COOPERSTOWN, New York – While it has become more of a minor league showcase in recent years, some of the best players in the history of baseball have stepped out onto Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, New York for the annual Hall of Fame game.

Ted Williams, Duke Snider, Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio, Mel Ott, Steve Carlton, Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr have set foot on that field at various stages in their immortality and once again players from Newtown and Pomperaug High Schools had a chance to rub elbows with the ghosts of the greatest.

More than 340 games from high school to minor league are played at Doubleday Field and once a year two major league teams meet in an exhibition contest as a sidebar to the new inductions into the Hall of Fame.

Newtown and Pomperaug left Southbury on Friday morning and a little less than four hours later were passing through downtown Cooperstown. That day, some 60 players and coaches toured the Hall of Fame and/or explored Main Street before meeting for dinner at a local restaurant.

Although the first day was marred by afternoon rain, Saturday was a beautiful day for baseball ... the kind of day Hall of Fame shortstop Ernie Banks would have loved.

It seemed almost inconsequential that Newtown defeated Pomperaug, 3-2.

Here are some of the highlights of the annual Hall of Fame game, which began in 1940 and will continue this year when the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates meet in the 60th annual game ...

1940 – In the inaugural Hall of Fame game between the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, Ted William hit a pair of home runs and Jimmie Foxx doubled but the Cubs won, 10-9, behind Joe Cronin and Billy Herman.

1942 – Stan Musial doubled in the top of the ninth to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Athletics, managed by Connie Mack.

1943 – Since gasoline was banned for domestic use because of World War II, the Brooklyn Dodgers and Chicago White Sox rode into Cooperstown on horses. Luke Appling of the Sox tripled in two runs, but the Dodgers notched a 7-5 win.

1946 – Mel Ott collected a pair of hits and led the New York Giants to a 9-5 win over the Detroit Tigers.

1947 – Joe DiMaggio’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth scored Yogi Berra and sent the New York Yankees and Boston Braves into extra innings … where the Braves would win, 4-3, on an errant throw by Al Lyons.

1949 – Ralph Kiner singled in a run in the top of the first inning, but the Pittsburgh Pirates would fall to the Washington Senators, 8-7. Hall of Famers Kid Nichols (361-208, 2.95 ERA) and Fred Clarke (.312 lifetime hitter) tossed ceremonial first pitches.

1951 – Duke Snider and Carl Furillo homered as the Brooklyn Dodgers (featuring Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and Roy Campanella) smashed the Philadelphia Athletics, 9-4.

1953 – Rogers Hornsby skippered the Cincinnati Reds to a 16-6 win over the Chicago White Sox.

1954 – Mickey Mantle homered in the top of the first and led the New York Yankees to a 10-9 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Casey Stengel managed the Yanks with future Hall of Famers Mantle, Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto and Enos Slaughter (in his first stint in New York).

1955 – Ted Williams blasted a two-run homer in his only at-bat as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Milwaukee Braves, 4-2. Henry Aaron started for the Braves along with Eddie Mathews.

1956 – Dusty Rhodes homered twice, once in the bottom of the 12th inning, to lead the New York Giants to an 11-10 win over the Detroit Tigers. Hoyt Wilhelm earned the win in relief. Al Kaline and Willie Mays both appeared in the game.

1959 – Bill Mazeroski went 3-for-3 with a pair of home runs and rightfielder Roberto Clemente gunned down a runner at home plate but the Pittsburgh Pirates tied the Kansas City Athletics, 5-5, in a game shortened by rain.

1960 – Dick Drott of Chicago fired seven innings of no-hit baseball and led the Cubs to a 5-0 win over the Cleveland Indians. Ernie Banks doubled and scored to power the Cub offense.

1961 – The Los Angeles Dodgers downed the Baltimore Orioles, 6-2, as O’s third baseman Brooks Robinson is informed by public address, during the game, that his wife had given birth to their first son. Duke Snider singled in a run, Don Drysdale pitched in relief, and Whitey Herzog belted a rooftop homer.

1963 – Hank Aaron homered, but the Milwaukee Braves fell, 7-3, to the Boston Red Sox.

1965 – Mickey Mantle doubled and Joe Pepitone and Clete Boyer homered to lead the New York Yankees past the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-5.

1966 – Steve Carlton pitched a complete game, whiffing 10 batters, and leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-5 win over the Minnesota Twins. Orlando Cepeda homered twice for the Cards and Curt Flood scored a pair of runs. Harmon Killebrew singled.

1969 – Graig Nettles homered and Rod Carew singled in a run to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 7-2, rain-shortened win over the Houston Astros.

1971 – Ernie Banks homered, but the Chicago Cubs fell, 13-5, to the Cleveland Indians. It was the final managerial game at Cooperstown for Leo Durocher.

1974 – Hank Aaron (who became the all-time home run king just four months before) singled and led the Atlanta Braves to a 12-9 win over the Chicago White Sox.

1975 – Fred Lynn, Dwight Evans and Carlton Fisk led the Boston Red Sox past the San Francisco Giants, 11-5.

1980 – Willie Stargell blasted a 400-foot home run to centerfield and led the Pittsburgh Pirates to an 11-8 win over the Chicago White Sox.

1982 – Rusty Staub belted a solo home run as the New York Mets and Chicago White Sox dueled to a 4-4 tie. George Foster and Dave Kingman both reached base for the Mets.

1983 – Eddie Murray and Cal Ripken Jr singled but the Baltimore Orioles fell to the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-1.

1985 – Roger Clemens pitched five innings on three-hit ball, but the Houston Astros defeated the Boston Red Sox, 5-3, in extra innings.

1987 – Dennis Rasmussen and Al Leiter combined on a five-hit shutout, leading the New York Yankees to a 3-0 win over the Atlanta Braves.

1988 – Ryne Sandberg homered as the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians battled to a 1-1 draw.

1991 – Kent Hrbek and Chili Davis homered as the Minnesota Twins downed the San Francisco Giants, 6-4.

1992 – Three New York Mets pitchers combined on a one-hitter, leading the Amazin’s to a 3-0 win over the Chicago White Sox.

1994 – Ken Griffey Jr and Alex Rodriguez led the Seattle Mariners to a 4-3 win over the Philadephia Phillies. Just 11 days later, a strike would end the season and force the cancellation of the World Series for the first time in the history of baseball.

1996 – Like Babe Ruth some 60 years before, Rex Hudler of the California Angels stepped to the plate pointed to centerfield … then tripled as the Angels and Montreal Expos battled to a 6-6 tie.

1997 – Eighteen-year-old rookie Adrian Belte had a pair of hits as the Los Angeles Dodgers out-slugged the San Diego Padres, 16-8.

1998 – Rookie Roy Halladay pitched six innings, scattered seven hits, but allowed three runs as the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-1.

2000 – CC Sabathia pitched three innings while Jim Thome and Richie Sexson split time at first base, but the Cleveland Inndians fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 12-7.

2001 – Eighteen-year-old Miquel Cabrera belted a solo home run, but the Florida Marlins fell, 6-2, to the Milwaukee Brewers.

2003 – Pat Burrell homered as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 7-5.

2004 – Andruw Jones homered in his only at-bat as the Atlanta Braves defeated the Minnesota Twins, 10-7.

2005 – Derek Nicholson belted a two-run, walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 6-4 win over the Boston Red Sox in front of 9,773 fans. Nicholson had been called up from the Tigers’ Class A affiliate in Lakeland, Florida, to play in the game.