Hawkins Stadium Albany New York Former home of the Albany Senators (Double-A) All photographs in this series appear courtesy of Chris Hunter of the Schenectady Museum and Science Center from the G.E. Collection of Historic Photographs (special thanks to Stephen L.J. Russo) |
92 years of professional baseball have taken place in New York's capital of Albany
the vast majority of them have occurred here at Hawkins Stadium in the suburb
of Menands. Serving the Double-A Eastern League and Triple-A International League,
Hawkins Stadium debuted as the home stadium for the Albany Senators in 1928,
an Eastern League team. This however, was not the Eastern League that we know
of today. Instead, the E.L. was a Class A baseball league which lasted from 1916
until 1932 when it finally became defunct, not to return again. The New York
Pennsylvania League of 1923-1932 took over the old "Eastern League" name and
that would become the E.L. that we know today. (The New York Pennsylvania League
today meanwhile was not related to this NY-Penn League but rather developed out
of the old PONY League. Hope you‘re not thoroughly confused. There will be a
test on this later). The new Hawkins Stadium replaced the aging Chadwick Park
which had been located on these same grounds. One of the unique aspects of Hawkins
Stadium was the fact that an amusement park was located just past the outfield
fence including a roller coaster, much like Altoona’s current Blair County
Ballpark. When the Albany Senators took the field in 1928 at Hawkins Stadium, they
were not affiliated with any franchise as the Class A Eastern League held no
MLB affiliations until their final year in 1932, and even then only to 3 teams…
the Albany Senators not being one of them. |