This past weekend, the Neshanock headed south for a two-day visit to Maryland. Our objectives were to play competitive baseball and help the Elkton Eclipse celebrate their 500th game. In the end, we went 1 for 2 which is putting as positive spin as possible on some very negative results on the scoreboard. First up, on Saturday were two games with the Rising Sun Club. Flemington went first to the striker's line, tallied twice and held the home team to a single run in their half of the inning. The Neshanock added another in the top of the second, but that was the high point of the game from the Flemington standpoint. Rising Sun tallied thirteen times in their next four at-bats and cruised to a 20-6 win. Leading the Neshanock "attack" were Jeff "Duke" Schneider and Matt "Fly" Nunn with two hits apiece. Also noteworthy was Dave "Illinois" Harris's fake steal of second base that forced a balk from the Rising Sun pitcher. It was a dominant performance by Rising Sun at the striker's line and in the field.
After a brief, wet break, the second game got underway with Rising Sun at the line. The local team tallied twice and the Neshanock then put together their biggest inning of the day, and the weekend, tallying four times. Sadly it was not only the biggest inning of the day, it was the last time Flemington scored in the seven-inning game. Rising Sun went ahead in the second, took control in the fourth and again won going away 16-4. Paul "O'Neill" Cincotta, Don Becker and Ken "Tumbles" Mandel each had two hits in the loss. Once again Rising Sun was solid both on offense and defense for a very impressive performance in their first games of the season. The Neshanock are grateful to the home club for their hospitality and Flemington hopes to offer more opposition next time.
Saturday's games were played in very unpleasant conditions - cold temperatures which were bad enough, made worse by a steady rain that fell much of the afternoon. The weather had nothing to do with the outcomes but made the experience unplesant for the Neshanock as well as family and friends. Fortunately, not only did the weather change on Sunday, the conditions couldn't have been better for the main event, the Elkton Eclipse's 500th game. Among the first to arrive were special guests Brad and Phyllis Shaw. Brad, or "Brooklyn," as he's known in baseball circles is, of course, the founder of the Neshanock, but he also played a special role in helping the Elkton club to get started. Back in November of 2005, "Brooklyn" visited Elkton to meet with Bruce Leith, Elkton's founder, and others to offer advice and counsel. The support continued as the Eclipse got going and culminated with the Neshanock visiting Maryland to play Eklton in their very first game - thus the invitation to play in Sunday's 500th game.
After opening ceremonies including a first pitch by "Brooklyn" and some others, the milestone game got underway with the Elkton lineup featuring many of the club's alumni. Continuing the pattern from Saturday, the Neshanock tallied in the first but did little offensively after that. It took Elkton a few innings to get going, but by the end of four, the Eclipse had a comfortable 9-1 lead which they gradually expanded for a 15-2 win. The game also featured one of "Brooklyn's" memorable performances of "Casey at the Bat." Nor was "Brooklyn" solely a bystander - he pitched the first three innings for Flemington, displaying much of his old form. Chris "Lowball" Lowry and Chris "Sideshow" Nunn managed two hits apiece for the Neshanock.
Elkton's victory in their 500th game was followed by another win in number 501, a seven-inning contest. The Neshanock played better defense, limiting the Eclipse to 10 runs, but Flemington's offense struggles continued, tallying only four times. Dan "Sledge" Hammer, "Illinois," "Tumbles" and "Duke" had two hits each for the Neshanock. Like Saturday, it was a long day on the scoreboard, but Elkton, like Rising Sun, played far better at bat and in the field and deserved their decisive victories. Sunday, though, was not about who won or lost. Rather, it was about honoring Elkton's success as a premier nineteenth-century baseball club. Since the Eclipse has won almost 80% of those 500 games, there's no argument about their on-the-field prowess. But there is more to Elkton's success than wins and losses. It's about what could be called the three "S's" of nineteenth-century baseball - starting, sustaining and supporting.
In my opinion, success in starting a nineteenth-century baseball club means building a team that plays for at least five years. Make no mistake, it's no easy task. A startup team needs something like 12-15 volunteers, most of whom have little knowledge of 1860s baseball. These volunteers first have to relearn how to play a game they thought they knew. A game played with very different rules without equipment, especially gloves. And then there's the commitment of time and money. Giving up a significant part of a weekend around a dozen times over the spring and summer while spending easily $200 on a uniform. Putting such a group together and keeping it together for five years is no small accomplishment, especially since everyone is a volunteer, making accountability challenging. Much credit is due to Bruce Leith and Tom "Schoolboy" Duffy and everyone else who got the Eclipse started on a sound basis.
Choosing five years as the minimum threshold for successfully starting a club is arbitrary, but whatever the number, the issue is the team has to stand the test of time. At some point afterwards, comes the second "S" - sustainability. Whether it's 5, 10, or 20 years there will be a time when a significant number of those present at the creation drop out, voluntarily or not. The issue is finding and developing others to sustain what the founders created. It's a new set of challenges including succession planning, recruiting new players and making them feel part of the team. The timeline may be different, but the time will come. Elkton has been fortunate to have the continuity provided by Bruce and "Schoolboy." But there has certainly been player turnover and the Eclipse are fortunate to have added new leadership such as Les Blackburn, the current captain. Currently, in their 18th year, there is no question Elkton has met that test and then some.
Just starting and sustaining a nineteenth-century baseball team is noteworthy. Supporting the larger world of nineteenth-century baseball as Elkton has done takes things to another level. The Eclipse's leadership clearly remembered the help they received from "Brooklyn" and have helped other clubs get started. They have also played a leadership role in support organizations most recently the National Association of Historic Base Ball Clubs. Especially important is their creation and sustaining of the Gettysburg National Nineteen -Century Baseball Festival. Begun in 2010 with six teams, the event has expanded to as many as 32. A week before the 2019 event, I casually mentioned it to a reporter for a New Jersey newspaper. With no prompting on my part, he convinced his editor to let him cover the festival. The result was a photo essay publicizing nineteenth-century baseball that has attracted potential players, fans and venue hosts.
Not only has the Elkton Club won a lot of games, they've done just as much for the game we love. Thank you Elkton Eclipse! Or in the nineteenth-century baseball lingo - "Well played gentlemen, well played!"
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