Category:Manhattan Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania
Manhattan Park was an early Baseball Grounds in Rittersville (now Allentown) Pennsylvania, which opened in 1894. At the time it was opened, it was considered one of the finest baseball grounds in the state.
It opened on 27 April 1894 when Mike "King" Kelly's Allentown Colts lost to the Boston Nationals 5-4 in the Atlantic League. Kelly was baseball's most popular player until the arrival of Babe Ruth, Kelly was a flamboyant character who reportedly sometimes traveled with a monkey and a Japanese valet. A .307 career average and daring baserunning over his 16-year playing career earned him the title of "The King of Baseball" as well as a spot in baseball's Hall of Fame. That first season the Allentown Colts, who finished fourth in the Pennsylvania State League with a 57-46 record,
In August, Kelly had his team, renamed Kelly's Killers, near the top of the standings with a 53-29 mark. But on Aug. 16, 1894, The Morning Critic (four pages, two cents a copy) carried a story speculating Kelly was interested in obtaining Binghamton's floundering Eastern League franchise for Allentown and switching leagues in midseason. The Critic was right. Binghamton's Eastern League franchise moved to Allentown on Aug. 16, the same day the city's Pennsylvania State League team was replaced by a new team in Easton. Kelly remained in Allentown as manager of the "new" team, named the Buffaloes, and kept most of his former players with him. The Buffaloes, who were 18-62 in Binghamton, went 8-16 the rest of the season, finished last in the Eastern League and didn't return in 1895. Kelly died after the season after contracting pneumonia in Boston while traveling to perform with a theatrical troupe.
When not used for baseball, Manhattan Park was also used for various outdoor plays. fireworks, and as an annex to adjoining Central Park. It was closed in May, 1911 due to poor attendance.
| Camera location |  | View all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap |  |
|---|
Media in category "Manhattan Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania"
The following 5 files are in this category, out of 5 total.
-
1896 - Central Park Newspaper Ad Allentown PA.jpg 441 × 869; 111 KB
-
1898 - Manhattan Park Newspaper Ad Allentown PA.jpg 514 × 896; 100 KB
-
1899 - Central Park Newspaper Ad Allentown PA.jpg 509 × 1,123; 151 KB
-
1903 - Manhattan Park Newspaper Ad Allentown PA.jpg 454 × 1,001; 106 KB
-
1911 - Manhattan Park Newspaper Ad Allentown PA.jpg 1,061 × 4,608; 749 KB
