Let's Celebrate Baseball Today!

"There are no tears in baseball." If you recognize that famous line, then you know it's from the 1992 movie "A League of Their Own" starring Geena Davis, Rosie O'Donnell, Madonna, and Tom Hanks about the all-women baseball league during World War II. However, TODAY, there are cheers and tears in baseball because it's the annual induction ceremony at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. You can watch the festivities in person (at Clark Sports Center on lower Susquehanna Avenue in Cooperstown) or live on the MLB Network or streaming on the Hall of Fame's Facebook page.

This year, in addition to the annual induction ceremony, the Baseball Hall of Fame is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the day that Chicago Cubs outfielder Rick Monday saved an American flag at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

According to the Hall of Fame, "Fifty years later, fans are still marveling at Rick Monday's great grab at Dodger Stadium. This summer in Cooperstown, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will pay tribute at the annual Awards Presentation in Cooperstown. 

On April 25, 1976, in Los Angeles, Monday was playing center field for the Chicago Cubs in a game against the Dodgers. During the fourth inning, two fans entered the field, spread the flag on the left-center field grass and doused it with lighter fluid. Monday, a veteran of the Marine Corps reserves who was in his 11th big league season, dashed over from his post, grabbed the flag with his right hand and sprinted away before handing it to Dodgers pitcher Doug Rau. The Sunday afternoon crowd of 25,167 fans responded with a standing ovation, and when Monday came to bat an inning later, the Dodger Stadium message board said: "Rick Monday…You made a great play." 

As part of the Museum's celebration of America's 250th birthday, the flag Monday rescued and preserved will be loaned to the Museum for the summer."

And did you know there's a woman in the Baseball Hall of Fame? On February 27, 2006, Effa Manley became the first (and only) woman elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Manley, who died in 1981, was co-owner of the Newark (New Jersey) Eagles, a Negro League powerhouse, and a huge advocate for Black ballplayers and civil rights causes. Chicago Defender reporter Fay Young wrote in December 1943, "Mrs. Manley knows a few things about baseball, and most of the men club owners could take a few tips from her. She's a good businesswoman."

Kaia Alderson, a historical women's fiction author, has a passion for discovering "hidden figures" in African-American women's history. As a result, she wrote the historical novel "In a League of Her Own" about Effa Manley. A brief synopsis about the book follows, but first, a little more about Alderson. According to her website bio, "Alderson gravitates toward the stories of women who defied social, racial, and gender norms by refusing to stay in their "place" during a time when doing so could get them socially ostracized and/or killed. She believes these women's stories mirror the experiences of present-day Black women and provide successful examples and strategies for combating roadblocks that still persist in women's social lives and in the workplace."

Harper Collins, the book's publisher, described the book as follows, "An ambitious Harlem woman's husband upends her social climbing when he buys a Negro Leagues baseball team and appoints her as the team's business manager. Overnight, Effa Manley goes from 125th Street's civil rights champion to an interloper in the boys' club that is professional baseball. Navigating her way through gentlemen's agreement contracts, the very public flirtatious antics of superstar Satchel Paige, and a sports world that would much rather see this woman back in her "place" at home, Effa ultimately whips her team, the Newark Eagles, into the Negro Leagues Champions of 1946. But how long will she get to enjoy the fruits of her success before Major League Baseball tears it all apart? Based on the incredible life of Effa Manley, an unforgettable and inspiring story about a woman with a dream who wound up with a baseball team."

And, of course, it's always fun when brands tweak their product packaging or presentation for special events. Applause to Orly for its surprising and memorable "baseball" advertising.

So, while baseball games take place in cities across the country today, America's pastime is a little more special today because of the celebrations and history (plus cheers and tears) taking place in Cooperstown.

SHARE THIS: Brands that align their products with trending news have the potential to be memorable. ~@DebbieLaskeyMBA #BaseballHallofFameDay #DebbieLaskeysBlog

Image Credit: Orly International, Inc.

Read about Effa Manley's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame:

https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/manley-effa

Read Kaia Alderson's work of historical fiction:

https://www.kaiaalderson.com/general-1

Check out my review of "Calico Joe" by John Grisham from October 2012:

https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2012/10/what-john-grisham-and-baseball-teach-us.html

And if you're a baseball fan, you've probably already seen these movies, but if not, enjoy!

"The Natural" (1984)

"Eight Men Out" (1988)

"Major League" (1989)

"Field of Dreams" (1989)

"A League of Their Own" (1992)

"Moneyball" (2011)

"42" (2013)