Visit the History of America’s Pastime on Your Way to Downtown Gloversville
Those who played little league ball or spent youthful summers playing neighborhood pick-up games, along with those who idolize Mickey Mantle or know the statistics of every World Series Champion team, will want to visit the City of Gloversville as it is a place all baseball fans will want to put on their Bucket List.
Just outside Downtown Gloversville, Harrison Street is the new Mecca of Baseball with both the historic Parkhurst Field and the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame beckoning those who love everything baseball to come explore the history behind the National Pastime of the United States.
At Parkhurst Field, the stadium is a perfect replica of the original from 1906 that held 1500 spectators and is so flawless that one could almost hear the crack of the bat and the roar of the crowds despite sitting alone in the grandstand seats on an early Monday morning. The field was a popular stop on the FJ&G Railroad line. Visit website
www.parkhurstfield.org to learn more about its history and how many baseball greats such as Cy Young played on the field. The park was home to exhibition games that featured teams such as the Cuban Giants and the Brooklyn Royal Giants. The park has always been in use for games as in 1955 the Gloversville Little League began to play on the grounds and continues to do so to this day.
Retired stockbroker and baseball fanatic Rene LeRoux brought his dream of a baseball museum to Gloversville, choosing this city because of Parkhurst Field and being only 45 minutes away from the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. The Hall of Fame Museum not only has historic baseball artifacts such as signed balls, jerseys, bats, photos and cards, it also has a movie theatre complete with authentic stadium seating. Displays set up as lockers show off jerseys
and collections from players including Mickey Mantle and Mookie Wilson. Ian Anderson, a local star that is a Saratoga County native who graduated from Shenendehowa High School in Clifton Park in 2016, also donated items as he pitched for the 2021 World Series Champion Atlanta Braves.
Those who don’t know stats will also enjoy visiting these two sites. Remember the character “Moonlight” Doc Graham and the movie “Field of Dreams”? It will give you pleasure to know the real Moonlight Graham played at Parkhurst. Most people know the reputation of sports announcer Bob Costas. He was inducted in this Hall of Fame and a plaque hangs on its walls in his honor. (To learn about other inductees, visit www.nysbhof.com)
As hot dogs are the top treat at baseball games, this trip would not be complete without getting a bite to eat at the New York Lunch, located on Bleecker Street. If baseball is the National Pastime of the United States, this restaurant is a slice of Americana and
certainly goes hand in glove with a tour of the field and museum. In existence since the 1930s, the New York Lunch establishment has been known for its hot dogs. While current owner Tammy Capano has been at the helm for nearly 25 years and serves a wide variety of home cooked meals and fabulous lunches, she keeps the eatery’s reputation for its hot dogs fresh as she serves them with a wide variety of toppings, including her famous meat sauce.
Spend a day in Gloversville appreciating the sites dedicated to your beloved pastime. It will bring back childhood memories and will create new ones for you and your family.
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