COOPERSTOWN, NY - Baseball's greatest stories are preserved forever at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown.

This year, some of baseball's greatest storytellers are coming to Cooperstown to share their work as part of the Museum's annual Authors' Series offerings.

The Hall of Fame's Summer Authors' Series gets under way May 28 and continues throughout June, July and August. The program brings several noted writers to the Hall of Fame's Bullpen Theater for special lectures as fans can hear first-hand how their stories became part of written history. These educational presentations allow visitors to learn the story behind the stories.

Several books feature close-up looks at Hall of Famers, including Kostya Kennedy's 56: Joe DiMaggio and the Last Magic Number in Sports, George Vecsey's Stan Musial: An American Life and Neil Lanctot's Campy: The Two Lives of Roy Campanella.

All Author Series programs are included with Museum admission.

The 2011 Authors' Series schedule includes:

• Saturday, May 28 - 56: Joe DiMaggio and the Last Magic Number in Sports by Kostya Kennedy, 11:30 a.m.
• Saturday, June 4 - Baseball and Cricket: The Creation of American Team Sports, 1838-1872 by George Kirsch, 3 p.m.
• Friday, June 17 - The Game from Where I Stand: A Ballplayer's Inside View by former big leaguer Doug Glanville, 2 p.m.
• Tuesday, June 21 - The House That Ruth Built: A New Stadium, the First Yankees Championship, and the Redemption of 1923 by Robert Weintraub, 1 p.m.
• Tuesday, June 28 - Lipman Pike: America's First Home Run King by Richard Michelson, 1 p.m.
• Tuesday, July 5 - High Heat: The Secret History of the Fastball and the Improbably Search for the Fastest Pitcher of All Time by Tim Wendel, 1 p.m.
• Tuesday, July 26 - Roger Maris: Baseball's Reluctant Hero by Tom Clavin and Danny Peary, 1 p.m.
• Tuesday, Aug. 2 - Stan Musial: An American Life by George Vecsey, 1 p.m.
• Tuesday, Aug. 9 - Cuban Star: How One Negro-League Owner Changed the Face of Baseball by Adrian Burgos Jr., 1 p.m.
• Tuesday, Aug. 16 - Baseball in Blue and Gray: The National Pastime during the Civil War by George Kirsch, 1 p.m.
• Tuesday, Aug. 23 - Campy: The Two Lives of Roy Campanella by Neil Lanctot, 1 p.m.

During each Author Series Program, authors will share inside stories of their works, giving Museum visitors a chance to go beyond the pages to learn more about each subject and topical exploration. Following a formal Author's Series discussion, authors will sign copies of their books, which are available through the Museum's bookstore. For more information about these and other programs, please visit www.baseballhall.org.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is open seven days a week year round, with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. The Museum observes regular hours of 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. from Labor Day until Memorial Day Weekend. From Memorial Day through the day before Labor Day, the Museum is open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. seven days a week. Ticket prices are $19.50 for adults (13 and over), $12 for seniors (65 and over) and for those holding current memberships in the VFW, Disabled American Veterans, American Legion and AMVets organizations, and $7 for juniors (ages 7-12). Members are always admitted free of charge and there is no charge for children 6 years of age or younger. For more information, visit our Web site at baseballhall.org or call 888-HALL-OF-FAME (888-425-5633) or 607-547-7200.