First of the Twenty-Fifth

Like the nineteenth-century game we recreate, vintage baseball doesn't have a universal opening day.  Wind, weather, geographic area and other factors determine when a team gets on the field for the first time.  The Neshanock's first 2025 match, for example, was scheduled for April 5th, but rain and cold temperatures made short work of that possibility.  Instead, Flemington took the field for the first time this past Saturday.  Not only was the date different, but the venue was also changed.  Originally, Saturday was to have been the Neshanock's traditional April visit to Fosterfields Living History Farm near Morristown, but unfortunately, the field was unavailable due to a construction project.

The Neshanock are commemorating our 25th season with a notation inside our new hats created by Norma Stockbridge.  Unless otherwise noted, all photos are by Mark Granieri

Fortunately, we to be able to move the game to historic Gebhardt Field in Clinton.  Special thanks to Councilman Kyle Perloff for making it happen and to Tony DiFabio for taking such good care of us.  There is an understandable preference in vintage baseball to play on open fields rather than standard baseball diamonds. But there's something to be said for venues like Gebhardt Field, with its own rich history as one of New Jersey's few remaining covered wooden grandstands.  Of course, my preference for Gebhardt may be somewhat because 25-year-old Hank Zinn coached his first high school baseball game there in 1939. 

Left to right, Jim "Jersey" Nunn (25), Bobby "Melky" Ritter (20) and Neshanock Field Captain, Chris "Lowball" Lowry (25) Those aren't uniform numbers, which, of course, didn't exist in 1864, but rather the number of years these veterans have played for the Neshanock.

While every baseball season is special, 2025 is especially so for the Neshanock.  It's our 25th season, a major accomplishment for any vintage team.  Getting started is difficult; sustaining a team over multiple generations of players is even harder.  As always, much credit is due to Brad "Brooklyn" Shaw in both categories.  Kudos are also in order for the veteran players who have been part of Neshanock baseball year in and year out.  I knew that Chris "Lowball" Lowry, Jim "Jersey" Nunn and Bobby "Melky" Ritter had been part of the team for a long time, but didn't realize how long.  "Lowball" and "Jersey" are charter members of the Neshanock, playing their 25th seasons.  "Melky," first played for the Elizabeth Resolutes, the state's senior vintage team, and this will be his 20th year in a Flemington uniform.

Twenty-five is an important number for both J.P. "Grifter" Prioli and Jim "Jersey" Nunn.  "Jersey" is playing in his 25th season for Flemington, and "Grifter" just celebrated his 25th birthday

Saturday's weather conditions were less than ideal for opening day or any other day, for that matter.  The field was already wet, and steady showers quickly turned it into a quagmire, making it difficult, if not impossible to catch the ball.  After retiring the Hoboken Club without a tally in the top of the first, Flemington scored three times in their half and added seven more in the second for a seemingly commanding 10-0 lead.  However, Hoboken battled back manfully, scoring four times in the third and closing the gap to 10-4.  But the Neshanock's offense was relentless, scoring four times in three different innings, and ultimately prevailed 22-7.

As always, Umpire Sam Bernstein was master of all he surveyed, although this time, it was basically mud

Flemington's attack was led by Chris "Sideshow" Nunn and Bob "Riverboat" Smith, with five hits apiece, each earning a clear score in the process.  For new blog readers, a clear score means the player didn't make an out in the entire game, either at bat or on the bases.  For example, being forced out costs the runner his clear score.  In the days before anyone calculated batting averages or totaled RBIs (whatever they are), the clear score was the highest possible offensive achievement.  Right behind "Sideshow" and "Riverboat" were Thomas "Hawk" Prioli and Jeff "Duke" Schneider with four hits each.  Next came J. P. "Grifter" Prioli, Sam "Ewing" Ricco and Mark "Gaslight" Granieri with three apiece, while "Lowball" and Joe "Mick" Murray each had two hits.

The rain and mud didn't stop the Neshanock from having fun, as seen by Chris "Sideshow" Nunn (foreground) and Sam "Ewing" Ricco, not to mention the aged scorekeeper below

Photo by Eric Lajeunese

Playing defense in the wet muck was no easy chore, but Flemington had one stellar inning in the field.  First, a high pop fly was hit along the first baseline.  It must have been high because by the time it hit the ground, "Melky," whose mobility is, shall we say, limited, was there to catch it on one bounce.  The next batter hit a line drive to left field, which "Grifter" plucked out of the air with one hand, evidence of how he uses his quick hands to perform card tricks.  Having seen those two noteworthy plays, "Gaslight" got into the act by catching a pop foul in the crook of his elbow.  The wily Neshanock catcher claimed he wasn't showing off, but you never know.  All in all, it was a very successful first game, not because we won, although that never hurts, but because we had fun.  May that always be so in this historic 25th season.