Batter Up! The History of Baseball in Kingston and Ulster County

Long before professional leagues, baseball took root in river towns like Kingston and Rondout, where dockworkers, tradesmen, and clerks organized clubs and played on open fields. Drawing on newspaper accounts, box scores, and local records, the talk highlights how baseball functioned as both recreation and community life in the Hudson Valley. Special attention is given to local clubs, early rivalries, and games that drew regional and even national attention. This lecture also examines how Ulster fits into larger stories about amateur baseball, race, and the transition toward organized leagues.