Nov 18th 2008 1:28PM by Tom Fornelli (author feed)
While these days the only thing the Cubs and Padres are talking about is a possible trade for Jake Peavy, earlier this summer the two teams spent their time talking about how much they hated playing in the annual Hall of Fame Game in Cooperstown. You may or may not remember, but after dealing with too many complaints from organizations and the players, both the player’s union and the owners decided that 2008 contest between the Cubs and Padres would be the last time the exhibition game would be played with Major League teams. Then, as a final kick to the junk, the game was rained out.

Now while my initial suggestion of just moving the game to the end of spring training made a lot of sense in my mind, the Hall of Fame has decided it wants to do something different. I mean, they are the Hall of Fame right? Why not make the Hall of Fame game an event featuring actual Hall of Famers?Baseball’s legends and old-timers will play in a new Hall of Fame Classic, a creation deemed insufficient by the group opposed to the elimination of the annual exhibition between major league teams.

“We’re honored to be a part of this,” said Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson, president of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association, which is working with the Hall of Fame to put on the Hall of Fame Classic.Continue Reading