Sunday, June 17, 2018

"On the Banks of the Old Raritan"

Home to Rutgers University for over 250 years, New Brunswick, New Jersey doesn't always get the recognition it deserves in its own right. First settled in 1681, New Brunswick was a stop on the King's Highway between New York and Philadelphia during colonial times and an important river port for most of its early history.  The city's favorable location led to its inclusion on the railroad which, as we shall see, was a contributing factor to the development of antebellum base ball in what would become the county seat of Middlesex County.  New Brunswick's first team was the Liberty Club possibly named after a local fire company and a wise choice when Lawrence Major, then a member of the Elizabeth Resolutes, decided to start a new team.  Over the past five years or so there have been more false starts than successes with new vintage teams in New Jersey so credit to Lawrence for taking the time to put a solid club on the field which is off to an excellent start.  On Saturday, the Neshanock traveled to East Jersey Olde Towne Village in Piscataway to take on the Liberty who, while only in their first year, are by no definition muffins.


The first match was played under 1858 rules, the primary difference being that there are no called balls with strikes being called only sparingly.  This is only the second time I've been part of an 1858 game and in the hot sun, it's not hard to understand why called balls were added for the 1864 season.  After six innings the Liberty led 6-4, but the top of the seventh hurt Flemington badly.  Four straight hits set the stage for a big inning and some untimely Neshanock muffs (there probably isn't a timely muff) contributed to five tallies and a 11-4 Liberty lead.  The Neshanock rallied for three in their half of the inning, but even though Flemington shut the Liberty out the rest of the way, the Neshanock could muster only one more run and lost the first contest 11-8.  Special note should be made not only of the Liberty's timely hitting, but also consistent play in the field, making only two muffs over the course of the game.  Brian "Spoons" LoPinto led the Neshanock attack with a four hit clear score while Rene "Mango" Marrero added three hits and Adam "Beast" Leffler and Ken "Tumbles" Mandel had two apiece.  "Tumbles" was especially impressive at the striker's line with a perfectly executed fair foul and a long double.


After a brief respite, the second contest got underway this time with the Neshanock striking first in a game under 1864 rules.  Four straight Flemington strikers made their base leading to three tallies, but the Liberty matched that in their half of the inning.  Although the first two Neshanock strikers went out in the top of the second, Flemington still managed two tallies keyed by a ringing triple by Chris "Sideshow" Nunn who, as usual, had a fine game behind the plate.  After limiting the Liberty to one tally in the bottom of the inning, Flemington tallied twice more this time thanks to back-to-back doubles by Jeff "Duke"Schneider and "Tumbles."  Flemington had a 7-4 lead at that point, but the Liberty chipped away while shutting out the Neshanock over the next three innings and the New Brunswick team led 8-7 going to the top of the seventh.  Flemington wasn't done, however, scoring three times in their turn at the striker's line largely due to another double by "Tumbles" that sent two Neshanock runners across the plate.  Once again, however, the Liberty had plenty of answers combining well struck hits and some more untimely Neshanock muffs to take a two run lead.


Flemington loaded the bases in the top of the eighth with only one out, but managed only one tally to close within one run.  In the bottom of the inning, the Liberty loaded the bases with none out, but were kept off the scoreboard largely due to a double play off a foul ball.  After the first Neshanock striker went out in the top of the ninth, Flemington had first and third again with just one out, but the Liberty returned the favor, retiring the side on another foul ball driven double play for a 12-11 Liberty victory.  "Sideshow" had an outstanding game at the plate, recording a five hit clear score.  "Duke" contributed four hits while "Tumbles," Joe "Mick" Murray and Steve "Muffin" Colon (playing for the first time) had three apiece.  Also of note was a two hit game by Joe "Irish" Colduvell.  Although the second contest was much closer, the Liberty once again prevailed due a combination of timely hitting and exceptional defense again making just two muffs.  Lawrence Major has done a fine job getting the Liberty Club off to a good start, one that all of us hope is sustained over the long term. With the two losses, Flemington is now 6-5 on the season heading into next Saturday's matches in Princeton with the Monmouth Furnace Club



Unlike most vintage teams, I'm very familiar with the original incarnation of the Liberty club since I wrote an essay about the team for the book - Baseball Founders, my initial foray in writing about 19th century base ball, even before A Manly Pastime.  Founded in 1857, the Liberty Club of New Brunswick has the distinction of being the first New Jersey base ball club to join the National Association of Base Ball Players, the loose confederation of clubs whose primary role was to set rules.  New Jersey's first base ball clubs got on to the field in 1855 so it's interesting to see that the game had spread that far into the state in such a short period of time.  In fact, the New York game had reached even further into New Jersey a year earlier with the formation of the Trenton Club, an indication of the importance of the railroad to the game's expansion throughout the northern half of the state.


New Brunswick Fredonian 

Before base ball received extensive newspaper coverage, exposure to the New York game was largely limited to playing it, watching it or hearing about it from someone who had played or watched it.  Access to New York City (and Hoboken) increased those opportunities considerably and New Jersey's relatively sophisticated railroad network facilitated just those kind of opportunities.  The difference between railroad development in the northern and southern parts of the state makes the point very effectively.  New Brunswick residents who lived some 36 miles from Manhattan, could reach the city in two hours with a choice of eight different trains throughout the course of the day, making a one day round trip more than feasible.  A south Jersey resident of Bridgeton, however, wishing to make the relatively similar 42 mile trip to Philadelphia had to rise at the ungodly hour of 4:00 a.m. for a combined 6 1/2 hour stage coach and ferry ride to the City of Brotherly Love - needless to say limiting the number of those exposed to Philadelphia town ball.


Brooklyn Daily Eagle - October 30, 1861

Like most early New Jersey clubs, the Liberty began playing local teams, but the New Brunswick team took a quantum leap in class when they started playing the Atlantic Club of Brooklyn  Not surprisingly it didn't go well at first, including an 1858 61-14 rout where they trailed 26-1 after just two innings, but the Liberty was in no way intimidated. In an 1860 game, the Liberty led the Atlantics 16-11 going to the bottom of the ninth before the Brooklyn team tied it, although they were unable score the winning tally.  Understandably the Liberty  felt "like victors, because they "were not beaten'' by a team that "seldom fails of success." Doubtless the Liberty Club felt good about their prospects for 1861, but like many teams, the coming of the Civil War kept them off of the field for most of the season.  Late in October, however, they did manage a match in Newark against their friends from Brooklyn and this time thrashed the Atlantics by a resounding 30-12 count.  Although bemoaning the loss to a "country club," the Brooklyn Daily Eagle acknowledged the "total defeat" of the Atlantics.   It was the first time the Brooklyn team had lost to a team from outside of New York something that wouldn't happen again until their 1866 loss to the Irvington club.  Clearly the Liberty Club has a proud historical record, one being duly honored by the modern re-creators.  

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