Road Trips 2017 Part IV: Troy Haymakers

• Part I - Pittsburgh Pirates,   Pittsburgh Part II: Forbes Field,   Philadelphia
• Part II - Baltimore Orioles,  Wilmington Blue Rocks
• Part III - Hartford Yard Goats

I'm glad to finally present you with Road Trips, Part IV.  This chronicles my Labor Day weekend adventure through my home state of New York.  The wife and I made stops in Hudson Valley/Fishkill, Troy/Tri-City, Cooperstown, and Binghamton.  I took 1,062 pictures, so it took some time for me to get them properly filed way.

Part IV - Hudson Valley Renegades

Union Baseball Club of Lansingburgh

Troy Trojans

TROY HAYMAKERS BBC

Knickerbacker Memorial Playgrounds

TROY, NEW YORK

This monument was dedicated in 1992 to commemorate Troy's baseball heritage

Baseball in Troy, New York, dates back to 1860 with the establishment of the Union Base Ball Club of Lansingburgh.  They were sometimes referred to as the Troy Trojans, but soon became more popularly known as the Troy Haymakers (a pejorative term given them by their New York City contemporaries).

They played on the site, and the surrounding areas, of present day Knickerbacker Grounds.

Between 1860 and 1868, the Troy Haymakers were among the top member clubs of the amateur circuit.  By 1869, many clubs were fielding openly professional teams, the Haymakers were one such base ball club.

They joined together with other professional clubs in 1871 officially forming the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players.  This Troy team, unfortunately, folded midway through the 1872 season.

A second team named the Troy Cities/Trojans played in the National League for only four seasons beginning in 1879, then had their membership terminated by the league after the 1882 season.  After which, the National League declared Troy (and Worcester) honorary members.

Two men, John B. Day, and Jim Mutrie, owners of the American Association New York Metropolitans, purchased the defunct Troy Trojans and placed them in the National League as the New York Gothams.  Among the former Trojans playing for the Gothams in 1883 were Hall of Fame members Mickey Welch, Buck Ewing, and Roger Conner.

Jim Mutrie placed yet another Hall of Fame pitcher and former Trojan, Tim Keefe, with the Metropolitans in 1883, but then switched him in 1885 to the Gothams, whom Mutrie by then was re-branding as the New York Giants.

Hall of Fame first baseman Dan Brouthers played for the Troy Trojans during the 1879 and 1880 seasons.

Hall of Fame members Johnny Evers and Michael "King" Kelly were both born in Troy, New York.