USS Cooperstown to be commissioned Saturday

May 4—The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will be represented when the USS Cooperstown is commissioned Saturday, May 6, in New York City.

The commissioning ceremony will be co-hosted by the New York Council Navy League and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, the league's website said. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. at Pier 88 in Manhattan, the league's website said.

Craig Muder, director of communications at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, said Jane Forbes Clark, Joe Torre and Johnny Bench will represent the museum and attend Saturday's commissioning ceremony.

According to a media release from the museum, Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board Forbes Clark, the honorary sponsor of the USS Cooperstown, will deliver remarks at the commissioning, as will Torre. Bench will serve as the Long Glass Presenter at the event. Torre and Bench will represent their 70 Hall of Fame teammates who served in the United States Armed Forces during times of conflict, from the Civil War to the Korean War, at the commissioning ceremony. This heritage is reflected in the ship's motto, "America's Away Team."

The USS Cooperstown will be the newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship to join the Surface Force, a media release from the U.S. Navy said. The LCS is capable of supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control and deterrence, the release said.

According to the release, more than 440 major and minor league baseball players fought in World War I. By World War II, with some military branches curtailing organized sports, many professional baseball players joined the Navy. Bob Feller (a chief petty officer and gun captain), Ted Williams (a Marine aviator in both World War II and the Korean War), Yogi Berra (a gunner's mate and participant in the D-Day landings), and Phil Rizzuto (gun captain) were among the more than 500 major league and 4,000 minor league players to serve.

The Bob Feller Act of Valor Award Foundation will also participate in the ceremony, a media release said. The foundation will recognize the 39 Hall of Famers who served during World War II with "Walk of Heroes" banners that showcase the military credentials, medals and citations these Hall of Fame Inductees received during World War II, the release said.

While Cooperstown will be the first naval ship to bear the name, it will not be the first ship inspired by baseball, the release said. The Liberty Ship, SS Lou Gehrig and others were named after Hall of Famers, the release said.

Bench's father, Ted, served eight years in the Army as a first sergeant, including a stint during World War II in North Africa and Italy, the release said. Torre's older brother, Rocco, served in the Navy during World War II.

The museum intends to maintain a strong relationship with not only the ship but also the officers and sailors assigned to the USS Cooperstown, the release said. Information and photos highlighting many of the Hall of Famers who served proudly in the U.S. Navy will adorn the crew areas of the USS Cooperstown.

Replicas of the Hall of Fame plaques representing its Navy veterans adorn the doors of each of the USS Cooperstown's staterooms, the release said. Murals and informative signs about the Hall of Famers' military service and sacrifice are also on display within the ship, along with a display case that includes artifacts related to baseball and the United States Navy.

The museum also participated in the Mast Stepping ceremony for the USS Cooperstown in the fall of 2022, by donating several medallions and a baseball that were placed into the base of the ship's mast to lay the foundational character of the ship and to promote good luck, the release said. The museum also participated in the ship's christening event, the release said.

Tickets to the ceremony are available by clicking on a link on the navy league's site, https://tinyurl.com/3xefbd8c.

Vicky Klukkert, staff writer, can be reached at vklukkert@thedailystar.com or 607-441-7221.