The Cup comes to New Jersey

Yesterday while Carol and I were in Cooperstown for a 19th century base ball conference (not to mention our 38th wedding anniversary) the Neshanock traveled to Long Island for the second straight weekend.  This time the destination was Old Bethpage Village and the annual New York - New Jersey Cup.  All of the photos and the game summaries are courtesy of Mark "Gaslight" Granieri

This year the tournament was a true New Jersey - New York match up as New Jersey's newest vintage club, the Hoboken Nine participated along with the host New York Mutuals and the New York Gothams.  In addition to being on Long Island for the second straight weekend, the Neshanock also took on the Mutuals for the second consecutive time and just like last weekend in Smithtown it was a close match.  After seven innings the match was tied, but Flemington outscored the Mutuals over the last two frames for a 15-13 victory.

The New York Gothams were the opposition in the second contest and once again it was a close game.  However in the top of the ninth, the Neshanock broke the game open with a six run inning and prevailed 17-10.  Hoboken had defeated the Gothams in their first match so a tie between the two New Jersey clubs was possible, but the Mutuals defeated the New Jersey club and the Neshanock won the cup outright.

The Flemington victory marked the first time a New Jersey club had won the tournament so for at least one year the trophy from last year's Silver Ball tournament in Rochester will have company in the Neshanock trophy case.  After three weeks the Neshanock are off to a 4-1 start and travel to Maryland next Sunday to take on the Talbot Fairplays.