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　　Halls of fame mean sports stars’ best days never have to end

　　(2006-2007学年第18期)

　　Our next stop is also in the Northeast. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is in Cooperstown, in New York State.

　　Some people believe that a man named Abner Doubleday 1 the game of baseball in that small town in 1839. Doubleday and his friends used to 2 cows out of a field so they could play a game called “town ball.” Town ball involved twenty to fifty boys. The boys attempted to catch a ball hit by a “tosser” who used a 3 piece of wood.

　　One day, or so the story goes, Abner Doubleday made changes to the game of town ball. He 4 the number of players. He added a pitcher, who threw the ball, and a catcher. He used a stick to draw a square-shaped area in the dirt. And he added bases for the batter to run around after he hit the ball.

　　A century ago the Mills Commission, appointed to investigate the history of baseball, 5 that Abner Doubleday invented it. The Mills report, however, was disputed.

　　In any case, in 6 , an old baseball was discovered in a farmhouse near Cooperstown. It was said to have belonged to one of the boys who played the first game of baseball with Abner Doubleday.

　　A local businessman, Stephen Clark, wanted to show the old baseball to the public. 7 .

　　People from all over the country sent money and baseball-related objects for the new museum. Ford Frick was 8 of baseball’s National League at the time. He proposed that a Hall of Fame also be established to 9 baseball’s best players.

　　The first election for members in the Hall of Fame took place in 1936. Five players were chosen. They were Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Matthewson and Walter Johnson. More players were elected every year.

　　The Hall of Fame opened officially in 1939. The event celebrated the one hundredth 10 of the game.

　　Each year, more than three hundred fifty thousand people visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. 11 . These include seats and signs from some of the fields where early baseball games were played.

　　There is also a yearly Hall of Fame Game. Major League teams play on the field where baseball is said to have been first played.

　　278 people are currently honored in the Hall of Fame. The 12 newest members were 13 in July.

　　The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, is sometimes called a national 14 . Visitors learn not just about the game, but about American culture.

　　15 . Settlers brought the game with them from England. The game was played about the same way soccer is played.

　　In the middle of the 1800’s, American colleges played a form of football called “association.” Each team had its own rules. In 1876, officials from several universities established a set of rules for all teams to follow. The new game was 16 called football.

　　The Pro Football Hall of Fame is in the Midwest, in Canton, Ohio, about 85 kilometers south of the city of Cleveland. There were several reasons why Canton was 17 . A successful, professional football team, the Canton Bulldogs, played there in the early days of the sport. Jim Thorpe, one of the first great professional players, played with the Bulldogs for a time.

　　Another reason was that the American Professional Football Association was founded in Canton in 1920. And the citizens of Canton led a well-organized 18 to build the Hall of Fame in their city. It opened in 1963.

　　More than 700,0000 people have visited the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It explores the history of the sport. It also honors the game’s greatest players.

　　At the Hall of Fame, visitors can 19 their knowledge of American football. And they can learn about each of the 32 teams in the National Football League.

　　The Pro Football Hall of Fame has more than 230 members. They include players, 20 and team owners. 21 . New members are chosen each year.

　　Six new members were added at a 22 on August fifth. The six are Troy Aikman, Harry Carson, John Madden, Warren Moon, Reggie White and Rayfield Wright.

　　(The end)

　　此部分内容由“美国之音”提供