Highlights of Baseball in Pittsfield!
in Pittsfield.
1775
1791
Pittsfield bylaw prohibits playing
baseball within 80 yards of new
Meeting House – the first
mention of baseball in North
America.
Belanger is born
leaguer Mark
Future major
1942
1970
1892 David and Julie Nixon Eisenhower
Wahconah Park opens! Grandstand throw out first ball for the Pittsfield
replaced in 1909 & 1950. Wahconah Senators game at Wahconah Park.
1859 Park placed on the National Register of
First ever inter-collegiate baseball Historic Places in 2005.
game played at North and
Maplewood in Pittsfield. Williams vs.
Amherst! 1924
Lou Gehrig makes his 2006
professional debut Pittsfield’s two year community art
(hitting a home run into initiative, the Art Of The Game,
the Housatonic River) celebrates baseball through
with the Hartford innovative art, ending with the
Senators at Wahconah creation of the world’s largest
Park. human baseball at Wahconah Park.
1800 1825 1850 1875 1900 1925 1950 1975 2000
2004
When the 1791 bylaw is rediscovered,
Pittsfield proclaims itself “The Garden of
Eden of Pittsfield.”. Vintage baseball game
1865 organized by Jim Bouton, Chip Elitzer and
African American second baseman, Eric Margenau at Wahconah Park. Pittsfield
Frank Grant, born in Pittsfield. 1960
Hillies vs The Hartford Senators.
Nominated for the Cooperstown Nation’s 3rd best junior
Baseball Hall of Fame, inducted in 2006 baseball team is the
Pittsfield American Legion
team, coached by Red
1922 Pleu and led by Mark
Jim Thorpe plays baseball at Belanger, Ray Woitkowski,
Wahconah Park, once with the and Joey Constanzo.
Hartford Senators, twice more with
Worcester Boosters.
1925
Charles “Casey” Dillon Stengel plays in
Wahconah Park as a Player/Manager on four
different occasions with the Eastern League
Worcester team.