Amidst a sea of baseball fanfare, the United States Navy made a big announcement on Saturday in Cooperstown during Hall of Fame induction weekend. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus proclaimed the next Freedom-variant littoral combat ship to come off the line at the Lockheed Martin factory in Marinette, Wisc., will be named USS Cooperstown (LCS 23).  The ceremony, at Doubleday field, was in honor of the 64 Baseball Hall of Fame veterans who served in conflicts from the Civil War to the Korean War.

Most notably, the ceremony recognized Hall of Famer Bob Feller who drove to Norfolk, Virginia on December 9, 1941 to enlist just 2 days after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.  The ceremony was in recognition of the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII (August 15, 1945).

More than 1000 additional major league baseball players who have not made it into the hall are also veterans, according to the Hall's website.

July 25, 2015, Cooperstown, NY (Photo by Don Liable for WIBX)
July 25, 2015, Cooperstown, NY (Photo by Don Liable for WIBX)
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According to a news release, the ship will be a 'fast, agile surface combatant, the LCS provides the required war fighting capabilities and operational flexibility to execute a variety of missions in areas such as mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare.'

July 25, 2015 - Cooperstown, NY (Photo by Don Liable for WIBX)
July 25, 2015 - Cooperstown, NY (Photo by Don Liable for WIBX)
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It will be 388 feet long and will be capable of traveling at speeds in excess of 40 knots.

Cooperstown will be built with modular design incorporating mission packages that can be changed out quickly as combat needs change in a region. These mission packages are supported by detachments that deploy both manned and unmanned vehicles, and sensors in support of mine, undersea, and surface warfare missions.  -Baseball Hall of Fame

click here for more about MLB's contribution to the U.S. military

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