HoF President To Speak at Meredith Sport Management Speaker Series

ONEONTA—Josh Rawitch, president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, will headline the Meredith Sport Management Speaker Series in Hartwick College’s Anderson Theatre at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 16 . The event is free and open to the public.

Rawitch, who addressed Hartwick graduates at commencement in 2023, is in his fifth year leading the Hall of Fame and his 31st season working in the baseball industry. He oversees the daily operations of the nonprofit educational institution, which employs nearly 100 full-time staff members with the mission to preserve history, honor excellence and connect generations.

Since arriving in Cooperstown, Rawitch has spearheaded initiatives to keep the 86-year-old institution relevant for new generations of fans, including technological advancements, unique events such as the 2023 Savannah Bananas game, and “The Souls of the Game: Voices of Black Baseball,” a 2024 exhibit launched alongside the first-ever Hall of Fame East-West Classic. The hall’s current major project, “Yakyu | Baseball: The Transpacific Exchange of the Game,” opened in July 2025. It explores the shared baseball traditions of Japan and the United States and coincides with the induction of the first Japanese-born baseball player, Ichiro Suzuki.

Rawitch previously spent 10 seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks as senior vice president of content and communications and 15 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers in marketing and public relations. He was also among the first employees of MLB Advanced Media, covering the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants.

His contributions to Major League Baseball have been widely recognized. In 2018, Rawitch received the prestigious Robert O. Fishel Award, which honors ethics, character, service and professionalism in the game. He has also helped organize MLB’s Winter Meetings charity auction, which has raised more than $2 million for causes nationwide. A Los Angeles native, Rawitch holds a bachelor’s degree in sports marketing and management with a business minor from Indiana University.

The Meredith Sport Management Speaker Series honors Thom Meredith ’73 for his extraordinary contributions to sport management and his dedication to preparing future professionals. Each year, the series brings prominent leaders to campus to engage with students, faculty and the community, reflecting Hartwick College’s commitment to fostering academic excellence, providing real-world learning opportunities and strengthening its longstanding tradition of athletics.

Hartwick has been home to a strong athletic program for many years and the lecture series underscores the college’s dedication to preparing students for successful careers in the dynamic world of sports.