The Cradle of Aviation Museum will be exhibiting a large portion of the internationally recognized Randy L. Kaplan Collection of autographed baseballs from world leaders and heads of state from September 27 through November 8 to coincide with the World Series and the 2016 presidential elections. The exhibit is free with museum admission.

World Leaders on the Ball! features over 180 signed baseballs from leaders, both past and present, from all over the globe, including the late South African President Nelson Mandela, President Barack Obama and former leaders Mikhail Gorbachev and Margaret Thatcher. The exhibit will also include a timely collection of balls signed by 2016 presidential candidates Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Ted Cruz and John Kasich. Come check out the collection, have a great debate and vote for your favorite!

The Randy L. Kaplan Collection of signed baseballs from world leaders and heads of state brings together the love of collecting autographs from global leaders on what can only be described as an icon of American culture – the baseball! Kaplan, who is a governmental affairs specialist in New York, has been collecting signed baseballs from world leaders and heads of state since 1996 when then President Bill Clinton signed a baseball for him at a meeting in Washington, D.C.

According to Kaplan, “The collection has taken on a life of its own. Almost everyone who I ask is honored to sign a baseball. It is as if every political figure secretly yearned to be a professional ballplayer, at least that is what most of them tell me!”

Randy’s collection has been exhibited at: the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch, Iowa in 2015; the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum in Austin, Texas in 2014; the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, California in 2014; the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Arkansas in 2012 and at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2008.

The Cradle is home to over 75 air and spacecraft, a full dome theater and planetarium and is located on Charles Lindbergh Blvd. in East Garden City. Operating hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 am-5:00 pm.

Kaplan, who is a governmental affairs specialist in New York, has been collecting signed baseballs from world leaders and heads of state since 1996 when then President Bill Clinton signed a baseball for him at a meeting in Washington, D.C. According to Randy, “The collection has taken on a life of its own. Almost everyone who I ask is honored to sign a baseball. It is as if every political figure secretly yearned to be a professional ballplayer, at least that is what most of them tell me!”

A portion of Kaplan’s collection has been displayed at several presidential library-museums:  the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, California, the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library and Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas,  the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan and the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum in Austin, Texas.

In honor of Herbert Hoover’s love for baseball, the exhibit will also showcase baseball memorabilia from the Hoover collection, including tickets, medals, and baseballs. A ball signed by Babe Ruth will be on display, along with another singular ball signed by Herbert Hoover and the New York Yankees.

Another component of The Signature of Baseball will be the history of the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Included will be a timeline of the Kernels history, and items from local legends such as Beldon Hill, Mike Chartak, Art Pennington and others. An interactive feature of the exhibit will be a simulated baseball field, where visitors will learn about the history of the game!

The Signature of Baseball will be on display at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum from January 24 – March 22, 2015. The Museum is located in West Branch, Iowa, ¼ mile off I-80 at Exit 254 and open daily from 9 am – 5 pm.

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The exhibit will be on display through December 14, 2014.

Signed Baseballs from World Leaders and Heads of State

1. Hamid Karzai President (2004- ) Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
2. *Cristina Fernández de Kirchner President (2007 – ) Argentine Republic
3. Kevin Rudd Prime Minister (2007-2010) Commonwealth of Australia
4. *Julia Gillard Prime Minister (2010-2013) Commonwealth of Australia
5. Dr. Heinz Fischer President (2004- ) Republic of Austria
6. Mathieu Kérékou President (1996-2006) Republic of Benin
7. Nebojša Radmanović President (2012- 2013) Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
8. Željko Komšić President (2013- )Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
9. Fernando Cardosa President (2013- ) Federative Republic of Brazil
10. Petar Stoyanov President (1997 – 2002) Republic of Bulgaria
11. Pierre Trudeau Prime Minister (1968-1979) Canada
12. Brian Mulroney Prime Minister (1984-1993) Canada
13. Stephen Harper Prime Minister (2006 – ) Canada
14. Pedro Pires President (2001-2011) Republic of Cabo (Cape) Verde
15. Sebastián Piñera President (2010-2014) Republic of Chile
16. *Michelle Bachelet President (2014- ) Republic of Chile
17. Álvaro Uribe Velez President (2002-2010) Republic of Colombia
18. Juan Manuel Santos President (2010- ) Republic of Colombia
19. Óscar Arias President (2006-2010) Republic of Costa Rica
20. *Laura Chinchilla President (2014- ) Republic of Costa Rica
21. Václav Havel President (1993-2003) Czech Republic
22. Václav Klaus President (2008-2013) Czech Republic
23. Anders Fogh Rasmussen Prime Minister (2001-1009) Kingdom of Denmark
24. Leonel Fernández President (2004- ) Dominican Republic
25. Alfredo Palacio President (2005-2007) Republic of Ecuador
26. Toomas Hendrik Ilves President (2006- ), Republic of Estonia
27. Meles Zenawi Prime Minister (1995-2012) Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
28. Hailemariam Desalegn Prime Minister (2012- ) Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
29. Martti Ahtisaari President (1994-2000), Republic of Finland
30. Jacques Chirac President (1995-2007) French Republic
31. François Hollande President (2012- ) French Republic
32. Eduard Shevardnadze President (1995-2003) Georgia
33. Irakli Garibashvili Prime Minister (2013- ) Georgia
34. Helmut Schmidt Chancellor (1974-1982) Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany)
35. Helmut Kohl Chancellor (1982-1990) Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany)
36. Chancellor (1990-1998) Federal Republic of Germany (Unified Germany)
37. Gerhard Schroeder Chancellor (1998-2005) Federal Republic of Germany
38. *Angela Merkel Chancellor (2005- ) Federal Republic of Germany
39. Jerry John Rawlings President (1993-2001) Republic of Ghana
40. Tillman Thomas Prime Minister (2008-2013) Grenada
41. Antonis Samaras Prime Minister (2012- ) Hellenic Republic (Greece)
42. *Mary Robinson President (1990-1997) Republic of Ireland
43. Brian T. Cowen Taoiseach (2008-2011) Republic of Ireland
44. Enda Kenny Taoiseach (2011- ) Republic of Ireland
45. Shimon Peres President (2007- ) State of Israel
46. Yitzhak Shamir  Prime Minister (1986-1992) State of Israel
47. Yitzhak Rabin Prime Minister (1992-1995) State of Israel
48. Benjamin Netanyahu Prime Minister (2009- ) State of Israel
49. Mario Monti Prime Minister (2011-2013) Italian Republic
50. Enrico Letta Prime Minister (2013-2014) Italian Republic
51. Shinzo Abe Prime Minister (2012- ) State of Japan
52. His Majesty Hussein bin Talal King (1952-1999) Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
53. His Majesty Abdullah II bin
54. al-Hussein King (1999- ) Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
55. Raila Odinga Prime Minister (2008-2013) Republic of Kenya
56. *Atifete Jahjaga President (2011- ) Republic of Kosovo
57. Cassam Uteem President (1992-2002) Republic of Mauritius
58. Ernesto Zedillo President (1994-2000) United Mexican States
59. Vicente Fox President (2000-2006) United Mexican States
60. Felipe Calderón President (2006-2012) United Mexican States
61. His Excellency Joseph J.
62. Urusema President (2003-2007) Federated States of Micronesia
63. His Excellency Emanuel “Manny” Mori President (2007- ) Federated States of Micronesia
64. His Serene Highness Albert II Prince (2005- ) Principality of Monaco
65. Willem “Wim” Kok Jr. Prime Minister (1994-2002) Netherlands
66. *Helen Clark Prime Minister (1999-2008) New Zealand
67. Ọlúségun Ọbásanjọ́ President (1999-2007) Federal Republic of Nigeria
68. *Gro Harlem Brundtland Prime Minister (1990-1996) Kingdom of Norway
69. *Benazir Bhutto Prime Minister (1995-1996) Islamic Republic of Pakistan
70. Pervez Musharraf President (2001-2008) Islamic Republic of Pakistan
71. Alan Garcia Pérez President (2006-2010) Republic of Peru
72. *Corazón Aquino President (1986-1992) Republic of the Philippines
73. * Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo President (2001-2010) Republic of the Philippines
74. Lech Wałęsa President (1990-1995) Republic of Poland
75. Aleksander Kwaśniewski President (1995-2005) Republic of Poland
76. Jorge Sampaio President (1996-2006) Portuguese Republic
77. Anibal Cavaco Silva President (2006- ) Portuguese Republic
78. His Highness Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Emir (2013–present) State of Qatar
79. Ralph Gonsalves Prime Minister (2001- ) St. Vincent and the Grenadines
80. Macky Sall President (2011- ) Republic of Senegal
81. Borut Pahor President (2012- ) Republic of Sloveni
82. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud President (2012- ) Federal Republic of Somalia
83. F.W. de Klerk State President (1984-1994) Republic of South Africa
84. Nelson Mandela President (1994-1999) Republic of South Africa
85. Jacob Zuma President (2009- ) Republic of South Africa
86. Kim Dae-jung President (1998-2003) Republic of Korea (South Korea)
87. Lee Myung-bak President (2008-2013) Republic of Korea (South Korea)
88. José Maria Aznar Prime Minister (1996-2004) Kingdom of Spain
89. Chen Shui-Bian President (2000-2008) Republic of China (Taiwan)
90. Benjamin Mkapa President (1995-2006) United Republic of Tanzania
91. His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso Dalia Lama (1950- ) Central Tibetan Administration (Govt in Exile)
92. Mehdi Jomaa Prime Minister (2014- ) Tunisian Republic
93. Abdullah Gül President (2007- ) Republic of Turkey
94. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Prime Minister (2003- ) Republic of Turkey
95. *Margaret Thatcher Prime Minister (1979-90) United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
96. John Major Prime Minister (1990-1997) United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
97. Tony Blair Prime Minister (1997-2007) United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
98. David Cameron Prime Minister (2010- ) United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
99. Mikhail Gorbachev   President (1990-1991) United Soviet Socialist Republics (Russia)
100. Richard M. Nixon President (1969-1974) United States of America
101. Gerald R. Ford President (1974-1976) United States of America
102. Betty Ford     First Lady (1974-1976)
103. Jimmy Carter President (1976-1981) United States of America
104. Rosalynn Carter First Lady (1976-1981)
105. Walter Mondale Vice President (1976-1981)
106. Ronald Reagan President (1981-1989) United States of America
107. Nancy Reagan First Lady (1981-1989)
108. George H.W. Bush President (1989-1993) United States of America
109. Barbara Bush First Lady (1989-1993)
110. Dan Quayle Vice President (1989-1993)
111. Bill Clinton President (1993-2001) United States of America
112. Kaplan Collection – Page 5
113. Hillary R. Clinton First Lady (1993-2001)
114. Al Gore Vice President (1993-2001)
115. George W. Bush President (2001-2009) United States of America
116. Laura Bush First Lady (2001-2009)
117. Dick Cheney Vice President (2001-2009)
118. Barack Obama President (2009- ) United States of America
119. Michelle Obama First Lady (2009- )
120. Joe Biden Vice President (2009- )

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On deck at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum is a new showcase that displays the colorful history between our Presidents and the game of baseball through rare memorabilia and one-of-a-kind artifacts.

Play Ball! Presidents and Baseball opens Sunday, April 6 at 1PM with ceremonial fanfare. All youth players in uniform and their families will receive free admission to the opening and will be the first to see the new exhibit, to be presented in the Library’s 4,100 sq. foot special exhibit gallery. Former Marine Corps Aide to President Nixon, Colonel Jack Brennan, who attended many baseball games with the President, will speak at the opening ceremony.

“Baseball has always had legions of celebrity fans, but few were more enthusiastic and knowledgeable than President Nixon,” said Peter Ueberroth, Major League Baseball Commissioner 1984-1989. “I knew him well, and was always amazed how he could accurately quote statistics on players, teams, leagues and especially the Umpires. He knew and loved the game.”

During Richard Nixon’s post-presidential years he wrote personal letters to some of his favorite players, and several will be on display for the first time. These include notes to Yankees pitcher Dave Righetti on his Fourth of July no-hitter, which the President witnessed in-person, Mets outfielder Darryl Strawberry with words of encouragement on a 1986 hitting slump, and a congratulatory letter to Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan on his Major League-record seventh no-hitter.

Also on display is correspondence between Richard Nixon and Jackie Robinson on baseball and civil rights, video of the 37th President giving a New York Mets postgame TV interview, and the President’s 1992 handwritten notes about his most memorable baseball experiences as a fan.

For the first time, visitors will have the rare opportunity to see documents from Major League Baseball’s hiring of Richard Nixon to act as arbitrator during a 1985 salary dispute between the league and the umpires over the expansion of the post-season.

Featured artifacts from other Presidential Libraries include a Babe Ruth signed ball to Herbert Hoover’s daughter-in-law Margaret Hoover, Harry Truman’s glove and baseball he used to throw out the first pitch at the American League opener in 1955, and a ball signed by Honus Wagner to one of his lifelong fans, Dwight Eisenhower.

Several treasures will be on display from the personal collection of former Dodgers President Peter O’Malley. These include an engraved watch presented to his father and former Dodgers President Walter O’Malley by Congressman John F. Kennedy in 1952. In July 1950, Dodger President Branch Rickey had offered his shares of stock for sale to Ambassador Joseph Kennedy and he refused the offer to purchase. According to a quote by Walter O’Malley years later, Ambassador Kennedy’s interest was to purchase the Dodgers and have John F. Kennedy be named as president.

The exhibition is included with regular admission. It is jointly presented by the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum and the Richard Nixon Foundation. There will be additional baseball programming throughout the spring and summer.

Members of the media interested in covering the exhibit, click here to contact the Nixon Foundation.

“The timing is impeccable,” said Stephanie S. Streett, executive director of the William J. Clinton Foundation. “Arkansans are paying special attention to this year’s World Series, and we are thrilled to partner with the Cardinals’ Organization to bring this exhibit to Little Rock on the heels of their National League (and possible World Series) championship!”

Opening on March 3, 2012, “Play Ball” is a partnership with the St. Louis Cardinals Organization and will feature items such as the World Series trophy from 2006, championship rings, and Baseball Hall of Fame member and Arkansas Native Dizzy Dean’s jersey. The exhibit runs through September 16, 2012.

“We are delighted to partner with the Clinton Center to showcase the rich history and exciting legacy of the St. Louis Cardinals,” said Bill DeWitt III, President of the St. Louis Cardinals. “This a great opportunity to view artifacts from the Cardinals organization which has the best team collection in all of baseball.”

Over the last fifteen years, the Cardinals have invested over a million dollars upgrading the Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum collection which is now second only to Cooperstown in terms of size with over 15,000 artifacts.

The Clinton Center will announce additional information regarding “Play Ball!” – including an impressive list of educational programs and events – in the upcoming months.

Grand Rapids, Mich…Who was better? Babe or Willie Mays, Honus Wagner or Alex Rodriguez, Walter Johnson or Sandy Koufax? Could Ty Cobb put up the same gaudy statistics in today’s game? Would Barry Bonds put up even greater home run totals had he played against 1920s pitching? Baseball historians and fans of our national pastime love to argue such points.

A new feature exhibit at the Gerald R. Ford Museum is sure to spark more debate among baseball fans. Born to Play Ball looks at the fifty greatest players in the game’s history five at every position including the best left- and right-handed pitchers. The exhibit was done in collaboration with the George Herbert Walker Bush Presidential Museum and features numerous artifacts from Cooperstown’s National Baseball Hall of Fame and collectors.

Jim Kratas, Deputy Director at the Ford Museum, readily admits that many will take issue with who is included and not included on the list, but that was part of the intent to create Born to Play Ball. “We wanted to get baseball fans talking about what greats of the game they would include, as well as to remember players from bygone eras who would certainly be stars today.”

Born to Play Ball opens on August 8, 2008 and will run until January 4, 2009.

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