Oh, and the Albany Dutchmen. Which I had to check out because my high school teams were also the Dutchmen, and I was wondering if these Dutchmen, too, were symbolized by a boat. But nope. Turns out Albany has what appears to be a pretty menacing looking Dutch man wielding a large bat instead.
More intimidating than a boat, for sure. But that was a pretty low bar.
Pios games also provide a good family-friendly place to hang out on summer evenings when you want to get out of the house.
Plus, I think this type of baseball does a lot to foster a sense of community. There were announcements and prizes throughout the game featuring local businesses, like when it was announced that "love is in the air" and the Pios mascot, Stitches...
...walked around with a bouquet of flowers from Zeigler Florists until he chose a "lucky lady" to give them to. Or when busting out the best YMCA dance moves won some fans a pizza from Pudgies. Hometown fans know these places, and such promotions give out-of-town folks ideas of places they might like to visit, so I think there's a feeling of connectivity there.
Of course, the flower thing was after Stitches had caught his breath from racing a youngster around the field.
Stitches took a little "tumble." And the kid blazed on to glory.
And throughout the game, if you had gotten a program and a certain page had been signed in it, you won a prize.
There were also some enjoyable song snippets to accompany what was happening in the game, including lots of clap-along tuneage. My personal favorite was when a player from the other team kept getting the "Jaws" theme when he came up to bat, and if he was struck out, spectators were treated to beer and soda for $1.
Man, I love the "Jaws" theme.
All of this made going to a Pios game seem delightfully old school to me, all the way up to the seats at the tippy top:
Plus, you get the chance to experience historic Dunn Field, which can be found over on Southside near the Chemung River.
I had never been to Dunn Field, or known anything about it, but the field's been home to professional and collegiate teams since 1888.
The field went through a couple of reincarnations; the first two ball parks there were named the Maple Avenue Driving Park and then Recreation Park, but the latter burned down in 1938. Dunn Field, circa 1939, was named for Edward Joseph Dunn, a local businessman who donated the land to the City.
"If you build it, he will come."
Cool fact? On November 21, 1902, when the field was the Maple Avenue Driving Park, it was the site of the first ever professional football game played at night under electric lights. The Philadelphia Athletics football team - part of the first NFL - whomped Elmira's Kanaweola Athletic Club, 39-0.
(In their defense, though, the Kanaweola Athletic Club was originally a bicycling club before trying to branch out into football.)
That day also happened to be a Friday, so it's like we're pretty much the ultimate origin of the phrase "Friday Night Lights." Think of that the next time you watch a football game at night.
And think of spending some time at Dunn Field this summer, where the Pios are keeping the tradition of playing under the lights alive and well.
Elmira Pioneers
546 Luce Street, Elmira, NY 14904
(607) 734-2690, http://www.theelmirapioneers.com/,
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