The Schenectady Blue Jays

The 1947 Blue Jays celebrate in the locker room following a 7-game playoff victory over Amsterdam. Front, left to right: Hamil, Barbieri, batboy Ottaviano, manager Riley, Baker, Milians. Back, left to right: Twarkins, McConvery, Genevrino (behind McConvery), Lorenz, Graham (hands against ceiling), O'Connell (in front of Graham), Ridzik, Gregg, Speranza (partly obscured). From Frank Keetz Professional Baseball Collection.  

In anticipation of the talk about the Schenectady Blue Jays by local baseball historian and author Frank Keetz this Saturday, June 30, we'd like to share some photographs of the Blue Jays from the Frank Keetz Professional Baseball Collection. The collection includes photographs, ephemera, newspaper clippings, notes, and other information about Schenectady baseball. In addition to material pertaining to the Blue Jays, the collection also includes photographs and information about the Negro League team the Mohawk Giants and early baseball in Schenectady. If you're interested in local baseball history, Keetz's collection is a treasure. The library also has many of Keetz's books and booklets about local baseball, clipping files, and photograph files about local baseball in our holdings. Visit us, give us a call, or send an email to explore our holdings about baseball history.

Early season Schenectady Pitching Staff, 1948. Left to right: Lasorda, Baryiewski, unknown, Baker, Mayton, Markell, Oberman, Luba, and Olveson. From Frank Keetz Professional Baseball Collection.



Aerial view of McNearney Stadium (renamed Schenectady Stadium in 1952), home of the Schenectady Blue Jays. Jackson Avenue  is at the upper right hand corner of the photograph. The inset shows a view of the stadium as one entered the parking lot. The site of the stadium would later be occupied by the Stadium Golf Course. Photograph from Frank Keetz Professional Baseball Collection.

Announcement of home opener game for the new Schenectady Blue Jays team on May 9, 1946, at Central Park in Schenectady. Image from Tales of Old Schenectady, Volume 2: The Changing Scene by Larry Hart.

Blue Jays players Ped Robbins, Hank Mason, and Ed Bouchee receive watches from Eastern League President Tommy Richardson in honor of each player being selected to the league's midseason All-Star team in 1955. Mason broke the color line to become the first African-American player for the Blue Jays. From Frank Keetz Professional Baseball Collection.

1948 Schenectady Blue Jays players on the town in Quebec City prior to a night game. Left to right: Duke Markell, Ernie Woods, Tommy Lasorda, Archie Luba, Charles Lindquist. Batboy Pete Lucas at rear. From Frank Keetz Professional Baseball Collection.

Fellow players congratulate pitcher Dick Bunker (center) after the final out that clinched the pennant victory in 1956. From the Frank Keetz Professional Baseball Collection.