Campaign News

Jeff Idelson '86 collects baseball artifacts for Cooperstown.

February 25, 2008

Like many third graders, Jeff Idelson ’86 hid a transistor radio under his pillow so he could listen to games when he should have been asleep.

Unlike most kids, though, Idelson has turned his lifelong passion for the game into a career at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.

“Baseball goes way back in my life,” said Idelson, who spoke with students about his career during an online chat Feb. 26. The chat will be followed by a Feb. 29 panel discussion on campus featuring other alumni who have built careers in professional sports. For more information visit the Alumni Calendar.

As vice president of communications and education at Cooperstown, Idelson oversees public relations, communications, the Web site, advertising, internship programming, and photography. He also is a Hall of Fame liaison to the Baseball Writers Association of America, the organization that elects players and leaders into the Hall of Fame.

Idelson enjoys working with players to acquire artifacts for the museum, especially since the game’s stars are typically very willing to donate. Barry Bonds presented him with the batting helmet he wore when he hit his record-breaking, 756th home run and Curt Schilling gave him his infamous bloody sock from the 2004 American League Championship Series.

“It’s sort of like being the opposite of the Grim Reaper,” he said. “Players understand the importance of the Hall of Fame and are floored to be asked for an artifact.”

One of Idelson’s favorite museum collections includes presidential baseballs dating back to President William Taft who threw the first pitch of a game in 1910.

“These show the hand-in-hand relationship baseball has with American culture,” he said.

As much as Idelson enjoys his position, he admits that it has not been without its challenges. After the steroids controversy, for example, people look toward the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum to set standards.

“As a history museum, we can only document how it affects media and society,” he said. “In light of controversies, it’s important for us to stay neutral and not have an opinion.”

Idelson, an economics major, worked for the sports information office as a student, served as the news director for WCNI, managed the basketball team, and helped start a club baseball team with Dave Gross ’88. He said his well-rounded experience prepared him for life after college.

“I always tell people that the ability to construct a sentence properly, being able to stand on your feet, and having passion for what you do are more important than what you major in,” he said.

Idelson started a public relations internship with the Red Sox only five days after graduation. It turned out to be a classic year for the franchise as the Sox made it to the historic 1986 World Series against the New York Mets. He followed that by working for his team’s rival and became the New York Yankees’ director of media relations.

“I have strong allegiances with both teams now as hard as that can be to believe,” he said.

Idelson is particularly proud of his work with the museum’s thriving education program, which brings baseball, history, technology and learning into the classroom through annual electronic field trips which consist of live television broadcasts, interactive Web sites, and detailed lesson plans. These field trips have taught millions of children about topics like women’s contributions in baseball and the connection physics has to the game.

For media inquiries contact: Amy Martin (860) 439-2526; a.martin@conncoll.edu