How long has it been since the Neshanock played at Greenway Meadow Park in Princeton? Long enough for the local municipality to construct a roundabout at the entrance to the parking area. Although it doesn't seem like it's been that long, it's been three years since Flemington last played at the park in the Historical Society of Princeton's annual event. This was not by choice. In 2023, rain wiped out the game, while in 2024, excessive heat led to a cancellation. This past Saturday offered a little bit of rain and heat, but fortunately not enough to interfere with our match with the Newtown Strakes
Our friends (and worthy foemen), the Newtown Strakes - all photos by Mark Granieri
The Strakes are well known to the Neshanock through the annual Memorial Day game, ably hosted by Kevin O'Shea, team captain, and the rest of the Newtown club. Opponents aren't that easy to come by, and we're grateful they helped us out on Saturday. Although they play only a few times a year, the Strakes, as Flemington knows full well, can more than hold their own against vintage teams that play regularly.
Flemington went first to the striker's line on Saturday and got off to a quick start, tallying nine times over the first three innings. When the Neshanock added one in the top of the fifth, Flemington was ahead 10-2, but no one on the Neshanock bench was getting over-confident. The Memorial Day game started the same way, but Newtown came back to win that match. Sure enough, Newtown tallied five times in the bottom of the fifth and gradually clawed their way back to tie the match at 10-10 after eight innings. After Flemington failed to score in the top of the ninth, Newtown quickly scored the winning run for a come-from-behind 11-10 win.
As frustrating as the loss was, there was some good playing on the Neshanock side. Thomas "Hawk" Prioli and Mark "Gaslight" Granieri both had three hits, with "Gaslight" earning a clear score. In addition, both "Hawk" and "Gaslight" made notable defensive contributions. "Hawk" pulled the hidden ball trick on an unsuspecting Newtown base runner while "Gaslight" threw out a runner trying to steal second. The latter play is so rare, it's hard to find a metaphor to do it justice. The wily Nehsanock veteran also made a fine play on a seventh-inning bound out. Also contributing offensively were Sam "Ewing" Ricco, Jeff "Duke" Schneider, Paul "O'Neill" Cincotta and Meshack "Shack" Desane with two hits apiece. Defensively, Scott "Snuffy" Hengst made several good plays in left, while Bobby "Melky" Ritter pitched another solid game.
So far this season, one thing has stood out in each game. On Memorial Day, for example, it was the crowd. In our last match at the Howell Living History Farm, a low-scoring game played under high-scoring rules was noteworthy. What struck me about Saturday's game was how close the game was for the first eight innings. A tie score at that point isn't that unusual, but both teams had the top of their order up in the ninth inning. That means both teams scored the same number of runs, in roughly the same number of at-bats over eight innings. It was a very evenly played game. While losing was disappointing, there's something to be said for close, well-played games regardless of who wins. It's enjoyable for the fans, fun for the two teams, and above all, worthy of the game itself.
Notwithstanding the pain, the author very adeptly captured the "agony of defeat" a' la the style of the "Father of Baseball", Henry Chadwick, as well as the colorful Flemington "characters" a' la Damon Runyon with a little modern-day Ken Rosenthal thrown into the mix.
ReplyDeleteThere were some mentions of terms this reader is unfamiliar with BUT I don't dare inquire as to their meaning!!!! As always the author (again adeptly) wraps up his post with a "home run" ending. And once again my compliments to "Gaslight" on his awesome photogs. . .