WAPPINGERS FALLS- The Hudson Valley Renegades, the High-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, are proud to announce today that for their game on Friday, August 2 against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws they will take the field as the Newburgh Gorhams, paying tribute to one of the first all-black professional baseball teams in the United States.
“The Gorhams are an integral part of baseball history in the Hudson Valley and are one of the best and most important professional teams of the early days of baseball,” said Zach Betkowski, General Manager of the Renegades. “We are so excited to be bringing them back to life to make sure their legacy is remembered for their significance to both our Hudson Valley and professional baseball communities.”
“The rich history of America’s pastime runs directly through the Hudson Valley,” said Dutchess County Legislator Randy Johnson. “In the nascent days of baseball, all-black professional clubs such as the Newburgh Gorhams overcame obstacles that would seem insurmountable to the modern fan and in the process paved the way for generations of future ballplayers. The story of baseball, and the story of America for that matter, cannot be told without telling the story of clubs such as the Gorhams. I am thrilled that the Hudson Valley Renegades will honor their legacy this season and I greatly look forward to this historic event.”
According to research conducted by Bob Mayer, the New York Gorhams were organized in 1886 in New York City by Ambrose Davis, a saloon owner, and his business partner Phillip Snipper. They got their name from Alexander Gorham, another Manhattan saloon owner who operated an establishment on the same block as Davis.
Though the Gorhams are not the first known all-black professional baseball team, Davis is the first known African-American team owner in professional sports.
After spending 1886 barnstorming and playing exhibitions against other New York-area professional and amateur teams, the…
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