, click here for a gallery of plaques of the best of the best in the Hall of Fame, and click here to check out the entire Road Trip 2010 package.

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