The New York Collegiate Baseball League is a fourteen team summer league played throughout upstate New York. In addition to Amsterdam, the NYCBL consists of teams located in Bolivar, Wellsville, Watertown, Geneva, Hornell, Little Falls, Rochester, Glens Falls, Saratoga and Bennington, VT. Split into two divisions, an Eastern and a Western, the NYCBL is a member of the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball. The league is one of the elite wood bat summer leagues that is sponsored by Major League Baseball. To be eligible to play in the NYCBL, a player must have completed at least one year of college and must still have at least one year of playing eligibility remaining. He must also be enrolled full-time at a college or university. Beginning in early June, each team in the league will play a 42 game schedule, which will wind down at the end of July.

The Mohawks, who were located in Schenectady prior to 2003, have won championships in 1988 under then head coach, and also former team owner/president Bob Bellizzi, again in 2003 under Bill Consiglio and again in 2004 under Nicholas Enriquez. In 2002, Dave Fields, led the team to a regular season title but lost the deciding game of the championship series to the Hornell Dodgers. Again in 2005, John Thomson guided the Mohawks to a regular season crwon but was eliminatd in the playoffs.  In addition, there have been over 80 former Mohawks who have signed professional baseball contracts, including Houston Astros phenom Hunter Pence (Texas-Arlington) who played for the Mohawks in 2002, Brendan Harris(William and Mary) who is currently the Devil Rays starting shortstop, Glen Barker (Saint Rose) of the Houston Astros, Valentino Pascucci (U. Of Oklahoma) who is currently playing AAA ball for the Marlins, and Tim Christman (Siena) who played major league ball with the Rockies.

The Mohawks have grown into one of the top places to play summer baseball in America.  The players will note that the game atmosphere at Shuttleworth Park is the best in the NYCBL and with large enthusiastic crowds and getting the kids involved, after seeing a game, you would see their point.

The league itself has had hundreds of former players go on to play professional baseball including a few stars of today’s game. Tim Hudson of the Oakland Athletics, Brad Lidge of the Houston Astros, Steve Kline of the Cleveland Indians, Tim Naehring of the Boston Red Sox, Scott Saurbeck of the Boston Red Sox, Clay Bellinger of the New York Yankees, Terry Tiffey of the Minnesota Twins, Matt Stairs of the San Diego Padres, and the Toronto Blue Jays current starting shortstop John McDonald are all alumni of the league.

The league will continue to have current college stars and future professional players in it. Make sure you come out to the ballpark to catch some of the exciting brand of baseball that they have to offer. See you at the game!!!

More Amsterdam Mohawks history ....