Clinton Prison All Stars

There's been quite a bit of media frenzy about the two inmates that escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York. That prison is located in the county in which I was born and raised. Let's look at a few games that involved the Clinton Prison All Stars.

The sport sections of local papers in Plattsburgh, Clinton County's seat, were filled with all things baseball during the summer.  The North Country has a rich history of baseball, with Plattsburgh fielding a team for several seasons in the Northern New York League and even one in the Northern Independent League, all in the early 1900s.  Hotel teams, barnstorming teams, and local industry teams kept the interest of the area.

In the summer of 1921 there were a few contests with the All Stars of Clinton Prison.

Plattsburgh Daily Republican - July 30, 1921

The D & H would be the Delaware & Hudson Railroad.  Champlain is a town on the New York - Canadian border, with tracks running through it.

Plattsburgh Daily Republican - July 30, 1921

And the results of that first game?  A 5-0 shutout in favor of the Railroaders.

Plattsburgh Daily Press - August 1, 1921

A few days later, the Regular Plattsburgh Baseball Team went to Dannemora.

Plattsburgh Daily Republican- August 3, 1921

Again, the Prisoners are defeated, this time the score was 11-7.

Plattsburgh Daily Republican - August 4, 1921

Since the prison was built in 1844, there have been a few escapes.  I can speculate that there have been more ball games played there.

images from NYS Historic Newspapers

20 Inning Game at Plattsburgh

Philip Lowry, a fellow SABR member, is tracking baseball games that go long. He's interested in matches that are 20 innings or more. I think that I found one for him.

The earliest that I can find mention of Plattsburgh Independents is 1908.  They played other local teams.  In 1923 that was members of the 26th Infantry, part of the US Army stationed at the Plattsburgh Barracks.

Three of the local papers mention the upcoming game.

Plattsburgh Daily Republican -  May 10, 1923

Plattsburgh Daily Press - May 10, 1923

Plattsburgh Sentinel - May 11, 1923

The game went twenty innings, with the Army boys winning.  Although two of the papers picked it up, I couldn't find any details about the game.

Plattsburgh Daily Republican -  May 14, 1923

Plattsburgh Sentinel - May 15, 1923

Apparently this game and the rivalry were not soon forgotten, as two years later it was still being reported.

Plattsburgh Sentinel -  July 3, 1925

Images were gathered from the Northern New York Library Network's collection of digital newspapers.

You too can increase Vim and Energy...quickly!

Plattsburgh Daily Press - July 10, 1934

Baseball Nuggets does not endorse tobacco use of any kind.

1934 Chappy Johnson All-Stars

Plattsburgh Daily Press - July 10, 1934

Plattsburgh Daily Press - July 11, 1934

1934 Zulu Cannibal Giants

Plattsburgh Daily Press - July 9, 1934

Plattsburgh Daily Press - July 10, 1934

Plattsburgh Wins - June 1, 1896

Plattsburgh Daily Press - June 1, 1896

July 20, 1896

Plattsburgh Daily Press - July 20, 1896

J.W. Tuttle & Co.advertisement

The Plattsburgh Press - July 2, 1896

Base Ball Matters

Over the next few weeks I'll be posting about the 1896 International League. It was composed of seven teams:

• Farnham, PQ, Canada 
• Hull, PQ, Canada 
• Malone, New York 
• Montreal, PQ, Canada 
• Plattsburgh, New York 
• St. Albans, Vermont 
• St. Hyacinthe, PQ, Canada 

Plattsburgh Daily Press - February 20, 1896

Japanese Team visits Burlington

Plattsburgh Daily Republican - June 9, 1925

Plattsburgh Daily Press - June 18, 1925

images from Northern New York Library Network