One of the Most Successful Baseball Teams Was from Newburgh

One of the most special parts of living in the Hudson Valley is the hidden history you can discover every single day.

Some of the earliest beginnings of the United States can be traced back to the Hudson Valley, and from the country's earliest known intersection to one of the first "electrified"  towns, there's much to celebrate. That also includes benchmarks set in the early days of American sports.

Segregated Baseball Teams in the Hudson Valley

Modern baseball began in the United States in the 1840s, and soon teams were popping up in cities across the country. Racial segregation that would last for at least another 100 years, however, meant that there were all-white teams and later, teams with only black players.

Professional Baseball History in Newburgh, NY

What many Hudson Valley residents might be surprised to learn is that one of the most successful all-black professional baseball teams in history played right here in Newburgh, NY.

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The Newburgh Gorhams Baseball Team

The Newburgh Gorhams were originally formed in New York City in 1886 by Ambrose Davis and Phillip Snipper, and moved to Newburgh in 1887. Records show the team played at "Benkard Heights" in Newburgh, NY (Benkard Avenue still exists today, below).

The Success of the Newburgh Gorhams Baseball Team

While records are scarce, research uncovered a win-loss record for the Gorhams of nearly 100-4, including a stretch of a 39 consecutive victories. The team also has the distinction of being the only all-black team to host a sitting president during segregation when Benjamin Harrison saw a Gorhams matchup in Cape May, NJ in 1891.

Newburgh Gorhams Honored by the Hudson Valley

Though the team only lasted until 1892, their mark on baseball is one that will last forever, and the Newburgh Gorhams were recently honored by another local baseball team, the Hudson Valley Renegades.

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It wasn't until the 1920s that the Negro National League was created, which enabled teams to stop "barnstorming" (playing more casual exhibition games) and form a more cohesive league that lasted until the 1940s, when segregation in Major League Baseball finally began to end with the with historic acts of Jackie Robinson.