For the first time in several years, Oneonta had its own youth fall baseball league.
Organized by Herkimer County Community College baseball coach Lane Potter, an Oneonta High graduate and Oneonta resident, the league had two teams compete for an under-13 title.
“The idea really started last year,” Potter said. “We had a 13u fall team and with it being out of season I really didn’t like that people had to travel. Over the next few months, I kept bouncing the idea off some people and we made a go for it. Rather than a team, let’s do a league. We will make it competitive the last three weeks, but the first three weeks we will do an instructional component, then scrimmage to accumulate the group from the little league field to a regulation sized field.”
A 2010 Herkimer graduate who then played for Brescia University where he was a two-year captain, Potter has been the head coach at HVCC since 2022. He led the Generals to the World Series in each of his first two seasons as head coach, including a Region III Championship in 2024. The Generals are 102-25 during his coaching career, which began at SUNY Oneonta in 2014.
Potter’s stepson was one of the youth players this season, along with another dozen or so Oneonta kids, two players from Cooperstown and two from Gilboa.
The teams were named the Yankees and Tigers as an homage to the former minor league teams in Oneonta.
“We tried to throw in a little history for the kids,” Potter said.
“Me and my buddies spent a ton of time in the summer down at Damaschke,” he continued. “We would play wiffle ball all morning, then walk to the park to watch BP and the game. I want to bring an educational piece to this and help the guys appreciate our city. There’s no better way than naming the teams the Oneonta Yankees and Tigers. There’s been many people involved over the years keeping baseball in Oneonta and everyone has a few stories from Damaschke that should live on.”
Potter said the league has been helped by many groups and individuals, including coaches Matt Hazzard and Heath Weeks.
“Several people/organizations chipped in,” he said. “Varsity players would come ump and instruct the guys. The Oneonta School District let us use the field and the Oneonta Little League organized and supported the mission. Each team had 13 guys and with a field manager.”
The Oneonta Yankees won the championship with an 8-6 victory in Game Three of the Oneonta Series.
The fall bats have quieted but spring preparation is not too far away. And after a successful first season, Potter said he has thoughts about a bigger effort next year.
“You can see how one thing kind of leads to another,” he said.
Email Potter at potterl3@yahoo.com for more information.