Ambrose M. McConnell (1882-1942) devoted his whole life to the game of baseball. His days as a player can be traced back to the early 19005 when he won a baseball scholarship to Beloit Academy in Wisconsin for the 1903-1904 semester, playing second base, his position throughout his career. Although he was born in Williamstown, NY while at Beloit, his home was listed as Utica, NY. Later he played for a number of minor league teams and in1906 joined the Utica team in the New York State League. He was promoted to the majors, first playing for Boston and then for the Chicago White Sox in 1910. Later he went on to Toronto in the International League and then to Atlanta in the Southern League, before returning to this area, playing for Syracuse in the State League.

In 1916, he was a manager for Utica's entry in tile State League. He organized a semi-pro team in Camden, New York. moving that team to Utica in 1937 and calling it the Utica Braves. On a large plot of land he purchased in North Utica, Amby, as he was known, built a baseball stadium exclusively from his own funds. It was called Braves Field, and hosted traveling teams that played for entertainment rather than for league championships.

In 1939 in partnership with Rev. Harold J. Martin. Amby purchased a franchise in the Canadian American League, entering tile Utica Braves. as a professional team. but one without a major league affiliate. That was a great event in Utica. and the first game was filled with ceremony welcoming the team to the city. All home games were played at Braves field and drew some of the largest crowds in tile Can-Am League. Amby served as the team's general manager until his death.

On May 19, 1942, Ambrose M. McConnell died. Almost immediately. the stadium he built was renamed in his honor to Ambrose M. McConnell Field, and soon was known simply as McConnell Field. His wife Frances, with the assistance of her daughter. Irene O'Shea. took over as general manager of tile Braves. In 1944, after a few years of negotiations, the Philadelphia Phillies bought the team and the ballpark and entered the Utica Braves into the Eastern League, changing its name that year to the Utica Blue Sox. But the field" on which they played until its demolition in the 1950's was always known as McConnell Field. It's difficult to find anyone who lived here during the 19405 who had not at one time or another visited McConnell Field, and impossible to find anyone who never heard of it.

In 1945 and again in 1947. tile Utica Blue Sox won the Eastern League Pennant with the assistance of a number of players who were later promoted to the Phillies' squad, not the least of whom was Richie Ashburn who in 1995 was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Back then. Players in the Eastern League were sometimes promoted directly to the majors, giving Utica the same stature of a triple A team city.

Ambrose McConnells lifelong interest and devotion to baseball and to Utica deserve his induction into the Greater Utica Sports Hall of Fame. He helped make Utica a significant part of the sport on a professional level, bringing some of tile top names in the game to this city as either players or visiting dignitaries. It's fitting that his final resting place is at St. Peters Cemetery in North Utica, not far from the ballpark he built.