Falcon Park (I)

Falcon Park (I) in Auburn, NY, was the home of Auburn affiliated baseball from 1927 through 1994. After that, the city of Auburn tore it down and replaced it with a modern brick ballpark of the same name, Falcon Park (II).

That name salutes the social fraternity that built the 1927 original. Although Auburn had professional baseball as long ago as 1877, the new ballpark didn't attract a pro team until 1938. Auburn was in and out of several lower-level pro circuits over the next 20 years. The 1958 entry into the New York-Pennsylvania League finally brought stability. In fact, the 1959 Auburn Yankees bought the ballpark and operated successfully for decades before folding in 1980. The city restored baseball by assuming the club's debts and recovering the NYPL franchise in time for the 1982 season.

The park was home to many teams besides the Yankees: Auburn Bouleys, Auburn Colts, Auburn Cayugas, Auburn Mets, Auburn Twins, Auburn Phillies, Auburn Sunsets, Auburn Red Stars, and - after the skipped year - Auburn Americans and Auburn Astros. The Doubledays nickname did not come into play until 1996 - the second season in the same-site, same-name replacement stadium.