If you’re a baseball fan who has never been to Cooperstown, it is a must atop your “bucket list.” This quaint, cozy little town in upstate New York will be abuzz this weekend, as tens-of-thousands of fans make the pilgrimage to baseball’s shrine – The National Baseball Hall of Fame.

And make no mistake, the sound of cash registers ringing along Main Street and in the Hall of Fame shop will be music to the ears of baseball’s sacred community. Induction Weekend is critical to the town and its baseball monument. And, whenever a Red Sox or Yankee great is inducted, the dollars usually flow in record numbers. So with Sox legend Jim Rice and 5-year Yankee Rickey Henderson being honored, everyone will be running to the bank this year.

The question is, what about the future of this American landmark?  What effect will the steroid-era have on the Hall of Fame and Induction Weekend?

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Major League Baseball needs to keep honoring its greatest assets. Like no other professional sport, baseball’s tradition is part of the game itself. So, with the likes of Bonds, Clemens, McGuire, Sosa, Palmeiro – and now Alex Rodriquez and Manny Ramirez all questionable future Hall of Famers – where does that leave the business of the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Could the steroid-era be the demise of this great baseball and American tradition and the beautiful town of Cooperstown?

Without great players being inducted on a yearly basis and those registers making music on Induction Weekend, where will the revenue be generated? How long would MLB and philanthropists keep the doors open at 25 Main Street?  And even if indefinitely – or, at least until we move away from this cheating era – what about the small, independent stores and vendors in this little community?  Who will save them?

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Major League Baseball need to make some tough decisions in the near future regarding the fraudulent numbers these great players allegedly perpetrated on baseball and its fans. The business of Cooperstown was looking forward to the induction of these great players. Without them, they could be doomed.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and MLB cannot leave these critical decisions in the hands of baseball writers who vote for players eligible for the Hall of Fame. That burden is not their responsibility – nor should it be.

It’s time for the leaders of the game to step up and set new guidelines to ensure the business of baseball and pilgrimage to Cooperstown continues for years to come.

During one’s life, the thought of mortality eventually hits home. It has happened to me a few times, but none more prevalent than on Tuesday, August 19th.  Interestingly, it was also my father’s birthday. I visited his grave sight that day, which heightened my emotions, but it was not what ignited them.

On Tuesday, August 19, Carl Yastrzemski was rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital where he had triple by-pass surgery. Fortunately, reports state that the operation was a complete success – and Yaz rests comfortably.

I was 11 years-old when Yaz began his career with the Boston Red Sox in 1961. He took over guarding the Green Monster at Fenway Park from Red Sox icon Ted Williams, “the greatest hitter who ever lived.” While my Sox fanhood began in the mid 1950s, it was those early Yaz-years that I best remember, as my love for baseball took shape in the 60s.

Yaz wasn’t my favorite player. That distinction belonged to Tony Conigliaro, who joined the Sox in 1964. However, Yaz was the leader of the Sox – and it was he that should be credited with founding what today is called Red Sox Nation.

It was 1967, Boston’s “Impossible Dream” year. It forever changed the Red Sox organization. Yastrzemski had one of the great years in Major League Baseball history. He won the American League MVP and the Triple Crown. It was a season I will always remember. It was also the year we got our first color television! My brother and I talked my Dad into buying a color TV for the World Series – arguably the greatest World Series ever played.

So when thoughts of mortality hit, it isn’t always a bad thing. Thought of mortality is really remembrance of life. Yaz and baseball played a big role in my early years. It brought back some fond memories.

Be well Yaz