Walden Keen Kutters

• Location: Walden, NY
• League: North Atlantic League 1946
• Affiliation: none
• Ballpark: Bradley Field

The only professional baseball team in the history of Walden, NY did not play the full season there. Starting in Newburgh, NY in the 1946 North Atlantic League, the Newburgh Hummingbirds came to town and became the Walden Hummingbirds. The Walden Hummingbirds debuted at Bradley Field at 8:45 p.m. on Monday, June 10, 1946, facing the Nyack Rocklands, with an attendance of nearly 1,000. At this time period, Walden, NY only had a population of about 4,000. They finished in distant last place at 27-89-1 and were outscored 1,009 to 434, scoring 169 runs less than any other NAL team and allowing 156 more. Using over 60 players, they had few bright spots. Al Crisci (6-10, 3.88) was the top pitcher, while OF Mike Scire (fielding just .878) led in average with a good .353/~.413/.560 line and 12 triples in 60 games.

18-yr-old catcher Nick Testa (playing under the name Nick Warren) made his pro debut with the Hummingbirds; a dozen years later, on April 23, 1958, he played for the San Francisco Giants against St. Louis [1], entering the game as a pinch-runner in the eighth inning and staying in the game to catch the ninth. He is the only major-leaguer ever to play in Newburgh or Walden.

Source: 1947 Baseball Guide

Source: http://www.digitalballparks.com - Researcher for this gallery - Jim Stuercke

Year-by-Year Record

Year	Record	Finish	Manager	Playoffs
1946	23-84	8th	Frank Novosel / Lou Haneles		Newburgh (4-5) became a road team May 23 and moved to Walden June 10