Hall of Famers Fergie Jenkins and Ozzie Smith to clash after 39 years while managing rival teams in Classic legends game

The Hall of Fame Classic legends game is a time-honored tradition that has been missed for the last two years. But it is returning to Cooperstown, New York to celebrate the legends of the game.

Fergie Jenkins and Ozzie Smith are reigniting their rivalry from their MLB playing days when they manage rival teams in the annual matchup.

Fergie Jenkins was a Cy Young award-winning pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, while Ozzie Smith was a 15-time All-Star for the St.Louis Cardinals.

In their playing days, they faced off 19 times with the pitcher Fergie Jenkins getting the better of Ozzie Smith, holding him to a .167 batting average.

Both players were extremely deserving of being honored for their career accomplishments in the MLB. Hopefully, their competitive nature will come out in this game.

Fergie Jenkins remains active in the baseball landscape and on social media, asking fans what they thought about this year's Classic legends game on Twitter.

"Who you got?"

The 79-year-old Canadian still has some fire in him and this makes the upcoming match all the more interesting.

Hall of Fame Classic legends game honors the history of baseball

Ozzie Smith is ready to coach in the Classic legends game

Few sports in the world have the same amount of recorded history as baseball. Having statistics tracked from as far back as nearly 150 years ago makes it easier to contextualize how the game has changed.

The Classic legends game that will be played in Cooperstown is the perfect way to honor players who helped to bring that change.

Many big names will be a part of this game, including Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer Wade Boggs on the coaching staff. Also on the coaching staff will be Jack Morris, Tim Raines, Ted Simmons, Lee Smith, and Alan Trammell.

This group of historically great former MLB players have forgotten more about baseball than most will ever know, and deserve this honor.

Playing in this seven-inning game will be 30 veterans of the MLB, including Nick Swisher, David Freese, and Bobby Abreu.

President of the baseball Hall of Fame Josh Rawitch is excited for the upcoming festivities and the game itself, as he said on Twitter.

"Stoked to see my first Hall of Fame Classic and all the weekend events surrounding it"

Baseball is a sport that sometimes gets in its own way when looking to the future. But when it looks to the past, it can find plenty of inspiration to draw on.

Hall of Famers like Fergie Jenkins and Ozzie Smith reigniting a nearly 40 year old rivalry is a great idea that should draw attention to the game they manage.