COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- The Hall of Fame plaques of Puerto Rico's baseball royalty - Roberto Alomar, Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Clemente and Tony Perez - will leave their home in Cooperstown to travel to Puerto Rico, from December 16-19, as the Hall of Fame pays homage to the homeland of four of its beloved heroes.

The four-day visit to cities across the commonwealth of Puerto Rico will mark the first time in the 73-year history of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum that more than two Hall of Fame plaques have traveled simultaneously, as the Museum expands its outreach in Latin America by providing an exclusive opportunity to the fans of Puerto Rico in the year in which Alomar was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Hosted in conjunction with Museo del Deporte de Puerto Rico in Guaynabo, the visit of the four Hall of Fame plaques will include public showings in Guaynabo, Guayama, Salinas and Ponce.

"The baseball fans of Puerto Rico are among the best in the world," said Jeff Idelson, President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. "In celebrating the induction of one of their heroes this summer, Roberto Alomar, we are honored to share some of Cooperstown with the passionate baseball fans of Puerto Rico. The love they have for their game and their stars is truly unmatched. We are very appreciative to our friends at Museo del Deporte de Puerto Rico for making our visit possible."

A private event and unveiling of the plaques will take place at the Museo del Deporte de Puerto Rico on Friday, December 16 at 5 p.m. and will feature a special evening hosted by the Museo featuring Puerto Rican dignitaries, former and current players.

"The contributions of Puerto Ricans to the game of baseball are seen all around the world, but no more so than at the home of baseball in Cooperstown," said Rafi Serrano, Executive Director of Museo del Deporte de Puerto Rico. "For generations, Puerto Rican influence has touched the Hall of Fame. Now, a part of the Hall of Fame is coming to Puerto Rico. We are thrilled to honor these native sons who have left an indelible mark on the game."

The plaques will visit four cities in four days, including the opening reception in Guaynabo on Dec. 16:

• On Saturday, December 17, the plaques will be on display at the Museo in Guaynabo from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. and will be available for viewing for Museo visitors;
• On Sunday, December 18, the plaques will travel in the morning to the town of Guayama, followed by the afternoon visit to Salinas, the home town of Roberto Alomar and his baseball family, at the Olympic Training Center, in the afternoon hours.
• On Monday, December 19, the plaques will be on display in the town of Ponce.

In order to facilitate the visit to Puerto Rico, the four Hall of Fame plaques will be removed from display in Cooperstown from December 15-21. The plaques are expected to return to exhibit on December 22.

This marks only the third time a Hall of Fame plaque has traveled outside the continental U.S., as the Hall of Fame previously traveled Roberto Clemente's plaque in 2000 to Puerto Rico and Juan Marichal's plaque to the Dominican Republic in 2008. Only on rare selected occasions have the Hall of Fame plaques left their home in Cooperstown for events, typically involving a team celebration or memorial.

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 Weekend through the day before Labor Day, the Museum observes summer hours of 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. 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.