Many people recognize Cooperstown as the Home of Baseball. We welcome thousands of visitors to the Village each year to tour the National Baseball Hall of Fame and enjoy and/or partake in a game at Abner Doubleday Field.
Apart from several sandlot games with youth, the first significant competitive game played at Doubleday Field between adult teams occurred on September 6, 1920 as part of a Street Fair celebration sponsored by the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce intended to raise additional funds to purchase the property from the Phinney family. A Cooperstown team played the Cuban Giants, winning the game, 9-8. There is a box score and newspaper account of the occasion.
The use of the field has changed significantly over time. It once hosted Cooperstown Central School's football team and continues to be the site of most of the High School's baseball games. Doubleday field has been the site of the National Baseball Hall of Fame game, bringing major league teams to Cooperstown to play and now hosts the National Baseball Hall of Fame Classic game bring major league alumni to play a game on Father's Day weekend.
You too can partake in the spirit of the game and play baseball on Doubleday Field. Each year hundreds of teams choose to visit the village in uniform and take it to the field. The field is available to rent from approximately mid-April through Columbus Day weekend in October, depending on weather and field conditions. We offer three games per day, 10 AM, 1:30 PM & 5 PM most of the spring and summer season with two games per day (10 AM & 1:30 PM) from mid-September through Columbus Day weekend. Rental of the field for a baseball or softball game ranges in price between $400 and $550 per game.
The application process for the upcoming summer season begins the fall prior and continues throughout the season as space permits. As of November 13, we have begun scheduling for the 2013 season. You can find a downloadable applicaiton and availability list below. All applications/game request must be received by mail. We will not accept applications by fax, e-mail or phone.
Games are scheduled on a first-come-first serve basis, as applicaitons are received in the Village Clerk's Office. Field availability changes frequently. We will try to update the availability list, weekly during the beginning of the scheduling process, and monthly beginning in February or as time permits. If you have specific questions regarding the application process or use of the field please direct them to Jennifer Truax, Deputy Clerk, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Okay, so you are not able to get a team together to play on the field you can still enjoy the field. Check out a game, most of which are free to the public. We post the field schedule monthly right here on our website.
2013 Season
Due to required maintenance to the grandstand roof Doubleday Field will be closed for the month of April 2013. We understand that this may cause an inconvenience for some teams. We appreciate your understanding and support as we maintain this historic landmark.
As work nears completion we may be able to open the field earlier than May 1. If you would like to schedule an April game be sure to continue to check this site for updated information. Should the field open earlier than May 1 notice will be posted to this page along with specific scheduling information for April game requests.
