Albany Queer Baseball (The Chasers) began in June of 2025 with an open catch in Washington Park that turned into a successful first season, with four games, plenty of practices and a meetup at the Tri-City ValleyCats.

We play full field, overhand pitch baseball as they did in the good ol' days, with a mix of metal and wood bats. Some gear is provided for those without a bat or a glove. In games, we play just as many innings as everyone is interested in, with no called balls or strikes besides three swinging strikes. The score is never important: the idea is to put the ball in play. Beginners and first timers are always welcome.

We owe the inspiration of our existence to the nationwide sandlot revolution and the Dock Ellis League. We are also proud to follow earlier and ongoing queer baseball teams such as the Quaker City Cryptids, the Durham Fruits and Palouse Gay Baseball, as well as the many closeted or dissuaded queer people of the past who did not or could not play sports in this way openly.

The Chasers don't acknowledge gendered division in sports and have no rules based on gender. Baseball is just as much for women, nonbinary people and men of all kinds. The people in power may lead you to believe that queer sports, especially transgender sports, are an aberration, a joke, or a cheat. Unfortunately for them, transgender sports are as vitally human and as increasingly common as any other.