Transitioning

Unless otherwise noted all photos are by Mark Granieri

2019 has been a year of transition for the Flemington Neshanock as Brad "Brooklyn" Shaw, team founder and club president has been taking a less active role.  One characteristic of transitions is the realization of how much work was done, but never spoken about, something I've become very well aware of this season.  It's also a time for to reflect on and honor the past something which began last weekend in Gettysburg when Tom "Schoolboy" Duffy of the Eclipse spoke about how much "Brooklyn's" help had meant in founding their club, something most of us were not aware of.  The tributes continued today in Rahway River Park when Paul Solomone, team captain of the Elizabeth Resolutes talked about Brooklyn's contributions in a heartfelt and moving manner.  Paul is the founder of nineteenth-century base ball in New Jersey and both his words and thoughtfulness were much appreciated.  He also suggested that we must be missing the weekly recitation of "Casey at the Bat," but some Neshanock are not ready to go that far, or at least not yet.

It was great to see longtime Neshanock fan, Blake Zimmer along with his parents and cousins, left to right, Aiden Jasul, Jasmin Jasul, the humble author, and Blake.  Photo by Ben Zimmer 

The two teams then began a game played by 1870 rules which are somewhat different from the 1864 version which Flemington typically uses.  The major and most obvious difference is that fair balls must be caught on a fly, but there are others including the rule that base runners advance on a walk only when forced, something the Neshanock learned or re-learned to its cost.  Having lost the toss, Flemington went to the striker's line first and tallied twice before keeping Elizabeth off the scoreboard in the bottom of the first.  The Neshanock then had a big inning in their half of the second when hits by Matt "Fly" Nunn, Jeff "Duke" Schneider, Joe "Mick" Murray, and Tom "Thumbs" Hoepfner along with a walk by Chris "Low Ball" Lowry led to four Flemington tallies.  Elizabeth got one back in their half of the inning, but after a scoreless third, the Neshanock had another big inning in the fourth tallying five times.  The Resolutes, however, had no intention of going quietly and combined a single and a double to score twice in their half of the inning.

In keeping with recent history, Flemington's offense then basically shut down for the game other than scoring three times in the top of the sixth with the key blow a double by Dan Mahony, the Neshanock's only extra-base hit of the day.  Elizabeth battled back in their half of the inning combining two hits and some Neshanock muffs to tally three times.  The Resolutes staged one more rally in the bottom of the eighth, scoring two times, but it wasn't enough against a relatively solid Neshanock defensive effort and Flemington held on for a 15-8 victory.  While Flemington has won this year's games between the two clubs, the rebuilding Resolutes are rapidly improving and it is only a question of time before Elizabeth will win more than their share of matches in this longstanding, friendly rivalry. 

Photo by Lawrence Major 

Flemington's offense was led by "Mick" and "Thumbs" both of whom had four hits, each of them missing a clear score by only one time at the striker's line.  Three other Neshanock had multiple-hit games, Dan with three and "Fly" and "Duke" with two apiece.  Flemington's defense was led by its pitching tandem of Bobby "Melky" Ritter and Scott "Snuffy" Hengst.  Also noteworthy was "Jersey" Jim Nunn's almost flawless performance at first base - an unfamiliar position for him.  Once Mark "Gaslight" Granieri found the field, he turned in another strong performance at catcher, not only "gunning" down two would-be base stealers, but also making a diving catch of a bound foul to help seal the victory for Flemington.  With the win, the Neshanock are now 14-5 on the season, having played nine of the last ten weekends.  Unfortunately, Flemington doesn't play again until September 14th leaving plenty of time to catch up on yard work and other assorted chores, none of which are remotely enjoyable as playing base ball in any form.

In Spite of the Weather

Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, was one of nineteenth-century America's greatest humorists and writers whose work has endured at least partially because of his timeless understanding of human nature.  One very popular saying attributed to Twain is that "Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it," although it may be that Charles Dudley Walker, his collaborator on The Gilded Age actually wrote the line.  But no matter who wrote it, it is, of course,  unarguable that no one can change the weather. That doesn't, however, mean nothing can be done about it or, perhaps more appropriately, in spite of it.  Anyone with any doubts on that score should check with the Elkton Eclipse vintage base ball club and the 23 other teams who along with fans, friends, and families gathered in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania this past weekend for the 10th annual National Nineteenth-Century Base Ball Festival where the weather was no small issue.

Always Appropriate Advice at Gettysburg

How hot was it?  Well, it hit 94 degrees on both days, about 12 degrees warmer than the average temperature during the Battle of Gettysburg in July of 1863.  Fortunately, the Elkton Club provided a structure that enabled the participants, if they chose, to do something about the truly oppressive conditions.  Since the Gettysburg event is a festival and not a tournament, each match is a self-contained unit with the outcome relevant only to the participating clubs.  As a result, in every game, the two teams had the ability to shorten the match to seven innings or whatever length they desired so long as was by mutual agreement.  Having given teams the authority to adjust as necessary, Elkton added the standard cautions about shade and hydration which the Neshanock and, I'm guessing, the other teams took very seriously.  The area behind the Neshanock bench resembled a canopy city with so much water and Gatorade on hand, that even with the excessive heat there was more than a little left for the ride home after Sunday's final game.

Canopy City - Neshanock Style 

Flemington's first game of the festival wasn't scheduled until 1:45 on Saturday, but two Neshanock players, Tom "Thumbs" Hoepfner and Chris "Low Ball" Lowry were already at work.  Each team has to provide the umpire for two games and thanks to both of them for taking on this task, knowing they had two full games to play afterward.  First up for the Neshanock was the Keystone Club of nearby Harrisburg, the only one of the four opponents, Flemington had played previously.  The Pennsylvania team went to the striker's line first and was retired in order before  Flemington got one run in the bottom of the first and then erupted for five more in the second.  Key blows in the big inning were a prodigious triple by Dan "Sledge" Hammer and singles by "Jersey" Jim Nunn and his two sons, Chris "Sideshow" and Matt "Fly" Nunn.  The Neshanock only scored three more times, but it didn't matter because almost flawless Flemington defense kept the Keystones off the scoreboard in a 10-0 Neshanock win.  Dan "Lefty" Gallagher and Rene "Mango" Marrero led the Flemington attack with three hits apiece while "Sledge," Thumbs," "Jersey," and Ken "Tumbles" Mandel had two each.

Fortunately, the game lasted just over an hour so the Neshanock were able to get out of the sun before their second game of the day against the Addison Mountain Stars, another Pennsylvania club, this time from south of Pittsburgh.  The original Addison club was made up primarily of coal miners who played in their work clothes covered with coal dust something the vintage club honors with miner like uniforms, minus the dust.  Striking first this time, Flemington tallied twice in the top of the first and added three more in the fourth for a 5-0 lead, continuing to play stout defense.  At that point, however, Addison handed the Neshanock some of their own medicine, retiring 10 straight batters before Flemington scratched out three more runs in their last two at-bats.  Once again the Neshanock turned in a stellar defensive effort, allowing just one tally for an 8-1 win.  Mark "Gaslight" Granieri, Joe "Mick" Murray, and "Tumbles" each contributed two hits to Flemington's offense while Chris "Low Ball" Lowry earned the day's only clear score, albeit with only one hit.  The Neshanock finished Saturday's play with two wins, but low offensive production limited to early in the game was a disturbing trend.

Addison Mountain Stars 

While there may have been a brief shower in Gettysburg Saturday night, it did nothing for the conditions on the field when the Neshanock took on the Bear Clan of Flint Rock, Michigan in Sunday morning's first game.  The Michigan team had already established their credentials by defeating the host Elkton Club and the Atlantic Club of Brooklyn, two of vintage base ball's best teams.  Flint Rock tallied twice in the top of the first, but Flemington tallied three in times in their turn, setting a pattern for what became a back and forth affair.  Flint Rock tied the game at 8-8 in the top of the fourth and it stayed tied until the sixth when the Michigan club took a one-run lead only to see the Neshanock score twice in their half for a 10-9 lead.  By that point, the game was running up against the time limit and it seemed likely the seventh would be the last inning.  Flint Rock quickly scored twice, but it briefly appeared the Neshanock would hit for the last time, down only one.  The opposition, however, had other ideas and added two insurance runs and then set down Flemington in order for a hard-fought 13-10 win.  Once again Flemington did all of its scoring early, tallying only twice in its last four at-bats.  "Thumbs" had three hits while Dave "Illinois" Harris and "Jersey" added two each.  One defensive note was a fine throw by Gregg "Burner" Wiseburn to cut down a Flint Rock runnier trying to steal second.

Flint Rock and Flemington - picture by Dorren Harris 

Flemington's final opponent of the festival was the Great Black Swamp Frogs of Sylvania, Ohio, reportedly named for the swamp that originally covered much of northwestern Ohio.  By now the Neshanock had established a pattern, at least on offense, that wasn't likely to change and sure enough, Flemington scored five of its eight runs in its first three at-bats.  That might have been enough, but some timely and strategic hitting by the Swamp Frogs aided by some Neshanock defensive lapses enabled the Ohio team to score six times in the third and Flemington never recovered, falling 12-8 and finishing 2-2 for the weekend.  It should be noted that in both Sunday matches, strong defense by both the Flint Rock and Swamp Frogs had a lot to do with the Flemington's offensive woes.  The Neshanock would like to thank our families and friends who endured the extreme, even for Gettysburg, heat and humidity.  In addition, we also want to thank Aristide Economopoulous of New Jersey Advance Media who after photographing and writing about the Neshanock's visit to New Bridge Landing on July 13th, made the trip to Gettysburg to cover both the Neshanock and the New Brunswick Liberty.  On the season, Flemington now stands 13-5 heading into next Saturday's match with the Elizabeth Resolutes at Rahway River Park.

By Sunday the heat was definitely taking a toll

Before heading home on Sunday, I watched the Elkton Eclipse honor one of their own, Tom "Schoolboy" Duffy for his "tireless commitment" to the festival - a well-deserved honor.  Just prior to the Neshanock's first game on Saturday, "Schoolboy" took part in another ceremony, this time as the presenter when the Eclipse gave the Neshanock the plaque pictured at the beginning of the post.  For the past ten years, the Neshanock have spent the third weekend in July in Gettysburg which lends a historical perspective to what the Elkton has accomplished with this event.  Ten years ago, the Maryland club had an idea - bring vintage baseball to one of the country's most historic areas. Initially, it took the form of a six-team tournament, made up primarily of teams from the Middle Atlantic area.  Not satisfied, they successfully developed the original idea into a larger vision of a festival where many teams from across the country could engage in friendly competition to the point that 56 teams from 15 states and the District of Columbia have taken part.  The Neshanock very much appreciated being honored, but in truth, we should be honoring Eclipse Club, its president, Bruce Leith, "Schoolboy" and everyone else from the Elkton club.  I know I speak for all of the Neshanock in saying thank you for creating this event and allowing us to be part of it.  As hot as it was, we are already looking forward to 2020 - huzzah!

Playing (Or Not PLaying) on the Fourth of July

In all the posts about Neshanock games in this blog, I don't think the attendance has ever been mentioned, probably for one of two reasons - either there weren't enough people to count or no one bothered to do so.  As a result, Saturday's games at New Bridge Landing in River Edge, New Jersey are a Flemington first.  According to a reliable source (Carol Zinn), the Bergen County Historical Society's official count was 350, some 50 more than a year ago.  Even if that number is a little off, it was still an excellent crowd which enjoyed two games between the Neshanock and a new local team, the Enterprise Club of New Bridge.  Flemington had somewhat diminished numbers and the local team kindly lent the Neshanock two players - Kyle and Don.  The first of two seven-inning games got underway with the Enterprise Club at the striker's line and they wasted no time in scoring their first two tallies in an inning where Flemington was fortunate to limit the damage.  Nor did the Neshanock do much at the striker's line in their first two attempts and New Bridge led 2-0 going to the bottom of the third.  Flemington finally got its offense untracked in that inning, scoring five times, but the Bergen County team quickly got two back in the top of the fourth, to narrow the deficit to one tally.  

Fortunately for Flemington, they broke things open in their half of the fourth, tallying five times, keyed by a two-out, three-run home run by Kyle playing in his first vintage game.  Leading 10-4 at that point, the Neshanock coasted home to a 20-7 victory.  Kyle and Chris "Low Ball" Lowry led the Flemington attack with three hits apiece, aided by Jeff "Duke" Schneider, Mark "Gaslight" Granieri, Dave "Illinois" Harris, and Brian "Spoons" Lo Pinto with two each.  After a break, the two teams returned to the field and similar to two weeks ago in Delanco, Flemington used an early big inning to take a commanding lead in route to a 21-6 win.  "Duke" and "Gaslight" contributed four hits each to the Neshanock's offense while "Illinois" and Kyle had three apiece, Kyle hitting a second home run.  Among those with two hits were Joe "Mick" Murray, Scott "Snuffy" Hengst, and Don who recorded Flemington's only clear score of the day.  "Illinois" and Bobby "Melky" Ritter divided the pitching responsibilities with "Duke" making his first appearance between the pitching lines to close out the second game.  While the Neshanock won both games, the Enterprise Club acquitted themselves admirably in their first two matches and Flemington hopes to see them on the field again.  Next weekend, Flemington travels to Gettysburg to take part in the 10th annual nineteenth-century,  baseball festival, one of 24 teams playing four games over two days.

A baseball game at Sauk Centre, Minnesota, July 4, 1908

The New Bridge Landing historical site is located in River Edge, a Bergen County community bordering on Hackensack, County Seat of Bergen County and ancestral home of the Zinn family.  In past posts, I've noted that despite its proximity to New York City, baseball didn't really take hold in Bergen County until the post Civil War years.  It appears the first team in Hackensack itself was the Ionic Club which interestingly played its first game on July 4, 1866, a 54-8 loss to the Everett Club of New York City.  Interesting primarily because the game was played on July 4th, our country's national holiday.  Playing (or not playing) on the Fourth of July, caught my attention because this year there were no major league baseball games in New York City on Independence Day, partially because the Yankees were on the road, but primarily because the Mets were not scheduled.  Baseball may no longer be the National Pastime, but not playing on the anniversary of the country's birth still seems more than a little incongruous.

A little research and reflection, although far from exhaustive, suggests that baseball's early connection with July 4th was more driven by economics (read filthy lucre) than identifying the national holiday with the national pastime.  References to baseball as the country's national game date back to before the Civil War, but in 1860, the last year of baseball's first growth spurt, precious little baseball was played on Independence Day, at least in the New York area.  According to the two major sports weeklies, the New York Clipper and the New York Mercury, only five games were scheduled for July 4, 1860, and one of those was an inter-squad game.  Indeed, Marshall Wright's compilation of the records of 21 teams for the 1860 season doesn't show a single game played on the Fourth.   According to a study of baseball's antebellum growth by Bruce Allardice, in 1860, there were 426 teams in Brooklyn (then an independent city) and Manhattan alone less than 2% of which played on Independence Day.  Nor do the numbers increase significantly in 1866, Wright chronicles 58 teams for that season only 12 (21%) of which played on the Fourth.

Things appear to have changed, however, when professional baseball became the order of the day.  In order to survive professional clubs needed paying customers when the potential customer base was significantly limited in the population centers on the East Coast because Sunday baseball was illegal, the one day when most people were off from work.  That made any holiday, especially Decoration Day and Independence Day, the two national holidays, important days to play and try to attract large crowds.  It was primarily for that reason on July 4, 1873 that Harry Wright, manager of the Boston Red Stockings, trying to overcome the Elizabeth Resolutes almost non-existent gate appeal, decided to play the first professional doubleheader (separate admission, of course), hoping thereby to convince those in the city for the holiday to use some of their time and money to see at least one game.

18,000 fans take in the afternoon game of a July 4, 1907, morning/afternoon doubleheader at Washington Park in Brooklyn - Brooklyn Daily Eagle, July 5, 1907 

As professional baseball expanded in the 1880s and 1890s, playing at home on holidays became a priority for clubs to the point that league meetings on the schedule became very acrimonious with the 1888 National League schedule meeting lasting until 3:00 a.m. after a 12-hour debate.  Charles Ebbets first made a name for himself in baseball circles by developing schedules that won such quick approval that the 1891 National League version was approved in a mere 20 minutes. The key to Ebbets approach was fairness and he resolved the quarrels over key holidays (known as plums) by what would seem to be the obvious solution of alternating the best dates on an every other year basis.  Another reason the competition for the Fourth and other holidays was so intense was that gate receipts were by far the largest source of club revenue which also drove game times and other factors that impacted fans willingness to plunk their quarters down for a game.  Today, of course, baseball is very different, ticket revenue may be important, but television has far outstripped it.  As a result, national holidays are for the most part, no different than any other day to the point that when necessary, skipping one is really no big deal, at least not to the "powers that be."