atlanticleague.com

The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. will induct seven new members on Sunday, July 24.

But the Hall of Fame, which honors the greatest players and contributors to build the game, is more than just a museum of busts and bios. The Hall of Fame is a place where some of the greatest artifacts from the game live in perpetuity. From Babe Ruth’s bats and Hank Aaron’s uniform to a ball from Bob Feller’s 1940 no-hitter and Yogi Berra’s catcher’s mitt.

The Atlantic League has its own collection of artifacts that are permanently situated within the walls of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

As the Hall prepares for its next class of inductees, here’s a look at what items the Atlantic League has in the Hall.

Umpire’s ear piece.

The Atlantic League was the first professional league to use the Automated Ball Strike system. It started on July 25, 2019 when home games hosted by the High Pont Rockers, Lancaster Barnstormers and Long Island Ducks used the ABS technology.

The ALPB donated the earpiece used by the home plate umpire in the New Britain Bees at Long Island Ducks contest, the first regular season game to utilize ABS to call balls and strikes. The earpiece is symbolic of the new technology the ALPB featured in games played in the second half of the 2019 season and throughout the 2021 campaign.

“I am humbled to have an item I have worn be added to the Hall of Fame,” said Fred DeJesus, a 13-year professional umpiring veteran who used the device. “I can’t wait to visit Cooperstown.”

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum requested the umpire earpiece to represent the first steps of ball-strike technology in baseball. Stated Tom Shieber, Senior Curator at the Hall of Fame, “ALPB’s introduction of ball-strike technology to high level professional baseball is historically significant. Even more fascinating is the prospect that ABS technology may reach the big leagues as a result of the Atlantic League’s partnership with Major League Baseball.”

“We are honored to have this object become a part of the Hall of Fame’s permanent collection,” said Rick White, President of the Atlantic League. “This draws attention to our league, our players and especially our umpires, who have enthusiastically prepared for the adoption of ABS. We are grateful for their hard work.”