A Hall of Fame summer

Two students with local ties will serve as interns at Cooperstown.

Chad Jones is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. So is Sean Gallagher.

Really. Standing right there alongside the gold plaques of Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Joe DiMaggio and the rest of the gang are two men with ties to Southeast Missouri.

Their presence won't be as permanent as Ruth, Aaron and DiMaggio, but for this summer at least, Jones and Gallagher will spend a lot of time at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.

And best of all, they'll get paid for it.

Or maybe best of all, they will have a lifetime of memories.

Or maybe best of all, they will make contacts in professional baseball that could change their professional careers and their lives.

Jones and Gallagher are two of 27 interns working at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum this summer as part of the Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program. More than 300 college students applied to part of the program, which is in its fifth year. The internship program began Monday and concludes Aug. 12, about two weeks after this year's induction ceremony.

The interns are housed at Hartwick College in nearby Oneonta and each receives a $2,250 stipend.

"It's a pretty awesome internship," said Melissa Marietta, manager of Educational Leadership Programs for the Hall of Fame.

That's why Gallagher, a St. Charles, Mo., resident who is finishing up his studies this summer at Southeast Missouri State, reacted as he did when he learned he was accepted in the program in February.

"I was out washing my car on William Street when they called," Gallagher said, "and I think everyone on the street must've thought I was crazy because I was jumping up and down."

Jones, a 2000 Central graduate who will finish up this winter at Harris-Stowe, earned his spot in the program as an Ozzie Smith Diversity Scholar, which is awarded annually to a Harris-Stowe student.

Baseball background

Jones had played baseball at Central and was part of a 23-8 team that made the state quarterfinal round in his senior season. He played baseball for three years at Harris-Stowe, where he is majoring in business administration.

Jones will work in the museum programs during his internship, while Gallagher will work in membership.

Their experiences also will include working the Hall of Fame induction weekend -- Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg will join the Hall on July 31 -- and traveling to Philadelphia at Peggy Steele's invitation to attend a Phillies game.

Neither Jones nor Gallagher is set on professional sports yet as a career.

Jones, in fact, plans to work in pharmaceutical sales or possibly finance.

He was nonchalant about the chance to work at the Hall of Fame when he first learned of the internship program.

"I was doing some work in a hallway when a counselor asked me if I was interested," Jones said. "I didn't think much of it."

He went through the process for the Ozzie Smith program, which included writing an essay and being interviewed in St. Louis by Marietta.

"I was always a fan of baseball growing up," Jones said. "I had been around baseball all my life, and I'm excited about the chance to be a part of baseball history.

"Hopefully, the internship could open some doors to work in sports. I've got my mind set on pharmaceutical sales, but if this opens some doors and keeps me tied into sports in some way, I would be interested in that.

"Basically," Jones added, "I'm looking forward to the opportunity to meet new people and improve my leadership skills. This will prepare me for a career after college."

Part of Jones' duties in museum programs will include researching and giving presentations on new exhibits in the museum's rotation.

He also will have a chance to assist Ozzie Smith during the summer when the Cardinals Hall of Fame shortstop comes to Cooperstown for "Turn Two," which raises money for the scholarship program by allowing donors to turn double plays with Ozzie Smith at Doubleday Field.

"Who knows what it could lead to after this?" Jones said.

A future GM?

Gallagher isn't certain that professional sports is his calling, but the 2000 graduate of DeSmet Jesuit High School in St. Louis County isn't shy about what his aspirations in the business would be.

"The dream is to be a general manager," said Gallagher, who switched his major from sports management to communication studies during his college career. "That is something I'd love to do and something I'm capable of doing. That's the avenue I would strive for."

Of course, Gallagher has joined the hundreds of thousands of armchair GMs in playing fantasy baseball over the years.

"I try to avoid it because I can't just play it casually," Gallagher said. "I usually try to avoid them because they eat into my free time, but I got into one this year."

Before starting on a path that could lead to becoming a professional GM, Gallagher is planning to follow his summer internship with a one-year commitment to AmeriCorps in City Year New York. He will work in elementary schools in New York City, tutoring students and working in other civic capacities.

"That could change if a professional sports entry level position opened up," Gallagher said, "but this will kind of tell me which is tugging me more."

He had used an internship data service to locate opportunities for this summer.

"They sent a lot of things that didn't really appeal," Gallagher said. But then came the Hall of Fame opportunity.

Gallagher said he worked with professor Glen Williams for several hours following winter finals to craft the resume and cover letter that made up his application. His process included a phone interview.

As an intern in the membership department, Gallagher will work on marketing the Hall of Fame to potential donors.

He eventually hopes to return to school in pursuit of a law degree or other postgraduate work.

Gallagher believes there are many great experiences ahead this summer, but two especially came to mind.

"Hall of Fame weekend will be in the top of the running," Gallagher said. "All the living Hall of Famers are invited to come back, and we get to work the dinner with the inductees.

"And the first time I get my check with the Hall of Fame logo will be something no one can take away from me. It's a dream come true, for a summer at least, to work at someplace where every professional baseball player wants to be some day."