All baseball fans know that the best place to see memorabilia and artifacts from throughout the history of the sport is the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. But those same fans might be surprised to find that a museum in the Sunshine State may be the next best thing for people who can't make it to New York.
The Elliott Museum in Stuart, Florida is putting its impressive collection of baseball cards and memorabilia front and center as the Major League Baseball playoffs take place during October. From the 2nd through the 25th, a special display called "For the Love of the Game" will show off what the museum claims is the second largest collection of signed baseball memorabilia anywhere.
Among the treasures permanently housed in the museum is a baseball signed by members of the 1932 World Series champion New York Yankees team. That squad fielded nine men who would go on to be inducted in the Hall of Fame, led by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.
Also of note are a number of baseball cards sporting on-card autographs from various greats of the game. Willie Mays, Stan Musial and the famed double play combo of "Tinker to Evers to Chance" are just a few of the big names in the Elliott's collection.
The museum will be showcasing new displays in the exhibit that will allow visitors to see both sides of the baseball cards. These displays will be a big part of the baseball gallery in a proposed new home for the Elliott Museum, which has thus far raised 80 percent of the money needed to construct the new building.
It's hoped that "For the Love of the Game" will help energize the museum's fundraising efforts, and several former MLB players will be on hand throughout the month to lend a hand. Area residents Brook Fordyce and Rusty Meacham will both do meet-and-greets on separate Saturdays, and former All-Star pitcher Jim Kaat and Hall of Fame outfielder Ralph Kiner will appear at a VIP Night on October 22.
Along with cards and memorabilia, the exhibit will house a baseball learning center and special tributes to women's baseball and the Negro leagues. More details, as well as information on hours and admission prices, can be found at www.elliottmuseumfl.org.
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