History of Baseball Exhibit Comes to Constitution Center

      
by KYW's Mike DeNardo

A traveling exhibit from the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY opens in Philadelphia on Friday.

It's entitled "Baseball as America," and it features items tracing the storied history of the sport -- from the ball used in Abner Doubleday's mythic first game (above) to Rich Asburn's spikes, to the bat Mike Schmidt used for his 536th home run. 

Phillies' Hall-of-Famer Robin Roberts (right) was  at the Constitution Center on Wednesday for a preview:

"For some reason I got a kick out of Shoeless Joe Jackson's shoes. I haven't figured that out. But the old stuff -- Babe Ruth's bat -- a lot of this stuff has been shown in Cooperstown but they have to alternate it because they have so much stuff."

Hall-of-Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson (right) also previewed the exhibit:

"Well, you've got my '70 World Series glove right here when you come in. I told them if it wasn't the first exhibit, I wasn't coming! I'm just kidding. But the '70 glove is here that I used in the World Series. And the Hall of Fame, after the Series, said, 'We'd like to have your glove.'  I said, 'Look. I can use this next year, but after I'm finished using it I'll make sure you'll get it.' Which I did."
  
"Baseball as America" runs though May 11th.

(Photo #2 and #3: KYW's Mike DeNardo)