(Photo Source: cbssports.com)

This is the weekend where the National Baseball Hall of Fame shines

On Sunday, the hall will induct six of the game’s greats. Throughout the weekend in Cooperstown, New York, there will be a celebration of the game’s former stars and their contributions to baseball.

Your Class of 2019: Relief pitcher Mariano Rivera, the only person elected unanimously to the Hall of Fame; the late pitcher Roy Halladay; designated hitter/third baseman Edgar Martinez; pitcher Mike Mussina; outfielder Harold Baines and reliever Lee Smith.

Baines and Smith were chosen as Today’s Game inductees, meaning their eligibility for a vote by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America had expired. The others were chosen by the BBWA.

“Coming from Panama in a small village called Puerto Caimito, and representing at the highest level there is in baseball, to me, it was a privilege,” Rivera said in a recent conference call. “I’m sure that there will be some flags going up in Cooperstown that July 21. I will feel proud. I don’t know sentimental I might get or not, but definitely, I will be proud that my people will be there supporting me and cheering for me the way that they did through my whole career.”

With the six new members, the Hall will have honored 329 players in total.

At 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, the returning members will take part in the Parade of Legends down Cooperstown’s Main Street. The induction ceremony on Sunday is at 1:30 p.m. and will be carried by MLB Network.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman