Meet Baseball Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson
Jeff Idelson is president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located in Cooperstown, N.Y. Jeff was named to the position on April 16, 2008. He joined the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sept. 26, 1994, as director of public relations and promotions and was promoted was named vice president of communications and education a few years later . Prior to the Hall of Fame, Jeff was assistant an vice president and senior press officer for World Cup USA 1994 and previously served as director of media relations and publicity for the New York Yankees from 1989-1993.
We caught up with Jeff and asked him our Tuesday’s Top 10 Questions.
1. Describe your position and current responsibilities.
*Oversee a full-time staff of 100, a seasonal staff of another 100 and 25 summer interns.
* Report to a Board of Directors of 18, as well as 66 living Hall of Fame members.
* Oversee a $17 million dollar annual budget.
* Responsibilities also include fundraising, building strategic partnerships and sponsorships, public appearances, artifact acquisition, representing the Hall of Fame at baseball games and other events related to baseball culture and being sure we continuously remain relevant in society.
2. Tell us about your first job in sports.
I was a vendor at Fenway Park in high school and college. I sold popcorn, peanuts, soda, ice cream, hot dogs and souvenirs. My first unofficial job was scoring Red Sox games — home and away — from under my covers on a yellow legal pad for every east coast and central time zone game in elementary school, while listening to the radio
3. What was best advice ever received?
From my parents — “follow your dreams and passions.” They told me that I could always go back and do something else in life if it did not work out. Baseball has always been my passion, or at least since I can remember.
4. What sports memory are you most fond of telling to others?
Going to first game with my family and grandfather at age 5 and becoming a Brooks Robinson fan in Boston. From second grade on, every birthday and every opening day at Fenway Park; Celtics-Suns triple overtime game in the Championship Finals in 1978; watching Bobby Orr, John Havlicek and Larry Bird; watching Darryl Stingly catch three touchdowns against the Jets; getting to work in two of baseball’s most fabled ballparks — Fenway and Yankee Stadium — and for two of its premier franchises, the Red Sox and Yankees; being on the field for the Brazil-Italy final at World Cup 1994; watching Mark McGwire and then Sammy Sosa each hit #62 and McGwire #70; watching Ichiro break George Sisler’s single-season hit mark; countless All-Star Games and World Series too.
5. Describe the area(s) of opportunity for growth in your business.
As a non-profit (501(C)(3)), we need to grow our charitable contributions, develop a planned giving program and create a meaningful endowment for times of uncertainty. We will also grow the numbers of strategic sponsors we have. We’re on track to accomplish all of these by putting the right building blocks in place. We also need to continue to be as accessible as possible to people who can not come to Cooperstown by creating opportunities to see Baseball history outside of this area, through exhibits and connective Web experiences.
6. What are the biggest challenges that faces your business today?
Building audience inside and outside of Cooperstown. Once they find us, they want to stay connected, as evidenced by our very strong membership program. We have just about 30,000 members which is phenomenal, given that we are not in a metropolitan area. There’s much room for growth in membership, and we see it building every day.
7. How is the Hall of Fame/Major League Baseball doing business differently in these economic times?
Speaking for the Hall of Fame, we are a very fiscally responsible organization and as such, we have not slowed on any of our major programs or exhibitions. Building sponsorships, creating packages/other reasons to come to Cooperstown, especially in the shoulder seasons (spring and fall). We are a very affordable family buy as it is, which is a good start.
8. How has this business changed in the last five years?
Our brand is fairly untapped and remains pristine and as such, we are foraying more deeply into the sponsorship market these days. We also lost the Hall of Fame Game, a Cooperstown tradition for 70 years, but are replacing it with something we feel is even better: Hall of Fame Classic Weekend. Over Father’s Day Weekend, there will be a Legends Game, kids clinics, catch with your dad on Doubleday Field, autographs and more, making sure that Cooperstown becomes the ultimate Father’s Day destination for the Hall of Fame dad in your family.
9. What are the kinds of things do you look for when recruiting senior leadership?
Look for people who adore the game, are honest, are team players, are customer service-oriented, can communicate, have a proven track record, have an abundance of energy and love working toward a common goal.
10. Finish this sentence. If I had to do it all over again, I would start by…..
Never having given up switch hitting in Little League to be only right handed. I am an unnatural lefty (eat, write, bowl, softball pitch and throw darts left-handed……hit and throw right-handed).
Anything else you wanted Share?
God Bless Our National Pastime.
Some Links related to today’s blog
Induction Weekends at the Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction Weekends
2009: July 24-27, Ceremonies on Sun., July 26
2010: July 23-26, Ceremonies on Sun., July 25
2011: July 22-25, Ceremonies on Sun
