Sunset

Back in June, the Flemington Neshanock and their good friends, the Diamond State Club of Delaware, had the opportunity to play two games of base ball on a pristine spring afternoon in Princeton, New Jersey.  It was a reminder of how much fun base ball can be.  Today the two teams met again, this time in Paper Mill Park in Newark, Delaware to close out the 2019 vintage base ball season.  The final game of any season always prompts a range of emotions - a sense of completion that another long season (April to October) is in the books as well as a feeling of loss because it will be more than five months before we get to do this again.  Today offered a venue, weather and opponents truly worthy of the occasion. Having lost the toss, the Neshanock went to the striker's line first.  With two out, Tom "Thumbs" Hoepfner and Rene "Mango" Marrero singled, but Flemington failed to score an indication that tallies were going to be at the premium.  Such was indeed the case and the game entered the bottom of the fourth 0-0 when Diamond State got their offense going.

Diamond State wrapped two singles around a Matt "Black Bart" Bartnicki triple for two runs, but Flemington had a chance to get out of the inning with no further damage with runners on second and third and two out.  At that point, however, Greg "Memphis" Boulden, the Diamond State pitcher, took matters into his own hands (or bat) delivering a well placed single to put the home team ahead 4-0.  Flemington finally scored in the top of the sixth when Dan "Sledge" Hammer tripled and went home on an overthrow.  Flemington continued to keep the game competitive, shutting out Diamond State for the next three innings and adding a run in the top of the eighth when "Sledge" singled in Chris "Low Ball" Lowry who had worked out a walk.  Unfortunately, for Flemington however, in Diamond State's half of the eighth, seven hits along with two Neshanock muffs led to seven runs and an 11-2 victory for the Delaware team.  The Neshanock were limited to eight hits by the pitching of "Memphis" and the defense behind him. Leading the way for Flemington was "Thumbs" with three, while "Sledge" and "Mango" had two apiece. 

After a brief break, the two teams returned to the field for a seven inning contest, this time with Flemington striking second.  Diamond State tallied once in their first at bat, but the Neshanock quickly answered that and then erupted for five tallies in the second.  Flemington had a 9-4 lead heading to the bottom of the sixth when the New Jersey team replicated Diamond State's last at bat in the first game, putting the game out of reach.  After Chris "Sideshow" Nunn parleyed a single and some aggressive base running into a tally, "Sledge" hit a home run, leaving him only a single short of hitting for the cycle.  When the inning was over, Flemington had tallied five times and closed out the game for a 14-5 season ending win.  Four Neshanock, the aforementioned "Sideshow," Joe "Mick" Murray, Scott "Snuffy" Hengst and Ken "Tumbles" Mandel contributed two hits apiece.  Especially noteworthy was the hitting of the newest Neshanock, Dan Mahony, who closed out his muffin season with a four hit day and his first clear score.  Welcome to the club Mr Mahony - next step is an appropriate nickname.  Also important was the steady defensive play of "Jersey" Jim Nunn who handled some challenging bound hits in the outfield and his son "Sideshow" who handled one particular tricky hop like it was a three cornered pool shot.

By dividing the two games, the Neshanock finished the year with an overall 16-6 mark. Season's end means its time to say thank you and I want to start with those outside the Neshanock family that make all of this possible beginning with our opponents.  One thing we can never take for granted is the need for other teams like Diamond State willing and able to put in the time and travel necessary to play a full schedule.  By my count, Flemington played nine different vintage teams over the course of the season and five "town" teams, local squads put together for just one game.  We couldn't do it without you and thank you for your participation.  While all opponents are important, we especially value our New Jersey partners - the Elizabeth Resolutes (the state's senior club), the Hoboken Nine, Monmouth Furnace and the New Brunswick Liberty.  Also essential and sometimes taken for granted are the umpires.  The Neshanock are more mindful of their importance of umpires since we have lost Sam Bernstein who worked so many Neshanock games for so many years.  So thanks to the umpires especially John Medkeff who worked today's games so ably.

Within the Neshanock community, the first thank you goes to our founder Brad "Brooklyn" Shaw who got all this started and kept it going for so many years.  We missed you this season and hope you'll join us next year, even if it is just to visit.   While he wasn't there today, much appreciation to Mark "Gaslight" Granieri both for serving as official blog photographer and sometimes writer. Thanks also to the parents, spouses, girl friends, fiancees, significant others and increasingly children who attend games in all kinds of weather and most importantly let us be part of a game we haven't yet, and never will, get enough off.  Finally, thanks are due to the Neshanock players for many reasons, but above all for just showing up on a regular basis.  One thing I've learned this year is that just fielding a team is no simple matter and it's a tribute to the players that only once did we fall short and only by one player which was easily managed.  2019 was my 13th season of vintage base ball and going back to the very beginning my 63rd season of baseball either as a fan or in some other capacity.  That's a long time, but it pales in comparison to the fact that competitive base ball began in New Jersey in 1855 some 164 years ago.  Those base ball pioneers could never have visualized what has happened since, but I would like to think they would appreciate what the state's vintage base ball teams and players have done to continue what they so nobly began.