The Baseball Reliquary is a nonprofit educational organization "dedicated to fostering an appreciation of American art and culture through the context of
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
history and to exploring the national pastime’s unparalleled creative possibilities."
The Reliquary was founded in 1996 in
Monrovia, California
Monrovia is a city in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Monrovia is the fourth-oldest General-law municipality, general-law city in Los Angeles County and the L ...
, and since 2015 has been located at
Whittier College in
Whittier, California.
The organization is funded in part by a grant from the
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 2023. Its population is greater than that of 40 individua ...
Department of Arts and Culture. Since 1999, the Reliquary has maintained an “alternate
hall-of-fame” called the Shrine of the Eternals.
History and mission
The Baseball Reliquary is a nonprofit educational institution that is "dedicated to fostering an appreciation of American art and culture through the context of baseball history and to exploring the national pastime’s unparalleled creative possibilities." The Reliquary was founded in 1996 by Terry Cannon, a creative artist and assistant school librarian who describes himself as “meek and mild-mannered
n the outside… a rabble-rouser and non-conformist
t heart” In its early years, the Reliquary had no physical home; instead it collaborated with local institutions including public and university libraries as well as the Jackie Robinson Community Center in
Pasadena, California
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...
.
In January 2015, the Reliquary found a permanent home for its collections and events with the opening of the Institute for Baseball Studies at
Whittier College in
Whittier, California. Housed on the third floor of the College’s Mendenhall building, the Institute is open to students and the public for research and viewing of the Reliquary’s growing collection.
Awards and exhibitions
Beginning in 1999, the Reliquary created a hall-of-fame style historical commemoration of baseball notables called the Shrine of the Eternals. Rather than focusing on statistical accomplishments as does the
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United St ...
in
Cooperstown, New York, the Shrine “seek
out aspects of this history that have been overlooked or have not been explored in depth as well as players and others in baseball who have had unconventional careers.”
The Reliquary and its Shrine have been described as “a haven for legends like
Marvin Miller and
Spaceman Lee, umpires like
Emmett Ashford and
Pam Postema … mostly renegades who did not meet the precise standards of the
ationalBaseball Hall of Fame.” Some view the Shrine of the Eternals as a more welcome recognition of their contributions to baseball than even the Hall of Fame.
In 2013, documentary filmmaker Jon Leonoudakis released a 69-minute film about the Reliquary titled ''Not Exactly Cooperstown''. The film premiered at the 8th Annual Baseball Film Festival at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown on September 29, 2013. The film was also featured at the St. Louis International Film Festival in November 2014.
In 2001, the Reliquary began recognizing “distinguished service by a baseball fan” with the Hilda Award, named for famed Brooklyn Dodgers fan
Hilda Chester. In 2002, the Tony Salin Memorial Award was established “to honor individuals for their work in preserving baseball history.” Each of these honors is awarded annually.
["The Shrine of the Eternals Induction Ceremony, July 2019"](_blank)
Baseball Reliquary website
The Reliquary organizes and presents artistic and historical exhibitions relating to baseball each year. Throughout its history, the Reliquary has held exhibitions on varied topics relating to the cultural impact of baseball, including:
* "Legacies: Baseball from Flatbush to the City of Angels" (2004), a variety of artistic interpretations of the 1958 move of the
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
to Los Angeles
* “Another Trip in Baseball’s Time Machine: Photography at the Field of Dreams” (2013), a photographic exhibition highlighting the relationship between photography and baseball
* “A Swinging Centennial: Jackie Robinson at 100” (2019), a musical event that featured a performance of “Stealin’ Home,”
Bobby Bradford
Bobby Lee Bradford (born July 19, 1934) is an American jazz trumpeter, cornetist, bandleader, and composer. In addition to his solo work, Bradford is noted for his work with John Carter, Vinny Golia and Ornette Coleman. In October 2009, Brad ...
’s tribute to
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first Black American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the Baseball color line, ...
, commissioned by the Reliquary
Award recipients
Shrine of the Eternals
Since 1999, members of the Baseball Reliquary have elected individuals to their "Shrine of the Eternals." The Shrine is similar in concept to the annual elections held at the
Baseball Hall of Fame
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United S ...
, but differs philosophically in that statistical accomplishment is not a criterion for election. Rather, the Shrine’s annual ballot is composed of individualsfrom the obscure to the well knownwho have altered the baseball world in ways that supersede statistics.
The definition of "individuals" is not restricted to humans; the 2017 induction class included the ''
Peanuts
''Peanuts'' (briefly subtitled ''featuring Good ol' Charlie Brown'') is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run ext ...
'' character
Charlie Brown. The Baseball Reliquary lists the criteria for election to the Shrine of the Eternals as:
* the distinctiveness of play (good or bad)
* the uniqueness of character and personality
* the imprint that the individual has made upon the baseball landscape
Members of the Reliquary receive a ballot of 50 candidates for the Shrine, and the top three vote-getters by percentage are installed. Balloting is conducted annually, except for a pause around the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.
[ As of 2019 balloting, there were more than 300 voting members.
Inductees (through the class of 2020):][
* Jim Abbott (2003)
* Dick Allen (2004)
* Roger Angell (2010)
* Emmett Ashford (2008)
*]Billy Beane
William Lamar Beane III (born March 29, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player and current Front office (sports), front office executive. He is currently senior advisor to owner John Fisher (baseball owner), John Fisher and ...
(2019)
* Moe Berg (2000)
* Sy Berger (2015)
*Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (born Lorenzo Pietro Berra; May 12, 1925 – September 22, 2015) was an American professional baseball catcher who later took on the roles of Manager (baseball), manager and Coach (baseball), coach. He played 19 seas ...
(2007)
* Steve Bilko (2015)
*Ila Borders
Ila Jane Borders (born February 18, 1975) is an American former left-handed pitcher in college and independent professional baseball player. As a female pitcher in men's leagues, Borders achieved numerous baseball milestones at the college and p ...
(2003)
* Jim Bouton (2001)
* Jim Brosnan (2007)
* Charlie Brown (2017)
* Bill Buckner (2008)
* Glenn Burke (2015)
*Roberto Clemente
Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker (; August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball player who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, primarily as a right fielder. On December ...
(2004)
* Bob Costas (2020)
* Steve Dalkowski (2009)
* Dizzy Dean (2014)
* Rod Dedeaux (2005)
* Jim Eisenreich (2009)
* Dock Ellis (1999)
* Nancy Faust (2018)
* Eddie Feigner (2013)
*Lisa Fernandez
Lisa Maria Fernandez (born February 22, 1971) is an American former softball player and current associate head coach at UCLA Bruins softball, UCLA. She is also the general manager of the Talons for the inaugural 2025 season of the Athletes Unlim ...
(2019)
* Mark "The Bird" Fidrych (2002)
*Curt Flood
Curtis Charles Flood Sr. (January 18, 1938 – January 20, 1997) was an American professional baseball center fielder and activist. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Redlegs, St. Louis Cardinals, and Washin ...
(1999)
* Rube Foster (2020)
* Ted Giannoulas (2011)
* Josh Gibson (2006)
* Jim "Mudcat" Grant (2012)
* Pete Gray (2011)
* Arnold Hano (2016)
* William "Dummy" Hoy (2004)
* Bo Jackson (2016)
* Shoeless Joe Jackson (2002)
*Bill James
George William James (born October 5, 1949) is an American baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books about baseball history and statistics. His a ...
(2007)
* Dr. Frank Jobe (2012)
* Tommy John (2018)
* Bill "Spaceman" Lee (2000)
* Roger Maris (2009)
* Marvin Miller (2003)
* Minnie Miñoso (2002)
*Manny Mota
Manuel Rafael Mota Geronimo, more commonly known as Manny Mota (born February 18, 1938), is a Dominican Republic, Dominican former Major League Baseball outfielder who played 20 seasons for the San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates and Montr ...
(2013)
* Don Newcombe (2016)
* Lefty O’Doul (2013)
* Buck O’Neil (2008)
*Satchel Paige
Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige (July 7, 1906 – June 8, 1982) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Negro league baseball and Major League Baseball (MLB). His career spanned five decades and culminated with his induction in ...
(2001)
* Max Patkin (2020)
* Jimmy Piersall (2001)
* Pam Postema (2000)
* J. R. Richard (2019)
*Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first Black American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the Baseball color line, ...
(2005)
* Rachel Robinson (2014)
* Lester Rodney (2005)
* Pete Rose (2010)
*Vin Scully
Vincent Edward Scully (November 29, 1927 – August 2, 2022) was an American sportscaster, best known for his broadcast work in Major League Baseball. Scully was the play-by-play announcer for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers for sixty-se ...
(2017)
*Rusty Staub
Daniel Joseph "Rusty" Staub (April 1, 1944 – March 29, 2018) was an American professional baseball player and television color commentator. He played in Major League Baseball for 23 seasons as a right fielder, designated hitter, and first base ...
(2018)
*Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel (; July 30, 1890 – September 29, 1975) was an American Major League Baseball right fielder and Manager (baseball), manager, best known as the manager of the championship New York Yankees of the 1950s and later, t ...
(2010)
*Luis Tiant
Luis Clemente Tiant Vega () (November 23, 1940 – October 8, 2024), nicknamed "El Tiante", was a Cuban professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 19 years, primarily for the Cleveland Indians and the Boston R ...
(2012)
* Bob Uecker (2017)
* Fernando Valenzuela (2006)
* Bill Veeck Jr. (1999)
*Maury Wills
Maurice Morning Wills (October 2, 1932 – September 19, 2022) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from 1959 to 1972, most prominently as an integral member of the Los Ange ...
(2011)
* Kenichi Zenimura (2006)
* Don Zimmer (2014)
* Bob Costas (2022)
* Rube Foster (2022)
* Kim Ng (2024)
* Dusty Baker (2024)
* Effa Manley (2024)
In December 2023, the organization announced a nomination process and timeline for its class of 2024.
Hilda Award
Named in memory of legendary Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
baseball fan Hilda Chester (1897–1978), the Hilda Award recognizes distinguished service by a baseball fan. The award is an old cowbell, Hilda Chester’s signature noisemaker. The Hilda is awarded annually, on the Shrine of the Eternals induction day.
Recipients (as of 2019):
*Rea Wilson (2001)
*Seth Hawkins (2002)
* Ruth Roberts (2003)
*Jennie Reiff (2004)
*David Fletcher (2005)
*Bill Murray
William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian, known for his deadpan delivery in roles ranging from studio comedies to independent dramas. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Bill Murra ...
(2006)
*Cass Sapir (2007)
*John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...
(2008)
*Bob Colleary (2009)
*Sister Mary Assumpta Zabas (2010)
*Chris Erskine (2011)
* Arnold Hano (2012)
*Emma Amaya (2013)
* Jerry Pritikin (2014)
*Tom Keefe (2015)
*Tom Derry (2016)
*Cam Perron (2017)
*Bart Wilhelm (2018)
*Ralph Carhart (2019)
Tony Salin Memorial Award
In 2002, the Reliquary established the Tony Salin Memorial Award, named after baseball historian and researcher Tony Salin (1952–2001), to honor individuals for their work in preserving baseball history.
Recipients (as of 2019):"Tony Salin Memorial Award Recipients"
Baseball Reliquary website
* Peter Golenbock (2002)
* David Nemec (2003)
* Bill Weiss (2004)
* Richard Beverage (2005)
* Kerry Yo Nakagawa (2006)
* Mark Rucker (2007)
* David W. Smith (2008)
* Mike Shannon (2009)
* Stew Thornley (2010)
* Paul Dickson (2011)
* Dave Kelly (2012)
* Steve Bandura (2013)
* Jerry Cohen (2014)
* Gary Joseph Cieradkowski (2015)
* Neetalie Williams (2016)
* Richard Santillan (2017)
* Ross Altman (2018)
* Bob Busser (2019)
See also
*Nisei Baseball Research Project
The Nisei Baseball Research Project (NBRP) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization documenting, preserving and exhibiting history of Japanese American baseball. It was founded by Kerry Yo Nakagawa, the author of ''Through a Diamond: 100 Years of Ja ...
References
Further reading
"A Hall of Fame for Great Stories"
from ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''
External links
* {{official website, baseballreliquary.org
Baseball organizations in the United States
Sports organizations established in 1996
1996 establishments in California
Non-profit organizations based in California