SUMMER OF LOVE IN THE HALL CROWD OF 75,000 TURNS OUT FOR INDUCTION OF GWYNN AND RIPKEN.

Byline: BOB KEISSER

Staff Writer

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- It was baseball's version of Woodstock.

On a warm, humids but carefree day, and at the end of three days of peace, love and happiness in the sport, 75,000 people showed up in this small hamlet to welcome Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. into the Hall of Fame, and make a massive statement on what they want in a modern ballplayer.

The crowd obliterated the previous mark of 50,000 set in 1999 when Nolan Ryan, George Brett and Robin Yount were inducted, and left the two new Hall of Famers, the 53 other Hall of Famers in attendance and the crowd itself astonished.

Gwynn was advised by Gary Carter and Rollie Fingers to look at the trees far away from the podium at the Clark Sports Center during his acceptance speech in case he was nervous. The crowd was so big, though, that you almost couldn't see the trees.

The lawn from the podium to those trees is approximately 300 yards long, and it was full. There were canopies at the far edge where people set up days ago, and every inch between them and the Hall of Famers was covered by humanity. The crowd was so large that it spread across the street to another lawn and then up a small hill. A Hollywood Bowl crowd, at full capacity, didn't look any bigger.

This is one record Barry Bonds won't break.

"When we were on the bus, some of the other Hall of Famers blurted out 'Oh my God, look at all those people! They're on the hill!'" said Gwynn, the Long Beach and San Diego Padre icon. "I thought they were joking at first, teasing the new guys."

They weren't. Brett said the estimate might have been conservative, because it looked twice as large as the one for his induction.

"Overwhelming is the only word," Ripken said. "It was a sea of people. I was intimidated."

People knew there would be a significant crowd back in January when Ripken, owner of the consecutive games streak and a 21-year career with the Baltimore Orioles, and Gwynn, the eight-time batting champ, were elected. But the projections seemed to grow exponentially. At some point, it became clear that a lot of fans were making their way to this mecca to listen to the speeches of two humble ballplayers and make a statement of their own.

That was the sentiment that Hall of Fame officials got this weekend, as the crowd broke the museum attendance records, too. There were 14,000 visitors to the museum on Saturday. Merchants in town said this was the most eager and upbeat crowd they had seen since 1995, when 40,000 showed up for the induction the year after the 1994 strike.

"I think so," Gwynn said when asked if this was a statement. "Two guys, each played for one team their entire careers. I think fans felt comfortable with us, because they could trust us, especially in this era of negativity. There's no question about that.

"The (baseball) writers must feel that way, too, because there's no way I'm a 97-percent guy. People are making a point."

The Baseball Writer's Association of America votes for Hall election, and Ripken earned the third-highest percentage of votes ever, and Gwynn the seventh-highest.

"'I don't want to read too much into it," Ripken said. "I think this was the fans showing their love for baseball. It's easy to pound your chest and say, 'It's about me,' but I think we all have a small role in the game. If anything, it's a symbol that baseball is alive and well."

The speeches by Gwynn and Ripken were eloquent and emotional.

Gwynn was caught a little off-guard. He was supposed to be the third speaker of the day, following introductions of the Ford Frick (sportscasting) and Taylor Spink (sportswriting) awards. But concerns over a thunderstorm led Hall officials to move the inductees to the top of the order. So Gwynn hit leadoff.

"Now I was scrambling. You have an idea how things will go and then, bam, they change," he said.

Gwynn opened his remarks with "I'm gonna struggle" and a self- deprecating laugh. He then said, "This story began in Long Beach," and went on to cover the people who played in a role in his career.

That included youth coaches Nick Ortega, Isadore Perucchio and his son Joe; his Poly high school basketball coaches, including Ron Palmer and Earl Parker; San Diego State coaches Tim Perry and Jim Dietz; former Padres coach Bobby Tolan, former minor-league teammates Greg Booker and John Kruk; and Hall of Famers Rod Carew, Ozzie Smith and Ted Williams.

He became a bit emotional when he spoke of his late father. He showed great sentiment when talking about his wife Alicia, "who pushed the button" on the first video recording Gwynn made of himself, launching an obsession.

"I wouldn't be here without her," he said. "From the day I met my bride, my life was set and we became partners. She allowed me to go play baseball and chase my dream, and she raised the kids."

Ripken paused when he spoke of his dad, former Orioles coach and manager Cal Ripken, Sr., and then broke down when he started talking about his wife Kelly and kids.

"I had three hot spots, when I spoke about my mom, dad, wife and kids. I choose my wording pretty carefully about my dad and got through that. There was a lot more I could say. But when I got to Kelly and the kids (Ryan and Rachel) --"

Ripken made a wonderful gesture at that point. While acknowledging his wife, he pulled a white rose out of his jacket pocket, then said "Ryan, I need some help getting this there." And then his son pulled a white rose out of his pocket and gave it to his mom.

"I wish I had thought of that," Gwynn said with a smile.

Both men acknowledged the concept of doing things right, and understanding the relationship between fan and athlete. Many athletes say those things, but as the crowd indicated, they believe these guys.

"When you sign your name on the dotted line, there's more than just playing the game of baseball," Gwynn said. "I think if you look out here today, you see all these people out here today, they love the game, too. Those people who pay to watch you go out and play, you have to be responsible and make decisions and show people how things are supposed to be done."

"Whether you like it or not, as big leaguers, we are role models," Ripken said. "The only question is, will it be positive or will it be negative? Should we put players up on a pedestal and make them take responsibility? No. But we should encourage them to use their influence positively, to help build up and develop the young people who follow the game.

"Sports can play a big role in teaching values and principles. It can be a huge developmental tool for life. Just think, teamwork, leadership, work ethic and trust are all part of the game and are also all factors in how we make the most of our lives. So an essential part of the job of every player, and of all people for that matter, is to help the young people of today learn these lessons so they can live better lives tomorrow."

Both men were asked toward the end of their post-induction press conference specifically about Bonds and the steroid controversy. And Gwynn delivered a non-sequitur answer that said exactly what everyone in Cooperstown Sunday wanted to say.

"What a great day today was," he answered with a mischievous, knowing smile. "Seventy-five thousand people."

Nothing else needed to be said.

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Photo:

(1) Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Tony Gwynn, left, and Cal Ripken Jr. share a hug after Gwynn's acceptance speech.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

(2 -- color) Tony Gwynn, left, and Cal Ripken Jr. hold their Hall of Fame plaques after their induction Sunday in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Mike Groll/Associated Press