Whether it was a town, community or high school team, baseball has always been a popular sport in the Three Village area. Residents of all ages would turn out to see the teams play and root for the local heroes from the community.
Local newspapers published the weekly schedule, team line-ups, stats, and rankings. Accounts of the games and local rivalries dominated the local sports page.
These old fields are now long gone, overgrown or covered with stores and houses: the field across from Capital One Bank in Setauket, the field at 25A and Van Brunt Manor Rd., the field at Cedar St. and 25A, the field at the Setauket Elementary School, or the one at Ridgeway and Tallmadge Gate and of course, the field at the old Setauket Union School which once stood on the hill behind Mario’s restaurant.
The Suffolk Giants was a local semi-professional baseball team playing town teams throughout Suffolk County. The Giants played from the early 20th century until the outbreak of World War II. Initially the team was associated with St. James (playing on the St. James Base Ball Club field), then Port Jefferson, and finally Setauket. Their field was located along Ridgeway Avenue at what is now Tallmadge Gate.
After the war, Robert Treadwell returned home and wanted to get the games going again. He formed the Suffolk Giants Juniors. The team consisted of returning veterans and some younger players.
The team’s home field was located on Chicken Hill on the south side of 25A opposite August Street. There they played until 1949. Some of the players went on to play for the Setauket AC (Athletic Club) team, formerly an all white team. A number of players were drafted into the majors, but instead found themselves drafted into service during the Korean Conflict, while another chose to go on to college.
The images in this blog of the Suffolk Giants Juniors playing on their home field were provided by Everett Hart and Carlton “Hub” Edwards. They were originally posted on the TVHS website in 2015 and cannot be reproduced without permission.
Information on the team and its players is provided by Hub Edwards. How did Mr. Edwards get his nickname? He was named for Carl Hubbell an American Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Giants from 1928 to 1943.
