History of baseball in Allentown, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Allentown, Pennsylvania, has been a home for professional baseball teams since 1884. Back then, the city had a team called the Allentown Dukes. Today, Allentown is proud to host the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. They are a AAA minor league team, which means they are just one step below the Philadelphia Phillies, a famous Major League Baseball team.
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Baseball's Early Days in Allentown
Professional baseball started in Allentown way back in 1884. The first team was the Allentown Dukes, who played for one season. A few years later, in 1888, the Allentown Peanuts played for a year.
The 1890s brought many different teams to the city. The Allentown Colts played from 1892 to 1893. In 1894, the team changed its name to Kelly's Killers. This name came from their player-manager, Mike "King" Kelly. He was a very famous player and is now in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Later that year, Kelly moved another team, the Binghamton Bingoes, to Allentown. They became the Allentown Buffalos. Sadly, King Kelly passed away that fall, and the Buffalos team stopped playing.
In 1895, the Allentown Goobers played for one season. Then, in 1898, another team called the Allentown Peanuts was formed. This team played for three seasons before the league and the team ended in 1900.
Baseball in the Early 1900s
For the next twenty years, Allentown only had one professional team, which played from 1912 to 1914. Then, in the 1920s, the name Allentown Dukes was used again. This time, it was for a semi-professional team. They played for four seasons, from 1923 to 1926, at a new place called Edgemont Field.
A very exciting game happened on September 7, 1923. The Allentown Dukes played against the famous New York Yankees. The Dukes won the game 8 to 7! Even the legendary Babe Ruth, one of baseball's greatest players, struck out in the ninth inning with all the bases loaded.
This semi-pro team led to a new Eastern League team in 1929, also called the Allentown Dukes. They became league champions the next year! In 1931, the team was renamed the Allentown Buffaloes. However, the league stopped playing at the end of the 1932 season, and the Buffaloes team also ended.
Allentown's Major League Connections
In 1935, Allentown got its first team connected to a Major League club. The Brooklyn Dodgers moved their team from Reading to Allentown. This team was called the Allentown Brooks. Like earlier teams, they played their home games at the Allentown Fairgrounds. The Brooks played in the New York–Pennsylvania League, which is now known as the Eastern League. They finished the 1936 season but did not return the next year.
In 1939, the Boston Braves started a team in Allentown, again using the name Allentown Dukes. A new park was built for them on the city's South Side, called Fairview Field. Today, this park is known as Earl F. Hunsicker Bicentennial Park. The Dukes won the league championship that year!
In 1940, the team became the Allentown Fleetwings and was connected to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Philadelphia Phillies took over in 1941, and the team played as the Allentown Wings. But the next year, the team went back to being a St. Louis Cardinals affiliate. Renamed the Allentown Cardinals in 1944, they played at Fairview Field until 1948. That's when the St. Louis Cardinals owner, Sam Breadon, built a brand new stadium.
This new stadium was called Breadon Field. It was made of steel and concrete and could hold 5,000 fans. It was located just north of the city in Whitehall Township.
The league stopped playing at the end of the 1952 season, so there was a short break for the team. In 1954, the Allentown Cardinals returned to play in the Class A Eastern League. They won the league championship in 1955! But their final season was in 1956.
In 1957, another team, the Syracuse Chiefs, moved to Allentown and finished the season as the Allentown Chiefs. A year later, a Boston Red Sox team replaced them. The Allentown Red Sox played for three seasons at the Whitehall ball park. This park was bought by Max Hess, Jr., who owned Hess's department store, and was renamed Max Hess Stadium. When the Red Sox left at the end of the 1960 season, the stadium closed and was torn down in 1964. Today, the Lehigh Valley Mall is located on that site.
Professional Baseball Returns
Professional baseball came back to Allentown in 1997 with a new team called the Allentown Ambassadors. This was an independent team, meaning it wasn't connected to a Major League team. They played at Bicentennial Park. Their last full season was in 2003.
In 2008, Allentown opened Coca-Cola Park. This is a large, modern stadium with 8,100 seats. It was built in east Allentown to be the home field for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The IronPigs are the Philadelphia Phillies' AAA-level Minor League baseball team. They are part of the International League. The IronPigs are the first team connected to a Major League club to play in Allentown since 1960!
In the summer of 2008, the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum had a special exhibit. It was called Play Ball! Baseball in America and the Lehigh Valley. It celebrated the long history of baseball in Allentown and the surrounding area.
Images for kids
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The Allentown Dukes baseball team in 1924.
