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Elliott holds VIP Night with Kiner and Kaat

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Contributed by: Hugo Ottolenghi on 10/28/2009

STUART, Fla. - Elliot Paul came for the baseball and camaraderie. He had a conversation with Hall of Fame slugger Ralph Kiner. He heard 283-game winner Jim Kaat talk about the time that a line drive knocked out his teeth. And he saw the World Series trophy of the 1997 Florida Marlins.

"There is such a love of the game, almost a reverence for its ballplayers and baseball artifacts, said Paul, a lifelong Chicago White Sox fan. "The stories behind these baseball bats, balls, cards and rings evoke memories for people. I don't think any sport transmits those feelings better than baseball."

Paul was among about 150 people who gathered at the Elliott Museum on Oct. 22 for a night devoted to fans of baseball. The museum transformed its main exhibit hall into a baseball stadium with bunting, a diamond and stadium seating. The exhibit ended Oct. 25 and another is planned for March to recognize Spring Training in Florida.

Kiner and Kaat were the guests of honor. Kiner was the Major League home run leader for six consecutive seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and batted in more than 1,100 runs. Kaat won 283 games as a starting pitcher for the Minnesota Twins and other teams.

Museum chairman Scott Baratta introduced the Kiner and Kaat to the crowd, along with former Major League players Tommy Hutton, Rusty Meachem and Rob Murphy, plus current Major Leaguer Scott Proctor. All are part of an active community of former players who live near the museum. After their remarks, Baratta looked to the future of the baseball at the museum.

"Baseball will be an even bigger part of the Elliott when we build our new museum on this very spot," Baratta said. "I like to think of the Elliott as Florida's baseball museum. We have a world-class collection of cards, baseballs, bats and artifacts. We are on our way to making the Elliott the home for baseball in Florida."

The connection between the Elliott and baseball was evident in a display case containing World Series and All-Star rings loaned by Hal Evans, a museum supporter and consultant. He worked for the commissioner of baseball, managing Hall of Fame weekends and marketing the league.

On the opposite wall were items that Kaat loaned for the evening, including his World Series bats, one of his Golden Glove awards and the baseball that knocked out several teeth on a comeback line drive.

The items were surrounded by the Elliott's collection, which consists of hundreds of artifacts on all baseball teams and most Hall of Fame players. They include Shoeless Joe Jackson's bat, a baseball signed by every player on the 1932 World Series champion New York Yankees and hundreds of signed baseball cards, some dating back a century.

ABOUT THE ELLIOTT MUSEUM

For over four decades, The Elliott Museum on Hutchinson Island in Stuart, Florida, has served as a cultural and educational resource for thousands of residents, tourists and automobile enthusiasts. The Elliott Museum is a celebration of innovation . . . of how creativity and ingenuity have changed lives, and made history. It is owned and operated by the Historical Society of Martin County, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and interpreting our region's heritage. The mission of the Elliott Museum is to interpret and celebrate the genius of innovation, creativity and the historical events in Martin County and the surrounding region, all within an environment of learning and discovery.

The Historical Society of Martin County, headquartered at the Elliott Museum in Stuart, was founded in 1955 and operates both the Elliott Museum and the House of Refuge at Gilbert's Bar, Martin County's oldest building. The HSMC collects and preserves American life in the context of the St. Lucie River region. A private non-profit organization, the HSMC relies on membership and charitable donations to continue the mission of educating the community about the richness of our area. The Elliott Museum houses one of the finest collections of American antiques, decorative arts, baseball memorabilia and vintage automobiles that celebrate the Golden Age of American creativity, and of course, local and Florida history. for more information on the Elliott, visit www.elliottmuseumfl.org

For more information on the baseball collection and plans for the next exhibit, contact Pat Williams of Pat Williams & Associates (772-781-5240). At the museum, contact executive director Robin Hicks-Connors (772-225-1961, ext. 109), deputy manager Ozzie Monzon (ext. 112) or development manager Amy Christensen (ext. 110).

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