Spanning Time: Binghamton’s baseball history comes first circle
Through all of the years, this writer has been involved in all types of historical activities. Some are more fun than others.
For example, preparing an annual budget, sitting through numerous committee meetings to await funding on how much money your department would receive each year. Necessary, but not fun.
Another example is typing up name tags or creating conference packets for 150 attendees for an historical conference for attendees from across New York. Again, all very necessary, but not what I would call fun.
Then, there are times, it doesn’t feel like work when it all feels good. This is one of those times. For the last few months, I have been involved with several people with the Broome County Historical Society, the Village of Johnson City, and the Johnson City Senior’s Center to make something happen. Through the inspiration of Warren Alpaugh and the excellent detective work with GPS of Roger Luther, Broome County Historian, we determined where the home plate of Johnson Field was located.
Johnson Field was the baseball stadium in Johnson City that was home of the Triplets baseball team from 1913 to 1968 when it was demolished for the construction of Route 17 through that area. Affiliated for many years with the Yankee baseball team, the Yankees would play an exhibition game each year at the stadium with the assistance of George F. Johnson, owner of the Triplets and Johnson Field. What a thrill for residents to able to watch Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig walk up to home plate for their turn against the Triplets.
Many local kids would stand outside the backfield so they could pick up baseball hits out of the centerfield wall that was shorter than league standards, and then try and sell those baseballs back to the team. Many of the players rented rooms from people in that neighborhood. Then, after all those years, the stadium and the team were gone. On that empty lot, a new building – a senior citizen’s center was opened forty years ago.
Now four decades later, three things are happening all at the same time, and I need your help in making this a very special day. On Thursday, Oct. 19, there will be dedication of two historic markers.
The first will be a traditional blue and gold New York State historic marker that will be next to the new digital sign for the senior center that will denote the location of Johnson Field. The second marker will be in the parking lot of the senior center. It will be on the exact location of home plate and is in the shape of a home plate. It has been made by K & S Optics in Greene, New York and be surrounded by concrete to give it the appearance of the home plate that once stood at that spot.
On the day in October, and open to the public, there will be greetings, speeches and memorabilia to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the senior center that has played such an important role in our community and for so many people who have enjoyed its programs.
It is also the day to celebrate the history of a stadium and a team that represented the best of the Endicott Johnson story and its role in our history. An important anniversary and two markers to denote where that baseball history took place.
Gerald Smith is a former Broome County historian. Email him at historysmiths@stny.rr.com.
If you go
Both of those markers are the gift of the Broome County Historical Society and they want your help in making this day even better. If you were one of those kids picking up the baseballs, or have a story to tell about the Triplets, let me know. Contact me at historysmiths@stny.rr.com or leave a message on my business phone at 607-595-0176. We want to incorporate as much of our history as we can on October 19.
It is time to celebrate two important chapters – the history of Johnson Field and the creation and history of the Johnson City Seniors Center. A location where people could watch Whitey Ford and Thurmon Munson play ball or to take part every day in the many programs and activities at the seniors’ center. Indeed, this time it was really fun.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Spanning Time: Binghamton’s baseball history comes first circle
