Tens of thousands of people will once again descend upon Cooperstown, N.Y., on Sunday, July 27, for one of the most revered events in sports: The Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Here’s what you need to know about the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
When does the induction ceremony take place, and how can I watch it?
The induction ceremony begins on Sunday, July 27, at 1:30 p.m. ET. It will be televised exclusively on MLB Network, MLB.TV, MLB.com and the MLB App. The ceremony, which is expected to last 2 1/2 hours, will also be streamed live at https://baseballhall.org/.
Where is the ceremony held?
The ceremony will be held on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center, which is located on lower Susquehanna Avenue, one mile south of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Yes. More than 25,000 fans have attended eight of the past 10 induction ceremonies. Lawn seating for the ceremony is unlimited and free of charge. Keep the conditions in mind, since the event is held outdoors — rain or shine (unless severe weather forces a cancellation). The weather in Cooperstown can be hot in July, so attendees are advised to bring a cap and sunscreen.
Professional interpreters are provided for the hearing impaired, and service dogs are welcome at the ceremony, although they must remain on a leash or harness at all times.
Who is being inducted? How and why were they selected?
Players on the BBWAA ballot needed to be selected on at least 75% of submitted ballots to earn induction. Ichiro fell just one vote short of a unanimous election; he appeared on 393 of 394 submitted ballots. A wizard with the bat, Ichiro racked up 4,367 career hits — 3,089 in the Major Leagues and another 1,278 in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He was the AL MVP and Rookie of the Year in 2001. He also won 10 Gold Gloves and made 10 All-Star teams from 2001-10 with the Mariners. Ichiro is the first Japanese player elected to the Hall of Fame.
Sabathia joined Ichiro as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. The workhorse left-hander threw 3,577 1/3 innings across 561 big league contests and surpassed the 200-inning threshold eight times. He, Steve Carlton and Randy Johnson are the only southpaws with at least 3,000 strikeouts and 250 wins in the Major Leagues. Sabathia won the AL Cy Young Award with Cleveland in 2007 and was the ace of the most recent Yankees World Series title team two years later.
Wagner had to wait until his 10th and final year on the ballot before he received the necessary number of votes. Although he was just 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, Wagner was one of the most overpowering pitchers of his era. Armed with a triple-digit fastball, the lefty reliever was a seven-time All-Star and finished his 16-season career with 422 saves — the eighth-most in MLB history — split between Astros, Phillies, Mets, Red Sox and Braves.
Parker and Allen, needing at least 12 votes from the 16-member Classic Baseball Era Committee, received 14 and 13 votes, respectively. Parker could get it done in the field (three-time Gold Glover with a cannon arm) and at the plate (two-time batting champion and three-time Silver Slugger recipient with 940 extra-base hits). His personality was as big as his game, and he won the World Series with the 1979 Pirates and the 1989 A’s.
Allen, a seven-time All-Star who was one of the best power hitters of the 1960s and ’70s, retired with 351 home runs and a .912 OPS through 15 seasons. His career 156 OPS+ is tied for sixth-best among players who had at least 5,000 plate appearances in the Integration Era (since 1947). The five names ahead of Allen: Ted Williams, Barry Bonds, Mickey Mantle, Mike Trout and Mark McGwire.
Which caps will the new Hall of Famers have on their plaques?
Ichiro will be the third player with a Mariners logo on his plaque, while Wagner will be the third player to represent the Astros in the Hall. Sabathia will be the 22nd player with a Yankees cap on his plaque.
Parker will go into the Hall as a Pirate after playing 11 of his 19 seasons with Pittsburgh. Allen will represent the other team in the Keystone State, the Phillies, with whom he played nine seasons.
Is anyone else being honored?
How many other Hall of Famers will attend?
More than 50 Hall of Famers are expected to attend this year’s festivities, including 89-year-old Sandy Koufax (Hall of Fame class of 1972). Four Hall of Famers will be attending at least their 30th induction ceremony. At the top of that list is Rollie Fingers, who hasn’t missed an induction Sunday in Cooperstown since he became a Hall of Famer in 1992. This will be Fingers’ 33rd induction ceremony, putting him fourth on the all-time list behind Bob Feller (38), Ralph Kiner (36) and Robin Roberts (34).
What other events take place during Hall of Fame Weekend?
Hall of Fame Weekend kicked off on Friday, July 25, with Ozzie Smith‘s “Turn Two with Ozzie” museum fundraiser. The event included special guests Joe Mauer and Jim Thome. MLB Play Ball events were scheduled for both Friday and Saturday in Cooperstown. Following the Hall of Fame Awards Presentation honoring Hamilton and Boswell on Saturday afternoon, fans will get to see the new and returning Hall of Famers during the Parade of Legends on Saturday night. The parade begins at the intersection of Lake Street and Chestnut Street, and it will conclude at the front steps of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum on Main Street.
Is the Hall of Fame and Museum open to the public during induction weekend?
Yes! The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is open for extended hours during Hall of Fame Weekend:
Saturday, July 26: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday, July 27: 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Monday, July 28: 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
While there, enjoy the museum’s newest exhibit: “Yakyu | Baseball: The Transpacific Exchange of the Game.” Debuting in the same year as Ichiro’s election to the Hall of Fame, the exhibit features artifacts and stories about how baseball became the most popular sport in Japan less than 50 years after the United States and Japan established diplomatic relations.
