American Legion Post 219 Veterans Field - Malone Border Hounds
- Michael Rusignuolo
- 4 hours ago
- 5 min read
Photos by Michael Rusignuolo, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.00
American Legion Post 219 Veterans Field 3197 US Route 11 Malone, NY 12953
Year Opened: 2023 Capacity: 3,000
Northern Exposure
The Empire Professional Baseball League is an independent league that was birthed from the ashes of previous area indie leagues in 2016. They play a summer schedule of games in the upstate New York area as an official MLB partner developmental league (and functionally, a league of last resort). After a nearly constant shifting of franchises, the Empire League has settled into the same four upper NY teams for the last few seasons and is expanding with a west-coast circuit this year.
The Malone Border Hounds came into being after the 2022 season, when the final reshuffling from the pandemic finally ended. They currently play in American Legion Post 219 Veterans Field, a park outside of central Malone that underwent several upgrades to host the team, adding covered seating, clubhouse facilities, and a digital scoreboard.
While among the cream of the Empire League facilities, you aren't going to get a lot beyond the basics, but the basics have their own appeal.
Food & Beverage 3
In a budget league that still uses some high-school fields that don't even serve food, Veterans Field stands out in at least having victuals on offer.
A small clubhouse by the entrance provides all the catering you'll get, cooked up in front of you by a friendly staff of volunteers. It offers hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, wings, and an array of sides. While there's no alcohol available, the clubhouse serves up reasonably priced bottled Coke products.
The Empire League is all about a small-time feel, and a local Glazier hot dog ($3.50) and a Coke ($3) at the game is about as classic as you can get, and cheaper than a soda at even some minor-league parks.
Atmosphere 3
The park is literally an American Legion field with a bit of extras. The field is cordoned off with a chain-link fence all around. A small covered bleacher area sits behind home plate, with additional uncovered bleachers down the baselines and in the outfield.
Two small reserved areas are on either side of home plate, just in front of the modified sheds that make up the dugouts. The digital box-score scoreboard sits in left-center, and the wide, flat horizon fading off to Canada (and the local airport just beyond the outfield wall) forms the backdrop for the outfield. The between-inning entertainment is just some music, the PA announcer, and a picturesque country view.
The park also lacks lights, so if a game goes long, they can be called for darkness.
Sit where you want. Locals often bring their own lawn chairs to sit in the covered home plate area or wherever they desire around the field. Savvy fans bring clip-on seat backs for the bleachers. Suit yourself, but the covered main grandstand gets very popular during any sort of weather.
Neighborhood 2
The park is located west of downtown, across the way from the local airstrip and a Walmart. And that just about gives you the lay of the land for Malone.
The small border town has a decent array of places to eat (all along Route 11). Closest to the park is Mo's Pub & Grill, as well as an array of local pizza shops, bar & grills, and even plentiful Chinese restaurants, but the place to eat is local favorite Bookie's Drive In, just east of downtown, sporting 50s decor and a menu of classic diner excess, with homemade ice cream and fountain drinks and as much free popcorn as you can handle.
There's a small local history museum and some parks, but that's about it. The appeal of the city lies in the wilderness (and golf courses) around it, not in town proper.
There are exactly four hotels in town, all along 11: The Foothills Lodge & Cafe, the Red Roof Plus+, The Malone Inn, and the Holiday Inn Express.
Fans 3
The Empire League doesn't publish attendance figures, but nearly all the clubs have a core of local fans, ranging from the dozens to the low triple digits.
The Border Hounds are well-received by the local farming community. You get a hundred or so people in the stands for a game, and that may not sound like much, but in tiny Malone, that is several percent of the total population.
The local boosters are loud and involved in the games, and a deep dog bark is the fans' rallying cry for the team. Veterans Field is serving double duty as a home field for the North Country Thunderbirds, so when the two teams play, you get a diverse rooting crowd.
Access 3
Located less than 20 miles from the Canadian border, Malone is smack-dab in the middle of the Adirondack wilderness, aka nowhere.
There's a Trailways bus stop in the center of town, and that is the beginning and the end of mass transit, though there is a small regional airport right across from the park. Driving is going to be your best and only bet, and State Route 30 and US-11 bisect the west-end town, with State Route 37 originating here and heading northwest to the border.
A large, free parking lot sits outside the park. Be sure to park away from the grandstand to avoid any well-hit foul balls.
A small shed serves as the offices and entrance to the park. There are no defined walkways, and you can wander around the field fences as you see fit with no particular constraints.
Return on Investment 5
Indie leagues like this live and die on offering an affordable night out for families, and Malone does not miss on that account.
A payment of $7 per adult gets you into the gates and lets you sit anywhere you want, except on the field of play. Drinks are $3; most food (besides a huge order of wings [$10]) is $5 or less, and there are even $8 deals for entrees and sides. Try that anywhere but the lowest of the minors. Parking is free.
Extras 2
The small park manages to sneak in a few extras. The scoreboard has the team's name on it, there's a memorial plaque on the clubhouse, a Veterans Field Wall of Honor for sponsors of the park renovations by the entrance, and a memorial POW bench behind the grandstand. The ticket booth also sometimes sells team merchandise as available.
Final Thoughts
You're not going to get a ton of niceties or a bustling nightlife outside the game, but for an affordable evening of baseball, you won't go wrong at Veterans Field.
