New York-Penn League (1977-1988)
Tombstone
Born: 1977
Moved: January 14, 1989 (Pittsfield Mets)
First Game: June 21, 1977 (L 5-3 @ Utica Blue Jays)
Last Game: September 2, 1988 (W 4-2 @ Oneonta Yankees)
NY-Penn League Champions: 1984
Stadium
Veterans Memorial Park (4,000)11982 Little Falls Mets Program
Ownership & Affiliation
Owners:
- 1977-????: Charlie Greathouse
- ????-1983: Little Falls Sports Club, Inc. (Jerry Martyniuk, et al.)
- 1983-1987: Woody Kern
- 1988: Michael Casey, et al.
Major League Affiliation: New York Mets
Background
The tiny upstate New York city of Little Falls (pop. 6,156 in 1980) hosted the New York Mets short-season Class A farm club from 1977 until 1988.
Notable future Major Leaguers to play for Little Falls included:
- Shortstop Wally Backman (Little Falls ’77)
- Catcher Jody Davis (Little Falls ’77)
- Pitcher Dwight Gooden (Little Falls ’82)
- Pitcher Rick Aguilera (Little Falls ’83)
- Shortstop Kevin Elster (Little Falls ’84)
- Catcher Todd Hundley (Little Falls ’87-’88)
Husband vs. Wife Championship Series
Peter “Woody” Kern purchased the Litte Falls club in 1983. Kern was an out-of-town owner from Ohio who owned minor league baseball and Arena Football teams all over the country during the 1980’s and 1990’s. The New York-Penn League sought to expand from 10 to 12 clubs in 1983 just as Kern came into the league. But plans to site the 12th club at Doubleday Field adjacent to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown faltered due to inadequate facilities. The league needed a 12th club to balance the schedule. Kern stepped up and offered to back a second team in Newark, New York. Knowing that league officials wouldn’t allow him to own two teams, Kern gave the Newark Orioles to his wife Susan to operate.
In 1984, Little Falls won their first and only New York-Penn League championship. Former Amazin’ Mets star Bud Harrelson managed the team that summer. Woody Kern’s Mets defeated Susan Kern’s Newark Orioles 2 games to 1 in the league championship series.
Move To Pittsfield
Michael Casey purchased the team in February 1988 for an estimated $200,000. Casey lost a reported $35,000 in Little Falls during the summer of 1988. The following January Casey sought and received approval from the New York-Penn League board of directors to move to Pittsfield, Massachusetts for the 1989 season.
Trivia
Three former Little Falls Mets players went on to become Major League general managers: Billy Beane (Little Falls ’80), J.P. Ricciardi (Little Falls ’80) and Steve Phillips (Little Falls ’82).
Little Falls Mets Shop
In Memoriam
Charlie Greathouse, the founder and first owner of the Little Falls Mets, passed away on December 16, 2013 at age 78.
Owner Woody Kern (Little Falls ’83-’87) died on January 7, 2014 at age 66. Tampa Bay Times obituary.
Links
New York-Penn League Media Guides
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6 Responses
My son asked me about anything we might have from the little fall Mets. He is 49 NOW. We took our kids all the time Do you know where I might be able to purchase anything from the time of the Little Falls Mets
Hi Virginia,
Your best bet these days is e-Bay. Cheers,
Drew
i have a copy of the 1980 little falls mets program booklet
I was the Little Falls Mets public Address Announcer from 1977-1979.
I covered the team for the Little Falls Evening Times in 1977. I’m looking for any photographs from the night Bob Feller appeared to a pitching exhibition before a game and I’m also looking for an original Little Falls Mets cap.
I was the radio broadcaster 77-78 on WLFH .. with Hiker Dunning . Became good friends with Charles Greathouse the owner . He stayed in the hotel I worked at .