If you’ve been to the Hall of Fame, you know what a magical place it is. Set in the small village of Cooperstown, New York, going there almost transports you back into time.

But the Hall wasn’t always there, you know.

In his new book – A Great Day In Cooperstown, Jim Reisler takes you inside the history of the baseball Hall of Fame.

It was June 12, 1939 when the game’s greatest players and throngs of fans, dignitaries and media celebrated the opening of this new building. Originally pitched as “an interesting museum with funny, old uniforms,” the Hall not only became a shrine to the game’s greats and a house for some of baseball’s most important artifacts – it became the central point for the great myth of baseball – that it was invented by a man named Abner Doubleday in a sleepy village town of Cooperstown.

If you are planning a trip to the Hall, A Great Day in Cooperstown makes a great travel companion and will make you that much more knowledgable and appreciative of the site. If you’ve already been to the Hall – it will take you back there with vivid words and photographs that chronicle it’s grand opening.

What do you think about A Great Day in Cooperstown? Join the discussion and post your comments!