Contact: Brian LoPinto (FOHS) (973) 773-8646
Councilman Andre Sayegh (973) 204-5617
Date: October 6, 2009
Friends of Hinchliffe Stadium and City Councilman Andre Sayegh to Hold Forum
For immediate release:
PATERSON, N.J. – The Friends of Hinchliffe Stadium along with Paterson City Councilman Andre Sayegh will host a forum to discuss the future of Hinchliffe Stadium on Friday, October 23, 2009, 7:00 PM at The Paterson Museum, 2 Market Street, Paterson, New Jersey.
Recently, Councilman Sayegh traveled to Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama to learn about that city’s effective efforts in restoring its historic stadium. Built in 1910, Rickwood Field is America’s oldest ballpark and has served the Birmingham community without fail for 99 years and counting. To celebrate its centennial, the Birmingham City Council voted unanimously to approve a resolution to renovate Rickwood Field and open a museum to celebrate its rich baseball history. Councilman Sayegh firmly believes that the Rickwood model will work in Paterson.
"The Rickwood Field formula proves that there is hope for Hinchliffe Stadium,” said Councilman Sayegh. “Birmingham’s ability to build civic capacity and rehabilitate their historic facility should be a case study in urban development courses."
Rickwood Field and Hinchliffe Stadium have the distinction of being two of only three remaining stadiums with significant Negro League service in the United States. The third is Bush Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Built in 1932, Hinchliffe Stadium, along with Rickwood Field and Bush Stadium, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Hinchliffe Stadium was home to the New York Black Yankees and the New York Cubans of the Negro League, the Paterson Panthers, Paterson Giants, Paterson Nighthawks and the Silk City Bears in professional football, world class racing, boxing and national entertainment acts.
The Friends of Hinchliffe Stadium (www.hinchliffestadium.org) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization of historic Hinchliffe Stadium while raising awareness of Hinchliffe Stadium’s national significance.
For further information please contact Brian LoPinto at (973) 773-8646.
-FOHS-
Hinchliffee was the home field for Larry Doby's Eastside high school team, home of the New York Black Yankees, New York Cubans, and hosted games with the House of David team.
rezzdogg,
Thanks for the information I'm glad that they are looking in to restoring the old ball park. It would still be nice to see MLB take hold of something like this and make sure that it happens. With all the negative things that are in the game today, what a better way to show it's better side then to take on a project like this. The game could use some good press right now and this project might give it the boost that it needs. The inter-cities around this country in most cases have been left to decline. If you want to start cleaning up these areas start putting programs in place that would help. In closing I sure hope that they are able to meet what they may need to restore this old stadium.
J.Q.,
It would be great to see some type of partnership involving MLB, or even the Players Association. From what little I've read, the stadium was also a home for professional football, boxing, and even racing, so it it has been regarded historically as not a baseball specific park. It's owned by the city school district, so it would seem most appropriate for the City of Paterson to coordinate any such restoration efforts.
In any event, from the discussion it has generated, it seemed worthy of its own topic for anyone to continue posting updates, following future developments, or pursuing our own eforts to support this.
Ken
rezzdogg,
I totally agree MLB should step in and do something to restore the stadium. It would be a nice gesture to the community and to the negro league players that are still with us. Everytime we lose structures that are part of our history as this stadium is, we wrong our future generations. This country owes it to those players that are still alive and to those who have passed on. They labored & suffered so that the colored players of today could have their oppertunities to play, even though it was taken away from them. We need to see a big white number 42 hanging on it's outfield wall some where some day. We owe it to those players as a people & a nation.
Hi Guys!
I agree with ya's! Someone has t'do something....thing is, even if they do something the modifications they would have to make would be monumental fersure....parking
for one thing would have to be created.
Back in the day, folks depended on public transit etc. t'see events there.
Or else they lived there back in the day when Paterson was "Silk City".
Now, it's just a mess....not bein' a knowitall, but I originally lived not too far
from "The Hinch", over in West Paterson, circa 1951-'6!hhahaah!!!
But, these bigshots should do something.
I remember the late King Eddie walking right past me with his Court after the game
was over, they were grabbin' a soda or something.
I can still hear their cleats on the steps!hhahaa!!
And that was the Summer of '61!hahah!!!
Jim
This Topic Is Locked To Guest Posts
It's been a while since this topic was active, if you'd like to get it going again, please post as a registered member
