Viewpoint: Coin sales to benefit baseball fans

By Jeff Idelson

We read with interest the “Viewpoint” by Bruce Walker published in the Nov. 20 Numismatic News entitled “MLB doesn’t need coin money.” We wish to bring some inaccuracies in this article to your attention.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act was signed into law this summer by President Barack Obama. This act passed through Congress with the unanimous support of the Senate and an overwhelming majority (416-3) in the House of Representatives.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act celebrates the Hall of Fame’s 75th anniversary in 2014 by directing the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in recognition of this significant milestone. Surcharges from the sale of these coins will be paid to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum to assist in financing its operations and educational outreach to global audiences.

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The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an independent, not-for-profit, educational institution, entirely separate from Major League Baseball. As such, proceeds from the sale of the coins go to support the museum’s core mission. None of the proceeds generated by the sale of the coins will go to Major League Baseball, as is stated in the second paragraph of Mr. Walker’s article.

Proceeds of the Coin Act will support the mission of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum: to foster an appreciation of the historical development of baseball and its impact on our culture by collecting, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting its collections for a global audience as well as honoring those who have made outstanding contributions to our national pastime.

America’s youth will benefit through the Hall of Fame’s education program, which teaches core curriculum topics such as math and science through the lens of baseball to a national audience. The recently launched “BASE” (Be A Superior Example) program, which promotes healthy living and choosing to live and play free of performance-enhancing substances, will be another key beneficiary of these coin sales.

Please correct the facts for Numismatic News readers to inform them of the positive impact the Coin Act will have on baseball fans, present and future.

This Viewpoint was written by Jeff Idelson, president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Viewpoint is a forum for the expression of opinion on a variety of numismatic subjects. To have your opinion considered for Viewpoint, write to David C. Harper, Editor, Numismatic News, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990. Send email to david.harper@fwmedia.com.