The Mutuals in New Jersey - then and now

We begin with a correction.  Reporting on the Neshanock's visit to Princeton two weeks ago, I wrote that Chris "Side Show" Nunn had broken Mark "Gaslight" Granieri's record for putouts by a catcher with 10 in a match against the Monmouth Furnace Club.  But this past week I got an email (from guess who) claiming that, in fact, "Gaslight" had also recorded 10 putouts in a game in Delanco, New Jersey almost exactly a year ago.  Checking the old score book, something I should have done in the first place, confirmed the claim so "Side Show" and "Gaslight" are now tied for the honor.  It should, however, also be noted that "Side Show's" feat was in a seven inning game potentially sparking a debate about asterisks, like the famous, or infamous, qualification of Roger Maris' 61 home run season. But since vintage base ball lacks a commissioner, we'll let that pass.  Last week the Neshanock were supposed to travel to Easton, Maryland for two games with the Talbot Fairplays, but the excess heat prompted cooler heads to call the cancel the matches.  With the benefit of a week off, therefore, the Neshanock made a rare north Jersey appearance on Saturday, traveling to River Edge for the sixth annual game on behalf of the Bergen County Historical Society.

William "Boss" Tweed

The two seven inning matches were played at New Bridge Landing, an important Revolutionary War site with the Neshanock's old friends, the New York Mutuals providing the opposition just as they did a year ago.  After allowing the New York club one tally in the top of the first, Flemington responded quickly with four of their own keyed by doubles from Rene "Mango" Marrero and Joseph "Sleepy" Soria.   The Neshanock added one in the second and three more in the third while keeping the Mutuals off the scoreboard in their next five at bats.  After Flemington added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, the New York team got some offense going in their last time at the striker's line, but it was too big a mountain climb and the Neshanock prevailed 10-5.  Flemington was led by "Sleepy's" clear score as well as two hits apiece from "Mango," Brian "Spoons" LoPinto and "Jersey" Jim Nunn.  The match also saw the welcome return of Steve "Cuz" Thompson who contributed a ringing double to the Neshanock attack.  Another offensive highlight was a double from Tom "Thumbs" Hoepfner which was more crashing than ringing since it broke a window in one of the historic houses inconveniently placed in right field.  

After a respite long enough not just for "Casey at the Bat," but also "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," the second match began with the Neshanock at the striker's line.  Flemington tallied twice, but lost the opportunity for a big inning when two runners were tagged out on the bases.  That may or may not have been a negative Neshanock record, but, as Jeff "Duke" Schneider pointed out to me, it can't be far off.  Having dodged a bullet, the Mutuals quickly scored four runs and added four more in the second inning, using timely hitting to take an 8-2 lead.  After that the Mutuals defense took over (the New York club played excellent defense in both contests) and limited the Neshanock to only one run over the next five innings.  After the Mutuals added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, predictably, Flemington got its offense going, scoring five times and getting the tying run to the plate. It wasn't to be, however, and the New York team held on for a well earned 10-8 lead.  "Thumbs" led the Neshanock with three hits and a clear score, fortunately without inflicting any further damage on the historic windows.  After "Thumbs" came two hit contributions from Dan "Lefty" Gallagher, Joe "Mick" Murray, "Mango," "Sleepy," and Matt "Professor" Ayres.  With the split, Flemington stands 9-6 on the season heading into an open date before the ninth annual Gettysburg Vintage Baseball Festival, beginning on July 21st. 

What will henceforth be known as the Tom "Thumbs" Hoepfner window at New Bridge Landing

Like the modern version of the Mutuals the original club was a frequent visitor to New Jersey especially during the 1860's and 1870's when the New Yorkers crossed the Hudson to take on the likes of the Eureka and Irvington Clubs.  One such visit to Irvington took place in 1867, just a year after the Irvington Club burst on to the national scene upsetting prominent teams like the Atlantics and the Eckfords.  Already blessed with such talented players as future major leaguers Charles Sweasy and Andy Jackson Leonard, the Irvington club leadership hadn't been idle during the off season, adding Mahlon Stockman and Lipman Pike.  Stockman wasn't a great hitter, but according to historian William Ryczek, his defensive skills were at the same level as George Wright and Dickey Pearce, the top shortstops of the day.  Pike, the "first great Jewish baseball player," was at the beginning of a 15 year professional career and would become, according to Robert Schafer, his SABR biographer, "among the premier sluggers of his time."  With the addition of Pike and Stockman, the Irvington infield, which already featured Sweasy and Hugh Campbell, was, in Ryczek's opinion,"equal to any in the country."

Lipman Pike 

With Irvington now literally and figuratively on the base ball map, the match was guaranteed to draw a large crowd and a reporter for the New York Sunday News provided a vivid description of the scene on the road to the small farming community near Newark.

                    On Friday, June 28th, the Mutuals visited Irvington, N.J., to play the 

                    first game of home and home match with the celebrated Irvington Club of

                    that place who have acquired the first rank in the base ball world in

                    consequence of their victories over such clubs as the Union of Morisania,

                    and the Eurkeas of Newark, N.J.  For weeks prior to the match it has 

                    the topic of conversation in base ball circles, and the excitement in regard

                    to it surpassed anything we have known for the past several years.

                    In addition to the usual modes of conveyance, via cars, etc. to Newark, the

                    roads from Jersey City leading to Irvington were literally thronged with a

                    procession of vehicles of every description, including carriages, baroches,

                    light wagons, ominbuses, and hotel coaches, the Mutuals going out in two

                    of the St. Nicholas coaches.  Among those we noticed on the road going to

                    witness the afternoon's pastime were Judges Barnard and Handley, 

                    Supervisors Tweed and Hayes, Alderman Shannon, O'Brien, Norton and 

                    others; Councilman Long, Hartman and Kinney. A very pleasant party,

                    consisting of Coroner Gover, Jas. McConnell, George W. Millar, M. Howlett

                    and Fred Goodieson, were in a barouche, and apparently enjoyed themselves

                    to the top of their bent from the start to the finish.

The presence of such a large number of politicians shouldn't be surprise since the Mutuals were very closely connected to Tammany Hall, the New York City Democratic political machine.  Had they recognized the politicians, especially "Supervisor Tweed," knowledgeable Irvington fans would have realized their team had more at risk than just the game.  Before what the Sunday Mercury described as "a dense mass of spectators numbering fully 15,000," the Mutuals quickly took charge, building a 15-6 lead as the game headed to the bottom of the seventh.  Up to this point, the large crowd had apparently been relatively orderly, but so many people and so few police made some kind of disturbance inevitable and the inevitable happened as the Irvingtons came up for their seventh turn at the striker's line.  The Sunday Mercury reporter described the action off-the-field.  

                     The tally now stood 15 to 6, and things began to look bad for the Irvingtons.

                     Just about this time, a pickpocket's fight occurred, time being called for

                     about ten minutes.  The disturbance was caused by four Newark rowdies

                     and a party of Newark roughs of the lowest order, who had imbibed from

                     the liquor stands on the grounds, this crowd being incited to a row by a 

                     party of pickpockets who wanted to get hold of several gold watches and 

                     flush pocket-books they had seen in the crowd.  For a time the scene was 

                     very turbulent, about a dozen fellows being engaged in it, nearly all being

                     of the bull-necked low-brow'd, crop-haired brutes, who degrade humanity

                     so much in our cities.  Both clubs did their best to quell the disturbance, 

                     the Mutuals especially, as the fight was undoubtedly working against their

                     interests; in fact its effect on the play of the nine was made plainly apparent

                     before the close of the seventh inning.

Contemporary picture of an 1866 Atlantics-Athletics match in Philadelphia - note the gamblers and pickpockets in the lower left hand corner

It would be fascinating to know how the reporter distinguished between "rowdies" and "roughs" and the presumed difference between "roughs of the lowest order" and any other category of rough.  In any event, order was eventually restored, but when play resumed, the Irvington offense woke up and not a moment too soon.  The local team tallied six times in the seventh and four more in the eighth while holding the Mutuals to only one run so the match entered the ninth tied at 16.  The Sunday News reporter picked up the story.

                     The Mutuals went to the bat but were only allowed one run, Zeller having 

                     the credit of it, making the score 17-16 in their favor, with an inning left

                     for the Irvingtons.  The latter sent in Lewis their first striker, who was finely

                     disposed of by Jewett on a foul-fly catch, which equalled anything we ever

                     witnessed in a base ball field.  Pike now stepped forward with an evident

                     determination to tie the game if possible.  He hit a long and high ball to the 

                     center field, which was caught by Zeller on the fly, and notwithstanding 

                     his good intentions he was obliged to retire.  Leonard now took the bat as 

                     the Irvington's forlorn hope, but unfortunately struck a ball toward Martin,

                     who quietly fielded it to Bearman thus ending the game in favor of the 

                     Mutuals.

While the Sunday Mercury described the game as "one of the most exciting we have witnessed for years" that was little satisfaction to the Irvington Club and in the end they lost more than the game.  In July, after playing just six games for Irvington, Lipman Pike defected to the Mutuals where according to a Newark newspaper he had "secured a $1200 clerkship under Supervisor Tweed," doubtless a position with a very flexible work schedule.  Understandably outraged, the Irvington Club expelled Pike rather than accept his resignation,raising the question of his eligibility to play for the Mutuals, an issue the New York club simply ignored.  Clearly the Mutuals recognized talent when they saw it, weren't afraid to go after it and had the resources to do so.  Even without Pike, the Irvington Club still had another good season in 1867, but the handwriting was on the wall - although willing to pay players, the New Jersey team lacked the financial wherewithal to hold on to top quality talent.