Local Inductees in Base Ball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, NY

How many people local to Maplewood and South Orange have been inducted into the Base Ball Hall of Fame?

I know of one.  Inducted on 1/15/16.

Depends on how you define "local." Craig Biggio of the Astros is an SHU grad, but I don't think he grew up in M/SO.

I will define it as Local.  Lives in South Orange, works in South Orange and is still alive.

But has no name???

Scully said:

But has no name???

Yes he has a name.  That is part of the shame.  I have released this story with name and photos to 5 different points and none, as in Zero have bothered to ask the next question or take the next step.

I am amazed.  When I die, and when I am gone.....the only thing that I will leave behind will be some Credit Card bills and an un-filed Tax return.

This guy is immortalized in the Base Ball Hall of Fame and now one seems to care.

I am amazed.

I checked with Cooperstown and it will be a month or so before they get the Internet accessible database updated, so you can not look there at this time.  But it will be.

This guy is in before Derek Jeter.

It amazes me.

Monte Irvin grew up in Orange and lived here for many years. He just died two weeks ago, the oldest surviving Negro League player until his death . He starred for the Newark Eagles before playing for the NY Giants and then the Cubs. He was quoted as saying his best time playing pro baseball was in Newark, because not only was Newark a vibrant city socially and culturally but the city and Essex County in general was very supportive welcoming to him and his teammates. I assume he meant relatively speaking but I'd define him as more local than Biggio, not to take anything away from his SHU connection.

One of my Associates, who lives in South Orange, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY last Friday. January 15th.  He also won an US Special Olympics Gold medal last summer.

This story is about Phil and not me or my store.  If you want to meet with him, see his metal, you now know where he works.

This has to be a 1st for South Orange and we should consider having the Mayor re-name Wetland ball park after him.  Something.  Clearly not no thing.

I have been thinking about it, and about me.  What have I done in my life to be immortalized in any way, let alone the Base Ball Hall of Fame? Derek Jeter or Mariano Rivera are not currently in the Hall.  Phil is.  Awsome.

A photo of Phil holding Babe Ruth's bat, used to earn his 500th Home run is attached.  It is one of many photos.  Also attached is the team photo when the Gold Metals were handed out.  Phil is pointing to himself.

The Babe '500' bat

hankzona said:

Monte Irvin grew up in Orange and lived here for many years. He just died two weeks ago, the oldest surviving Negro League player until his death . He starred for the Newark Eagles before playing for the NY Giants and then the Cubs. He was quoted as saying his best time playing pro baseball was in Newark, because not only was Newark a vibrant city socially and culturally but the city and Essex County in general was very supportive welcoming to him and his teammates. I assume he meant relatively speaking but I'd define him as more local than Biggio, not to take anything away from his SHU connection.

BTW, Monte Irvin, born in Alabama, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.

nice story, George!

Agreed, not my story, Phil's.  I'm just not understanding why this is so hard to get out, or am I off base and there is no story here?  Pun intended.

why don't you reach out to Mary Mann or Carolyn Maynard-Parisi who run The Village Green? This is a wonderful story, but you're being kind of cryptic with your title and first few posts. If you don't follow the Baseball Hall of Fame, how would one even know? 

Thanx, tried that last week, one of my five contacts that I have made.

So I am 0 out of 5 at bats, that makes my Avg. ahhh...... Zero?

Except that you are still treating this as some weird in-group thing, as if everyone who goes on MOL would recognize everyone who has ever lived in SOMA since 1685, or everyone who has ever posted on MOL.  I don't know this person's name, I wouldn't recognize him from either a solo or group picture, I don't know who (or what) that pictured baseball team that claims to represent New Jersey is.  Why don't you stop being so coy, and tell us who it is already, and what he was inducted for.  If this is how Cooperstown operates, or people who seem to care about Cooperstown inductions operate, why, for-the -love-of -god, should I be expected to care?

umm, what chopin said, but not as caustically.

I have to agree.  Why keep this guy a secret???