Press Release: Hall of Famers Turn Two in Cooperstown in Support of Museum’s Educational Mission

-- Ozzie Smith and Teammates Tony Oliva, Billy Wagner and Robin Yount
Take the Field with Fans as Hall of Fame Weekend Begins --

(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – Billy Wagner could afford to relax a little bit this year when he arrived in Cooperstown.

“A few more T-shirts and a few less suits,” Wagner said about his attire for Hall of Fame Weekend. “And one less speech. But still a whole lot of fun.”

Wagner, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2025, helped open this year’s Hall of Fame Weekend as one of four Hall of Famers at Ozzie Smith’s Turn Two event at Doubleday Field. Wagner joined Tony Oliva, Robin Yount and Smith at the Museum’s annual fundraiser.

The memories of his induction weekend remain fresh.

“Well, I think the biggest thing is how fast it (went by),” Wagner said. “I think the memories (stand out) of just being on the stage and seeing my family and being able to enjoy that with them.”

Nearly $20,000 was raised in Friday’s Turn Two event, which has secured more than $325,000 for the Museum’s educational mission in its 23 years. In addition to supporting the Hall of Fame’s educational initiatives, Turn Two also raises funds for diversity scholarships for the Hall of Fame’s Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program for Leadership Development.

The Hall of Famers shared stories and interacted with the Turn Two participants on the Doubleday Field infield at the opening event of Hall of Fame Weekend.

“The concept from the beginning was to give people the opportunity to visit with guys that they otherwise would not have the opportunity to visit with on a personal level,” said Smith, a 2002 Hall of Fame inductee who has been the Museum’s Education Ambassador for more than two decades. “You’re able to get up close with the players that were your heroes. We’ve been able to do that for over 20 years now, and hopefully we’ll continue to do that.”

Hall of Fame Weekend 2026 runs through Monday in Cooperstown. The Class of 2026, featuring Carlos Beltrán, Andruw Jones and Jeff Kent, will be inducted at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 26, at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown. Admission to the Induction Ceremony is free.

The 2026 Induction Ceremony will be televised live exclusively on MLB Network. The Induction Ceremony will also be available via a webcast at mlb.com.

The Hall of Fame Awards Presentation will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, at Cooperstown’s Alice Busch Opera Theater. Joe Buck will receive the Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence, Paul Hoynes will be honored with the Baseball Writers’ Association of America Career Excellence Award and Bill White will receive the Hall of Fame’s Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award. Rick Monday will be honored on the 50^th anniversary of his rescue of the American flag at Dodger Stadium.

Also on Saturday, July 25, the Hall of Fame Parade of Legends returns to provide fans with more thrills. Hall of Famers will ride down Main Street in trucks en route to a private reception at the Museum during the 6 p.m. event, with a record 60 Hall of Famers in Cooperstown for the weekend.

The Museum maintains the following Hall of Fame Weekend hours: Saturday, July 25: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday, July 26: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.; and Monday, July 27: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. For Hall of Fame Members, doors open at 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. As always, Hall of Fame Members receive free admission. Interested parties may enroll in the Membership Program in advance at baseballhall.org/join or at the Museum.

For a Hall of Fame Weekend visitors guide, please click here.

Follow all the action during Hall of Fame Weekend with the #HOFWKND hashtag on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is open seven days a week year round, with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. From the day before Memorial Day through the day before Labor Day, the Museum observes daily regular hours of 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Ticket prices are $35 for adults (13 and over), $29 for seniors (65 and over) and $26 for juniors (ages 7-12) and $25 for those holding current memberships in the VFW, Disabled American Veterans, American Legion and AMVets organizations. Members are always admitted free of charge and there is no charge for children 6 years of age or younger. This institution is an equal opportunity provider. For more information, visit our website at baseballhall.org or call 888-HALL-OF-FAME (888-425-5633) or 607-547-7200.