Worth some planning: the Sussex County Miners and Rockland Boulders will square off in the second annual Cooperstown Can-Am Classic at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, N.Y, near the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
“I think any time a baseball team can go to Cooperstown and experience the history of the game and really the heart and soul of the game that’s up there, it’s a great opportunity,” said Miners General Manager Dave Chase.
The Can-Am League contest picks up on the success of last year’s inaugural event, which saw the Boulders host the New Jersey Jackals in the first professional game played in Cooperstown since 2009. In the 2016 edition of the event, the Miners will be the home team.
The 2016 Cooperstown Can-Am Classic will take place just two days after the 2016 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony when Seattle Mariners outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. and New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza will be enshrined.
“This is going to be another extremely exciting day for everyone involved with both teams; including players, coaches, and fans,” said Rockland Manager Jamie Keefe.
Doubleday Field opened in 1920 and for almost 70 years hosted an annual showcase of Major League talent in the annual Hall of Fame Game as part of weekend induction ceremonies. From 1940 to 2008, two MLB teams played one another during Hall of Fame induction weekend before the yearly ritual ended in 2008 when the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres had their contest rained out.
Professional baseball continued into the following season with the “Cooperstown Classic,” a matchup of minor league teams from the International League. The final Cooperstown Classic saw the Pawtucket Red Sox defeat the Syracuse Chiefs 15-3 on Sunday, June 14, 2009. The Oneonta Tigers, of the New York-Penn League, also played one game a year at Doubleday Field before the team moved to Connecticut in 2010.