Cooperstown, New York-Doubleday Field, originally uploaded by mpburrows.

I can’t think of very many times I’m on the same page as Sen. Hillary Clinton and Rep. Mikey Arcuri, but when it comes to saving the Baseball Hall of Fame Game, I’ll do whatever it takes. Clinton and Arcuri today wrote to Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig and Players Association chief Don Fehr asking them to reverse their decision to end the game after this year.

For nearly 70 years, the Hall of Fame Game has brought avid baseball fans from across the globe to the Village of Cooperstown, NY, for the opportunity to step back in time and enjoy the historic nature of the game.

We were very disheartened to learn that Major League Baseball’s decision is based on the “logistical complexities” of finding teams to participate each year. It seems clear to us that with ticket prices, player salaries and concession prices at record highs, Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association could work together to address any logistical difficulties in order to continue participating in the Hall of Fame Game.

I grew up a short drive to Cooperstown, N.Y., and have many fond memories of Hall of Fame Weekend. My family has been going to the induction ceremony and game for years; my last time was in 2001 for the Pirates’ Bill Mazeroski induction. In the years since, the game has undergone some big changes, most notably being played on a different weekend from the Hall of Fame induction. It has continued to draw a big crowd, and last year even featured Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci, who made a cameo appearance as a Toronto Blue Jay.

Major League Baseball’s decision is regretful for several reasons, but most notably because it does more damage to a sport that already has a major image problem in the wake of the Steroids Era. The Hall of Fame Game represented the one moment during the season where authenticity and tradition trumped entertainment and money. By canceling the game, Selig and Fehr are showing their true colors as a greedy businessman with little regard for baseball’s history.

Please voice your opinion in favor of keeping the game at a Save the Hall of Fame Game website created by Cooperstown native Kristian Connolly. This effort could get a real boost from Hall of Famers such as Cal Ripken. It was during the Orioles visit to Doubleday Field in 1998 that Ripken stood outside the stadium and signed autographs for every spectator who wanted one; it was a remarkable act of generosity.

Who knows if this grassroots effort will have any real impact, but I applaud Clinton and Arcuri for standing up for Cooperstown. We don’t agree on much, but in this case, baseball has brought us together.