Is there anything more American than baseball?
We all have our memories of the first game we attended as a child. How massive the ballpark looked, how green the grass was, and the connection that we felt with the thousands of fans cheering for the home team. It is something that we carry with us for the rest of our lives.
I would like to introduce you to Tom Hickey.
Hickey is an attorney and university professor, who lives just outside of Cooperstown Village with his wife, Nancy, 11-year-old son, Michael, and nine-year-old daughter, Megan. He and his family are avid baseball fans.
Hickey is a man who believes in baseball and the profound effect it can have on lives. He recently purchased a minor league baseball team that will call Cooperstown home. For those of you that might not know, Cooperstown, N.Y., is the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. It is where the legends of the game are enshrined forever.
I recently had an opportunity to interview with Mr. Hickey (he prefers to be called Tom) and discuss the new team.
Robert Domaine: Mr. Hickey, thank you for taking some time out of your busy schedule to sit down with us for this interview. Let's get right into it, when did you come up with the idea of bringing a minor league baseball team to Cooperstown and how did that transpire?
Tom Hickey: A few years ago, some friends and I were discussing how much we loved watching summer baseball in the Cape Cod league. Someone mentioned that New York had a similar league, the New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL). A light flashed and I said: "We should look into bringing a team like that to Cooperstown; there is no organized team here." I contacted representatives from the league and began the discussion.
RD: I have to be honest, I was amazed to learn that a team hadn't already existed for Cooperstown, that would seem like a no-brainer for most people. How does it feel to be a pioneer in bringing a new team to the mecca of baseball?
TH: I too was surprised that Cooperstown did not have its own team. After you live in Cooperstown for a few years, however, you get to know more about the Village. An actual minor league team, with a major league affiliation, would probably not have worked well. That type of operation would require booking Doubleday Field for approximately 50 games per year. That might be too much.
Our team will have about 20 home games, which seems more appropriate for a place like Cooperstown Village. When we were considering this initiative, I was riding in the car with my son, Michael, and asked him what he thought of the idea. He said: "Dad, Cooperstown in a baseball town without a baseball team. It needs one." Enough said. My daughter, Megan is excited about having her own uniform and being one of the ball girls.
It feels wonderful to be a part of a venture to bring organized baseball to Cooperstown. My family and I have only been here for about three years, and we absolutely love it. I feel that our team will be good for the Cooperstown community and especially for the kids. We want this to be the community's team and fully intend to provide an affordable and family-oriented baseball experience for all our fans.
RD: You recently had a contest that allowed the public to name the team. The winner received a family pack of tickets to the games. Would you like to announce the name of the new team for our readers and why did you choose that name?
TH: The "name the team" contest was a big success. We had approximately 80 entries from across the country. The entries we received were very creative and imaginative. The winning entry, submitted by David Pearlman of Cooperstown, is the "Cooperstown Hawkeyes."
It captures a piece of Cooperstown's history (the literary reference is to James F. Cooper's character in the Last of the Mohicans). The name will also lend itself to the development of a neat logo and mascot for the team.
RD: Have you decided on what the team colors will be and what the new uniforms will look like? Is there a ceremony planned for the unveiling?
TH: The team colors will be maroon and white. The new uniforms will be traditional, but we have not yet selected the specific design. Stay tuned. We will have an "unveiling" ceremony and team kickoff in the early spring.
RD: You must be extremely excited to get this team on the field. When will the first game be played and how many games will be played during a regular season?
TH: We are really excited to begin playing. We will begin our games at Doubleday field during the second week of June. Our season will feature games during June, July and the first week of August, if we make it to the playoffs.
RD: Has the coaching staff and roster begun to take shape yet?
TH: The coaching staff and the team roster are being developed. We will announce the names of the coaches and a few of the players during the next few weeks. We have seen significant interest from players from across the country. When you think about it, what would be a better place to play baseball for a collegiate player and aspiring major leaguer than Cooperstown? Our players will have an opportunity to showcase their talents in front of some of the greatest baseball players in history. That is quite an incentive.
RD: What is your vision of the fan experience for people attending one of your games?
TH: My vision of the fan experience is to provide an inexpensive family-oriented entertainment opportunity for everyone who comes to Doubleday field for one of our games. My family and I went to two major league games last year. We spent about $400 for the first game and almost $500 for the second one. That is simply too much money for many people to spend attending a baseball game in these economic times.
Our goal is for a family of four people to be able to attend our games, each have a hot dog, a soft drink and peanuts (and a beer if Mom and Dad are so disposed) for under $50. We are especially concerned that all kids should have an opportunity to watch high quality organized baseball. We will keep out prices at a level that will always allow children to attend these games, and if they still can't afford it they will be admitted for free.
RD: Who will be throwing out the first pitch in your inaugural game and why did you choose that person?
TH: That's an easy one. We will ask Jane Forbes Clark, the Board Chair of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, to throw out the first ball during our inaugural game. Ms. Clark has done wonderful things for the game of baseball as well as the Village of Cooperstown. More then anyone I can think of, she deserves this honor.
RD: Playing your games in Cooperstown should provide a lot of surprise guests for fans to see at the games. You never know which former/current player will show up in town without notice, do you plan on formally scheduling any legends to attend games?
TH: We do intend to invite active players as well as Hall of Fame legends to attend our games. Several weeks ago, I spoke with Brooks Robinson about it and he was very excited about our team. He also indicated that he would be happy to attend a game and throw out a first ball. I will also ask the President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Jeff Idelson, as well as a number of former baseball greats, to be our guests and throw out first balls. That is one of the terrific things about being in Cooperstown: You run into people and former players who are just wonderful to be with. It will be a fun year.
RD: I will certainly be attending the inaugural game this year and would love to buy a team jersey. How can our readers find out more information about getting tickets to the games and buying team merchandise?
TH : Thanks for the support. This has been a whirlwind effort. We are in the process of developing the uniform designs. Team merchandise and ticket information will be available on our website shortly.
RD: I would like to end this interview on a more personal note, who is your favorite all time player and how has the game of baseball inspired you in your life?
TH: My favorite player of all time is the "Iron Horse," Lou Gehrig. His career and personal courage are an inspiration for all of us. He taught us to face our challenges with personal integrity, courage and a sense of humor and to aspire to excellence in all that we do. God bless him.
RD: Thank you very much Mr. Hickey and best of luck to you for the upcoming 2010 season in Cooperstown. Happy Holidays!
TH: Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to discuss our team. I hope that your readers will consider attending a Cooperstown Hawkeyes game at Doubleday Field in the near future. We will make every effort to make it a wonderful baseball experience.
Look for future interviews with team owner Tom Hickey and the Hawkeyes' players and coaches throughout the 2010 season, in a series of articles titled "Cooperstown Baseball."
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