Stadium Minor League History:
NY-Penn League
1924
Canadian-American League 1940-1942,
1946-1951
NY-Penn League
1966-present
Current Status:
Home of the Oneonta Tigers of the NY-Penn
League (short season-A)
What's Good: Although at first glance Damaschke Field looks like a run-down place thrown together from spare parts of old stadiums, it's actually a place of subtle beauty and charm. It's a gloriously, almost defiantly old-fashioned ballpark, free of most of the irritating intrusions of the modern stadia. Box seats are just folding chairs on a concrete slab, and most people sit on the simple bleachers down each line, though a tiny, well-protected rectangular grandstand rests behind the plate. The city of Oneonta itself is situated in a beautiful section of upstate New York, and the view of the green, rolling hills over the outfield wall is particularly engaging. Lastly, of course, the village of Cooperstown, with the Baseball Hall of Fame (and Lake Otsego, and several other museums, and places to eat and so on) is a short ride away.
What's Not So Good: If you're one of those people who enjoy a beer at the ballpark, you're out of luck -- they don't sell it here. Apparently this is a policy designed to enhance the family-friendly atmosphere, not the health of the fans, since greasy burgers, ice cream, and fried dough are available in abundance. Other than that, there's very little to complain about.
This Photo:
July 18, 1995 Oneonta Yankees vs. Elmira Pioneers