Since it opened its doors some seventy years ago, the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown has claimed the final word on who deserves baseball immortality, and how the story of America's game should be told. Like all shrines, it is full of secrets. Cooperstown Confidential pulls back the veil to show the Hall's inner workings: the often dubious politics, the players, and the people who own and preserve it. Built on interviews and encounters with a lineup of Hall of Fame members, insiders, advocates, and critics, this is the story of the Hall as it's never been told---from the roguish history of its founding to the battle over steroids, from the economics of induction to secret campaigns by aspiring players. For anyone who cares about baseball, this is essential reading.