Falcon Park II Auburn New York Home of the Auburn Doubledays NY-Penn League (Short Season Single-A) |
In 1994, professional baseball said goodbye to one of their most historic stadiums
as Auburn’s wooden Falcon Park I was demolished after a 67 year run, along with
its sister ballpark… Dwyer Stadium in Batavia. Built in 1927, Falcon Park I
was home to such future greats as Jerry Koosman, Ed Kranepool, Tug McGraw, Lonnie
Smith, Kenny Lofton, Cleon Jones, Mel Stottlemyre, Jim Bouton, Billy Wagner,
Shane Reynolds, Todd Jones, Rick Dempsey, Luis Gonzalez and Joe Pepitone. In its
wake a brand new aluminum stadium rose up (along with an identical one built
in Batavia... very similar to the ones recently built in LaCross and Beloit Wisconsin).
It was dubbed Leo Pinckney Field at Falcon Park II and it would be home
to the next crop of future superstars. When Falcon Park I was demolished, it
was in the middle of a very loyal 19 year PDC with the Houston Astros. The Astros
would stay on while the new ballpark settled in. In the past, the Auburn teams
(unless running as a co-op), would always take on the name of their parent
club (aka, the Auburn Mets, Auburn Yankees, Auburn Twins, Auburn Phillies…). For
the first time ever in honor of their new ballpark, the Auburn team would take
on a new identity that would be all their own. They would soon be dubbed… the
Auburn Doubledays. |