Fergie, Ozzie to manage HOF Classic legends game

April 26th, 2022

In 1982 and 1983, Fergie Jenkins and Ozzie Smith faced off 19 times as a part of the historic rivalry between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.

This summer, the Hall of Fame duo will go against each other for the 20th time; only this time it’ll look a little different. On Tuesday, the Baseball Hall of Fame announced that Smith and Jenkins will serve as team managers for the Hall of Fame Classic legends game at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, N.Y., on May 28.

The seven-inning affair is returning after a two-year hiatus and will also feature Hall of Famers Wade Boggs, Jack Morris, Tim Raines, Ted Simmons, Lee Smith and Alan Trammell serving as assistant coaches.

Tickets for the Hall of Fame Classic are $15 for grandstand seats, $12.50 for first-base line seats and $11 for outfield seats. Seating down the third-base line will not be available as the field continues to undergo renovations.

Jenkins currently has a leg up in bragging rights over Smith, having held him to a .167 average in their 19 matchups. In their last meeting on Sept. 9, 1983, Smith lined out to Jenkins, who was making one of the last starts of his career.

Jenkins, who was in the twilight of his career when he faced off with Smith, was a three-time All-Star who pitched for four teams from 1965-83. His best season came with the Cubs in 1971, when he threw a league-leading 30 complete games across 325 innings en route to an NL Cy Young win. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991.

Smith, who was five years into his own Hall of Fame career in 1983, racked up the accolades during his 15-year stint as the Cardinals’ electrifying shortstop. The 5-foot-11 middle infielder known for his signature backflip was named to 15 All-Star teams, won 13 Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger and won the 1982 World Series with the Cardinals.

The duo will be managing teams that consist of veterans from all 30 Major League franchises, with notable players including Carlos González, Nick Swisher and David Freese, among others.

A full list of participating players, along with ticket information, is available on the Hall of Fame’s website. Tickets are available now.