The Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center will display Yogi Berra’s Hall of Fame plaque for one day only on Sunday, Sept. 21, as part of a public event celebrating the baseball legend’s 100th birthday.
The plaque, on loan from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, has rarely, if ever, left its home since Berra’s induction on July 21, 1972. The exhibit coincides with “Yogi’s Big Catch Challenge,” a community event aiming to break the Guinness World Records title for the largest game of catch in baseball or softball.
Of the more than 23,000 players in Major League Baseball history, fewer than 1 percent have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame’s Plaque Gallery.
“Baseball fans know that Hall of Fame plaques are literally one-of-a-kind treasures — the molds are broken after the plaques are created,” said Eve Schaenen, executive director of the Yogi Berra Museum. “The opportunity to display Yogi’s plaque here in his own community is a rare and wonderful honor. We could not be more grateful to our partners in Cooperstown.”
The record-breaking attempt will take place on the field at Yogi Berra Stadium, adjacent to the Museum. At least 1,000 pairs of participants, including former major league players, are expected to take part, tossing and catching a baseball simultaneously for at least five minutes to qualify.
Read more: Help Yogi Berra Museum Break Guinness Record For Largest Game of Catch
Following the event, the Museum will offer free admission. Visitors will be able to view the permanent collection, sign an “autograph wall,” and pose for photos with Berra’s plaque.
More information and ticket registration for Yogi’s Big Catch Challenge is available at www.yogisbigcatch.org. Details about the Museum can be found at www.yogiberramuseum.org or by calling 973-655-2378.