Visiting Cooperstown is on my bucket list.

And, Hall of Fame weekend has come and gone, I am reminded of just how much the game of baseball means to me.

So much so, that if I were a Hall voter, no way would I want anybody associated with PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs) to have a bust in Cooperstown. As mentioned before in this space, I liken my reasoning to that of a cop catching a speeder. You don't catch everybody speeding, but the ones you do catch, they receive a ticket.

That means no cheaters in the Hall of Fame. No Pete Rose (gambling, the ultimate sin). No Barry Bonds. No Mark McGwire. No Roger Clemens. No Rafael Palmeiro. No Alex Rodriguez. No David Ortiz. No Manny Ramirez. No Sammy Sosa (who corked a bat).

No way.

* * *

Hall of Fame weekend got me to thinking locally. The Hays Baseball Association always is looking for ways to make money to support the programs. So. why not an HBA Hall of Fame?

Have a Hall of Fame weekend, with a banquet on a Friday night and the inductees introduced between games of a Saturday doubleheader.

And there are plenty of players, coaches and contributors past and present who could be honored.

Obviously, Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman come to mind immediately. And while they are a little busy these days during the summer, a family member could be a proxy. Most inductees would not have that conflict.

Instead of busts of those enshrined, have bricks with the names of those in the HBA Hall of Fame in the entrance to Larks Park. Have the members listed in the media guide, and include a capsule look at that year's inductees.

The banquet could be a money-maker, and -- more importantly -- it would be a chance to honor those who have made contributions in a community with a rich baseball history.

* * *

Don't look now, but football is just around the corner.

Fort Hays State University begins practice next week, and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association has media day on Monday, when the preseason poll is released.

Polls don't mean a whole lot to me -- especially preseason ones. But expect Fort Hays to be in the middle of the pack somewhere in the rugged MIAA.

Two questions for the Tigers:

* Can the high-octane offense -- which was mainly injury-free last year -- avoid injuries this fall while lighting up the scoreboard like a pinball machine?

* Can the defense -- which will have its third coordinator in three seasons -- show some signs of improvement from last season, when injuries took their toll?

Meanwhile, Hays High School and Thomas More Prep-Marian have interesting questions, too:

* What does Hays High football coach Ryan Cornelsen do for an encore after winning his first seven games and the conference title in his first season in 2009?

* How well do the Monarchs adapt to first-year TMP-Marian football coach Jon Borer's spread offense after using a running attack in years past?

We'll know the answers in about three months.

Stay tuned.