G.O.A.T. to goat is latest Hall connection

The Baseball Hall of Fame is a place that acknowledges every great player who donned a Major League uniform. It also has a way to acknowledge animals.

In the YouTube Series called _Hall of Fame Connections_, produced by MLB Network and made possible by a grant from I LOVE NY/New York State’s Division of Tourism, the Hall of Fame focuses on how Roberto Clemente, one of the greatest players in Pirates history, connects to a goat.

The series, driven by Camping World, looks at the Hall of Fame’s collection from a new and exciting angle, with each episode telling a different story of how two seemingly unrelated artifacts in the Museum’s vast collection connect to each other, crossing through generations of baseball history.

Each two-part episode features both a narrative storytelling element that weaves through the history of some of the Museum’s most iconic artifacts, and the Hall of Fame’s curators conversing about those artifacts and stories with MLB Network personality Carlos Peña, a former MLB All-Star, and sports journalist Lindsay Berra, Yogi’s granddaughter.

The series consists of 13 episodes, all available to stream for free through the Hall of Fame’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/baseballhall. New episodes will be released each Wednesday through September, and will also be featured across MLB Network’s studio programming.

The 10th episode, titled "From the G.O.A.T. to a Goat" is available now.

Whenever a great play is made in baseball, the Baseball Hall of Fame makes sure it gets a piece of history. Here is what to expect in the 10th episode.

The G.O.A.T

Roberto Clemente could do it all, and from 1955-72, he did just that. Offensively, Clemente won four batting titles and is one of 32 players who have collected 3,000 career hits. The bat he used to collect his 3,000th hit in 1972 is now in Cooperstown. Defensively, no one could touch Clemente. He had a bullet for an arm and that was on display in the 1971 World Series against the Orioles, who had trouble running on him. Winning 12 consecutive Gold Gloves can attest to how great he was.

People knew he was a great player, but in the 1971 Fall Classic, his 17th season, he got to prove it. Baltimore had four 20-game winners that season, but Clemente didn’t care, hitting .414 with two homers and four RBIs and earning World Series MVP.

Clemente became known for being a humanitarian. He was always helping people in need. On Dec. 31, 1972, he was on his way to Nicaragua -- a country in need of food and supplies after a devastating earthquake hit the region -- when his plane crashed, killing Clemente and several others. An award in his name honors players who give back every year.

Maz made history

Clemente and Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski were teammates for 17 years. Together, they won two World Series titles, with Mazeroski’s big moment coming in the 1960 World Series against the Yankees. It was his walk-off homer in Game 7 -- the first Series-clinching walk-off blast in World Series history -- that helped the Pirates win their first title since 1925. The helmet he wore during that unforgettable event is on display in the Hall of Fame. Mazeroski is best known as a defensive specialist, and that’s what punched his ticket to Cooperstown in 2001.

Maz’s connection to Niekro

Mazeroski has known Hall of Famer Phil Niekro since they were in high school. Mazeroski, who went to Warren Consolidated High School in Tiltonsville, Ohio, once hit a home run against the knuckleballer, who went to Bridgeport (Ohio) High School, in a 1-0 game in 1955. It was Niekro’s only loss in high school. Niekro ended up having a great career in the big leagues, winning 318 games and pitching his only no-hitter against the Padres on Aug. 5, 1973. The cap from that game is now in the Hall’s collection.

Niekro’s brother Joe

Phil Niekro’s younger brother, Joe, had a productive career in the big league for two decades from 1967-88, winning 221 games. Joe, then a member of the Astros, once hit a home run against Phil in 1976. The Niekro brothers were together with the Yankees nine years later, when Phil won his 300th career game. Phil’s cap from that game is now in Cooperstown.

Joe teaches neighbor how to throw knuckleball

After Joe Niekro retired, he taught a girl named Chelsea Baker how to throw the knuckleball. Guess what happened? Baker became one of the best pitchers in Little League history. She was filthy, pitching two no-hitters for the Brandon Farms in Plant City, Fla., in 2010. The jersey she wore during the second perfect game is now in the Hall’s Diamond Dream exhibit. Four years later, Baker pitched batting practice to the Rays and left an impression on everyone, including then-manager Joe Maddon.

“She knows what she is doing out there, It’s not a gimmick. She is very serious about it. She has a real delivery, good arm stroke and the ball comes off properly. A’s on all fronts,” he said.

The goat

Maddon later became manager of the Cubs and broke the curse that hit them starting in the 1945 World Series against the Tigers. During that Fall Classic, William Sianis, who owned the Billy Goat Tavern, decided to take his pet goat to the Wrigley Field. He even had a ticket for the animal, but they were denied access to the ballpark. Sianis declared the Cubs would never win the World Series. Sianis’ jinx remained intact until 2016, when Maddon’s Cubs beat the Indians in seven games.