The Schenectady Electricians were a

minor league baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

team based in

Schenectady, New York Schenectady ( ) is a City (New York), city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-most populo ...

and

Schenectady County, New York Schenectady County () is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,061. The county seat is Schenectady. The name is from a Mohawk language word meaning "on the other side of the pine lands," a te ...

. Schenectady teams played as members of the

New York State League The New York State League was an independent baseball league that played six seasons between 2007 and 2012 in New York State and the New York City metro area. Over 500 NYSL players have been signed by professional teams. Players from forty-eigh ...

(1895, 1898–1904) and

Eastern Association The Eastern Association of counties was an administrative organisation set up by Parliament in the early years of the First English Civil War. Its main function was to finance and support an army which became a mainstay of the Parliamentarian m ...

(1909), winning the 1903 New York State League championship. Schenectady hosted minor league home games at the County Fairgrounds through 1900 before moving home gamed to Island Park. During their championship season in 1903, the entire Schenectady team was jailed overnight for violating local

Blue laws Blue laws (also known as Sunday laws, Sunday trade laws, and Sunday closing laws) are laws restricting or banning certain activities on specified days, usually Sundays in the western world. The laws were adopted originally for religious reasons ...

after playing a home game on a Sunday. The team nickname corresponds to Schenectady being the headquarters for the Edison Electric Company (today's

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) was an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1892, incorporated in the New York (state), state of New York and headquartered in Boston. Over the year ...

) in the era. In the era of segregated baseball, the Electricians were succeeded in organized baseball by the 1913 and 1914 Schenectady Mohawk Giants of the

Negro Leagues The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relativel ...

and in minor league play by the 1947

Schenectady Blue Jays The Schenectady Blue Jays baseball club was an American minor league baseball franchise based in Schenectady, New York, for 12 consecutive seasons, 1946–57. It was a member of the Class C Canadian–American League through 1950, and the Class A ...

, who began play in the Canadian-American League.

History

New York State League 1895

Minor league baseball began in Schenectady, New York in 1895, when the Schenectady "Dorpians" became members of the Independent eight–team

. The Dorpians finished their initial season with a 24–24 record, placing fourth in the New York State League. The Schenectady managers were Irvin Cook and Patrick Shea, as the Dorpians finished 3.5 games behind the first place Binghamton Crickets. The league began the season with eight teams and ended with four teams. The New York State League did not return to play in 1896. A Dorpian is loosely defined as nickname for an inhabitant of the city of Schenectady. The Schenectady "Dorpians" nickname was later adopted by a professional basketball team in the city that played from 1915 to 1923.

New York State League 1899 to 1904

After a three year hiatus from minor league play, in 1899, the Schenectady "Electricians" were formed and the team rejoined the Class C level New York State League. The

Albany Senators The Albany Senators was a name used by multiple minor league baseball teams representing Albany, New York, that existed between 1885 and 1959. The mid-20th century club played at Hawkins Stadium. The various editions of the Senators generally pl ...

, Auburn Prisoners,

Binghamton Bingos The Binghamton Bingos were an American professional baseball team that played in Binghamton, New York, during the 1892 and 1899 seasons. The Bingos first competed in 1892, as early members of the Eastern League, which later became known as the ...

, Cortland Wagonmakers, Oswego Grays, Rome Romans and Utica Pent-Ups teams joined the Electricians in beginning league play on May 12, 1899. The Schenectady team was formed late in the spring after the other league teams, leaving its roster thin on quality players. GE Plant Schenectady

The Schenectady "Electricians" nickname corresponds with local history and industry. The city was once known as "The City that Lights and Hauls the World" in reference to the Edison Electric Company (known today as

), and the

American Locomotive Company The American Locomotive Company (often shortened to ALCO, ALCo or Alco) was an American manufacturer that operated from 1901 to 1969, initially specializing in the production of locomotives but later diversifying and fabricating at various time ...

(ALCO) being headquartered in the Schenectady in the era.

Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February11, 1847October18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, ...

founded the Edison Electric Company in Schenectady in 1886. In their first season of play, with an inferior roster due to the late formation of the team, the Electricians finished last in the eight-team New York State League. The Electricians finished their first season with a record of 29–77 and played under five managers: James Brady, Hodge Berry, Harry Raymond, Billy Bottenus and

Lew Whistler Lewis W. Whistler (''né'' Wissler; March 10, 1868 – December 30, 1959) was an American Major League Baseball player who played the majority of his career as a first baseman. In his four-season career, he played for the New York Giants (1890– ...

. No playoffs were held as the Rome Romans team ended the season with a record of 76–32, placing first in the New York State League, 46.0 games ahead of the eighth place Electricians. The team improved in 1900, as the Schenectady Electricians placed fourth, continuing play as members of the eight-team New York State League. The Electricians had a 1900 regular season record of 55–61, playing the season under returning manager Lew Whistler. Schenectady finished 18.5 games behind the first place Utica Pent-Ups in the final standings of the Class C level league. Player/manager Lew Whistler hit 9 home runs to lead the league. The Electricians placed fifth in the 1901 New York State League final standings. Schenectady ended the season with a record of 65–60, playing the season under manager

Howard Earl Howard J. Earl (February 25, 1869 – December 23, 1916), nicknamed "Slim Jim", was a Major League Baseball outfielder. He played two seasons in the majors, a full season in for the Chicago Colts, and then for the Milwaukee Brewers, who were a ...

. The Electricians finished 7.0 games behind the first place

in the final standings of the eight-team league. In 1902, the New York State League was elevated to become a Class B level League. Continuing play in the eight-team league, the Electricians ended the season with a 56–55 record and finished in fifth place. Playing under returning manager Lew Whistler, Schenectady finished 15.0 games behind the first place Albany Senators in the final standings. The 1903 Schenectady team was nicknamed for the frogs that inhabited their home ballpark at Island Park and the "Frog alley" was a local nickname for the area. The 1903 Schenectady "Frog Alleys" won the New York State League championship in a season marked by an arrest of the whole team, Schenectady won the league championship by finishing the season with a record of 80–52 record, playing the season under manager Ben Ellis. The Frog Alleys finished just 1.0 game ahead of the second place Syracuse Stars in the final standings of the Class B New York State League. Schenectady pitcher

Del Mason Adelbert William Mason (October 29, 1883 – December 31, 1962) was a Major League Baseball player for the Washington Senators (1901–60), Washington Senators and the Cincinnati Reds. Prior to his professional debut, Mason, a pitcher, played at ...

led the league pitchers with a 24–7 record.

Team arrest

On Sunday May 25, 1903, the entire Schenectady team was arrested for allegedly violating local

after playing a home game at Island Park on a Sunday. The players were arrested by county officials and held in jail. They were tried on the charges of "playing baseball on Sunday." A jury acquitted the players the next day after player/manager Ben Ellis had his case presented first, ending in his acquittal. Beginning the season as defending league champions, the 1904 Schenectady Electricians relocated during the New York State League season. Despite winning the 1903 championship, the owners had still lost money in the 1903 season and the franchise was relocated after beginning the 1904 season. On July 17, 1904, the Electricians moved to

Scranton, Pennsylvania Scranton is a city in and the county seat of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Scranton is the most populous city in Northeastern Pennsylvania and the ...

with a record of 20–39, finishing the season playing as the Scranton Miners. After compiling a record of 27–36 while based in Scranton, the team ended the season with an overall record of 47–75. The Schenectady/Scranton team finished in seventh place in the eight-team league, as the returning Ben Ellis and Jim Garry managed the team in the two locations. Schenectady/Scranton finished 35.5 games behind the first place Syracuse Stars in the final New York State League standings. The Scranton Miners continued New York State League play in 1905, with Jim Garry returning as manager. Schenectady did not return as members of the league.

Eastern Association 1909

In 1909, Schenectady became charter members of a new league, which folded after playing less than two weeks. Schenectady folded before the league. The

was formed for the 1909 season and played briefly before folding. The league formed as an eight-team league and began play on May 25, 1909, before folding on June 6, 1909. Schenectady and the

Poughkeepsie Students Poughkeepsie ( ) is a city within the Town of Poughkeepsie, New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsie is in the Hudson River Valley region, midway between the core of the New Yo ...

teams folded on June 1, 1909. Schenectady and Poughkeepsie had no official win-loss records in the final Eastern Association League standings. Joseph Andries served as the Schenectady manager in the brief season. The Newburgh Colts were in first place in the Eastern Association with an 8–2 record when the league folded. In the era of segregated baseball, Schenectady next hosted the Schenectady Mohawk Giants of the

, who played in the Eastern Independent Clubs in the 1913 and 1914 seasons. After the 1909 season, Schenectady, New York was without minor league baseball for nearly four decades. The 1947

began a tenure of play as members of the Canadian-American League.

The ballparks

Early Schenectady teams through 1900 played minor league home games at the County Fairgrounds, also called Driving Park. The fairgrounds were located in the Hamilton Hill neighborhood in Schenectady. Today, the ballpark site is near the Mount Pleasant Fields park and Martin Luther King Elementary School. Beginning in 1901, Schenectady hosted minor league home games at Island Park. The park was also known as Columbus Park. The park was located on Van Slyck Island on the

Mohawk River The Mohawk River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 river in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson R ...

. The location is no longer an island, having since been connected to the mainland. Today, the ballpark site is on the property of

Schenectady County Community College SUNY Schenectady is a public community college in Schenectady, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. It was established in 1967 in the Van Curler Hotel in Downtown Schenectady and has undergone multiple expansi ...

. The ballpark site was near the Western Gateway Bridge and State Street in Schenectady, New York. Island Park next hosted the Schenectady Mohawk Giants of the

, who played in 1913 and 1914. On October 5, 1913, the Mohawk Giants defeated the major league baseball Washington Senators and

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United S ...

pitcher

Walter Johnson Walter Perry Johnson (November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946), nicknamed "Barney" and "the Big Train", was an American professional baseball player and Manager (baseball), manager. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in Major League Ba ...

by the score of 1-0 in a game at held at Island Park. There were over 6,000 in attendance for the game.

Timeline

Year–by–year records

Notable alumni

* Joe Ardner (1895) * Larry Battam (1895) *

Cupid Childs Clarence Lemuel "Cupid" Childs (August 8, 1867 – November 8, 1912) was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball with a 13-season career from 1888, 1890–1901, playing for the Philadelphia Quakers, Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Pe ...

(1904) *

Dan Coogan Daniel George Coogan (February 16, 1875 – October 28, 1942) was an American baseball player and coach. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, he played professionally for 11 seasons, including one in Major League Baseball wi ...

(1902–1903) * Pete Cregan (1895) *

Bill Cristall William Arthur Cristall (September 12, 1875 - January 28, 1939) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played with the Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Blues in 1901. Cristall batted and threw left-handed. His playing height and weight were listed ...

(1900) * John Deering (1899) * John Dolan (1900) * Fred Donovan (1901) * Mike Donovan (1902) * Bob Drury (1903–1904) *

(1901, MGR) * Ben Ellis (1901–1902; 1903–1904, MGR) * Bob Ganley (1902) * Jim Garry (1903; 1904, MGR) * Charlie Gettig (1904) *

Art Goodwin Arthur Ingram Goodwin (February 27, 1876 – June 19, 1943) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. Goodwin played for the New York Yankees, New York Highlanders in . In one career game, he had a 0–0 record with an 81.00 ERA. He threw right-handed ...

(1901, 1903) * Mike Hickey (1895) * Jerry Hurley (1901) * Sandy McDougal (1903–1904) * Harry McNeal (1899–1900) * Frank McPartlin (1895) *

(1903) * Tom Messitt (1900) *

Willie Mills William Mills (28 January 1915 – 1991) was a professional footballer, who played for Aberdeen, Huddersfield Town, Dumbarton and Clyde. He was born in Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Playing career Mills was signed by Aberdeen from ...

(1901) * Dan Minnehan (1899) * Mike Mitchell (1902) *

Carlton Molesworth Carlton Molesworth (February 15, 1876 – July 25, 1961) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. Molesworth played for the Washington Senators in the 1895 season. He played just four games in his career, having two losses in three games started ...

(1900–1901) * Robert Pender (1899–1900) * Harry Raymond (1899, MGR) * Ted Scheffler (1901) * Johnny Siegle (1900) *

Harry Staley Henry Eli Staley (November 3, 1866 – January 12, 1910) was an American professional baseball player who pitched in the major leagues from 1888 to 1895. He played for the Boston Beaneaters, Pittsburgh Alleghenys/Pirates, Pittsburgh Burghers, ...

(1899) * Jack Sutthoff (1900) * Tom Walker (1900) *

(1899–1900, 1902, MGR) * Tom Williams (1895) * Stan Yerkes (1899) *

Schenectady Electricians players Schenectady ( ) is a City (New York), city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-most populo ...

* Schenectady Dorpians players *

Schenectady Frog Alleys players Schenectady ( ) is a City (New York), city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-most populo ...

References

{{reflist, 2

External links

Schenectady - Baseball Reference
Defunct minor league baseball teams Defunct baseball teams in New York (state) Baseball teams established in 1899 Baseball teams disestablished in 1909 New York State League teams Baseball teams disestablished in 1902 Baseball teams established in 1909 Baseball teams established in 1904 Baseball teams disestablished in 1904 Defunct Eastern Association teams Schenectady, New York Sports in Schenectady County, New York