You have to be the best hitter in baseball if you want a crown on your head. In the YouTube series "Hall of Fame Connections," produced by MLB Network and made possible by a grant from I LOVE NY/New York State’s Division of Tourism, the Hall of Fame focuses on players who earned a crown, like Babe Ruth, Frank Robinson and Miguel Cabrera.
The series, sponsored by Camping World, looks at the Hall of Fame’s collection from a new and exciting angle, with each episode telling a different story of how two seemingly unrelated artifacts in the Museum’s vast collection connect to each other, crossing through generations of baseball history.
Each two-part episode features both a narrative storytelling element that weaves through the history of some of the Museum’s most iconic artifacts, and the Hall of Fame curators conversing about those artifacts and stories with MLB Network personality Carlos Peña, a former MLB All-Star, and sports journalist Lindsay Berra, Yogi’s granddaughter.
The series comprises 13 episodes, all available to stream for free through the Hall of Fame’s YouTube channel. New episodes will be released each Wednesday through September, and will also be featured across MLB Network’s studio programming.
The seventh episode, titled “From a Silver Crown to a Triple Crown,” is available now.
Whenever a great play is made in baseball, the Baseball Hall of Fame endeavors to get a piece of history. Here is what to expect for the seventh episode.
Here’s to you, Babe
How much did the fans appreciate Ruth, the Sultan of Swat? In 1921, Ruth had a season for the ages, hitting a then-record 59 home runs and leading the league with 168 RBIs. Fans felt they had to reward Ruth for his great season, so they chipped in and gifted him a sterling silver trophy that had 59 miniature baseballs attached and presented it to him after the '21 World Series. The trophy is on display at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Hoyt shines on mound, but remembered for his voice
In 1921, Ruth’s teammate, right-hander Waite Hoyt, stood out in the World Series against the Giants, pitching 27 innings over three games without allowing an earned run. Hoyt went on to have a fabulous career in the Major Leagues, winning 237 games before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969. However, Hoyt may have been best known as a longtime broadcaster with the Reds. He called the 1953 All-Star Game at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Hoyt’s microphone is on display in Cooperstown.
Spahn gets victory
In that 1953 All-Star Game, Braves left-hander Warren Spahn picked up the victory for the National League. He was 32 years old at the time and in his ninth Major League season. Spahn played 12 more seasons before calling it a career. During those 12 years he was one of the best left-handers in baseball. His best game may have been on July 2, 1963. At age 42, Spahn pitched 15 1/3 innings, yet lost the game, 1-0, to the Giants’ Juan Marichal, who pitched 16 shutout innings and struck out 10 batters. The game ended on a home run by Willie Mays.
Best team ever
In 1955, Mays put together a barnstorming team that featured Don Newcombe, Ernie Banks, Larry Doby and Monte Irvin. The team played Negro League teams around the country and went 28-0 during a 25-city tour.
The Say Hey Kid
Mays had a career for the ages, hitting .301 with 660 home runs and 1,909 RBIs. The Hall of Fame made sure it had plenty of Mays items to display. When Mays hit his 600th home run, the record-setting bat from 1969 went to Cooperstown.
Aaron reaches milestone
When Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run, breaking Ruth’s career record in 1974, the Hall of Fame collected the third-base bag that Aaron stepped on rounding the bases. Aaron went on to collect 755 home runs in his career. That record stood until Barry Bonds broke it in 2007.
The Triple Crown
The Baseball Hall of Fame has Robinson’s Triple Crown trophy on display. The trophy -- a silver bowl with a lid -- was created by National Brewing Company, which had ownership of the Orioles at the time. What a season Robinson had in 1966, leading the American League in home runs (49) and RBIs (122) and winning his first batting title with a .316 batting average, leading the Orioles to their first World Series title. Cabrera became the next right-handed hitter to win the Triple Crown in 2012, and it was Robinson who presented Cabrera with his Triple Crown trophy before Game 3 of the World Series that year.
