Palmer, Morgan Inducted Indoors : Baseball: Hall of Fame ceremonies, postponed a day because of rain, are forced inside when deluge doesn’t let up.

Jim Palmer and Joe Morgan took a slightly different route to baseball immortality today.

The induction ceremonies are usually held outside, allowing the Hall of Famers to bask in the sun and the glory. But two straight days of heavy rain forced a change in the program.

Palmer and Morgan made their induction speeches from the stage of the Cooperstown high school auditorium, with Ted Williams, Bob Feller, Stan Musial and Willie Stargell sitting with them.

The annual Hall of Fame exhibition game, scheduled between Baltimore and Montreal, was canceled.

It was just another crisis to deal with for Commissioner Fay Vincent, who has already handled an earthquake during the World Series, a lockout, an All-Star game rain delay and George Steinbrenner.

“I’m sorry a lot of people who came to share this moment with me didn’t see it,” Palmer said. “This is a celebration of what the game is all about.”

Seating in the auditorium was limited to invited guests and media members. Just in case someone didn’t know where to go, the superintendent of schools was on hand to direct traffic.

Another group watched on a big-screen TV wheeled into the carpeted cafeteria. The lunch tables were moved out of the way and seats were borrowed from classrooms.

Most of the fans, however, stood outside in the rain and listened to the ceremonies on loudspeakers that are usually used to announce the end of recess.

Palmer traced his success to the day he was born.

“I was adopted at birth,” Palmer said. “You wonder about the spiritual part of you. How does this happen that you have parents that want you, that love you and were always there for you.”

For the 5-foot-7 Morgan, it was a lifetime struggle of overcoming his size by using his determination.

“I was very lucky to be able to play baseball,” Morgan said. “I grew up in Oakland. A lot of great players grew up there--Frank Robinson, Vada Pinson, Willie Stargell. “But they had one thing in common--they were all over 6 feet,” he said. “The scouts didn’t want to look at a guy who was 5-foot-5 and 140 pounds.”