Baseball at the Beach

This past weekend the Neshanock traveled to Milton, Delaware for the National Association of Historic Base Ball Clubs' second annual tournament.  We’re grateful to the association leadership and the Lewes Club for all of the hard work that went into making the event happen There were 12 teams in this year’s tournament which were divided into four groups for the first day’s play.  Based on Saturday’s results, the teams competed for one of three possible championships.  

A perfect day for baseball - unless otherwise noted photos are by Rene Marrero

Flemington began the first day's play in a group with the Talbot Club of Maryland and the Kingston Guards from New York.  The Neshanock’s opening match was with Talbot in what turned out to be a low scoring contest especially for 1864 baseball.  The Maryland team got off to a quick 3-0 lead which was more than enough as Flemington could only muster one tally in a 5-1 loss.  A single by Chris “Sideshow” Nunn, followed by William Curtis Staropoli’s double produced the run. Jeff “Duke” Schneider and Jim “Jersey” Nunn each had a hit, but that was the extent of the Neshanock offense.  Bobby “Melky” Ritter pitched well backed up by strong defense.

Jeff "Duke" Schneider's deemed this pitch unworthy of striking

After playing the veteran Talbot Club in the first game, Flemington then took on the Kingston Guards, a relatively new team.  Once again, it was a relatively low scoring game, but this time Flemington had more than enough offense.  The Neshanock scored twice in the first inning on Curtis’s triple, which was all the runs Flemington needed since “Melky” and the defense shut out the New York club for a 7-0 win.  While it wasn’t the first shutout in Neshanock history, it’s been a long time since the last one. Curtiss had four hits including his triple. “Duke," "Sideshow" and Sam “Ewing” Ricco each contributed two.

The Neshanock bench focused, for the most part, on the game - photo by Mary Nunn

By winning the second match, Flemington advanced to Sunday’s semi-final in the Doc Adams Cup Division.  Providing the opposition was Rising Sun Club of Maryland.  The score was tied three different times before the Neshanock took a 7-5 lead after six innings.  Flemington added one more run while limiting Rising Sun to just a single tally for an 8-6 Neshanock victory.  “Ewing” had five hits and a clear score while “Sideshow” and “Duke” contributed four apiece.  “Curtis” had three hits, Rene “Mango” Marrero two, and Chris “Lowball” Lowry had one.

Clearly enjoying themselves are (left to right) Jeff "Duke Schneider," Jim "Jersey Nunn and Rene "Mango" Marrero

The win put Flemington in the division championship game against the Eckford Club.  The Brooklyn team took charge quickly, jumping out to a 13-5 lead, far too large a margin for the Neshanock to make up. The Eckford prevailed 25-11, winning the championship in the process. In the loss Flemington did some strong work at the striker’s line.  “Ewing” had another five hit clear score while Curtis also had five hits including two triples. Not far behind were “Mango” and “Duke” with four hits apiece. “Sideshow” had two hits highlighted by a home run. 

First row, left to right Chris "Sideshow" Nunn, Rene "Mango" Marrero and Jim "Jersey" Nunn. Second row Chris "Lowball" Lowry, Jeff "Duke" Schneider, Larry "Chops" Etgen, Bobby "Melky" Ritter and Sam "Ewing" Rico.  By this time, Curtis had left to catch the ferry back to New Jersey. Photo by Mary Nunn

It was a splendiferous weekend for the Neshanock.  We are very grateful to Curtis and Larry “Chops” Etgen for helping us out.  Thanks again to those who did what was necessary to make the event happen.  Flemington will wind up the 2026 season this coming Saturday, September 26 with our annual visit to the Dey Farm in Monroe Township.  If you’re in the area, please join us. 

"Still Is Ours Today"

Visiting Morristown for a Neshanock game back in April reminded me of long ago Saturdays, when my parents took my sister and me to the Old Book Shop, which is still very much in business today.  I usually emerged with a goodly amount of juvenile fiction, not of my generation, but books my father read in the early 20th century.  While not well remembered today series like the Boy Allies, Tom Swift and the Rover Boys were standard reading material for boys of my father's generation.  Reading those books so many years ago may explain why I collect them now with an emphasis on baseball stories.

As popular as those books were then, critics today, with good reason, don’t think much of what could be described as juvenile fairy tales.  The story typically follows a formula with a perfect hero, bullies on and off the field, in spite of whom, the hero and his friends always emerge triumphant.  Such books may not have seem to have anything to say to today’s youth, but on that point, I respectfully disagree.

A picture from the book, presumably of Phillips Exeter Academy.  All pictures are from the text

Just one example is "Making the Nine" by A. T. Dudley published in 1904.  It’s one of a series of books, Dudley wrote about a school he called Seaton, but which was in fact Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire.  Like almost all of these stories, there is no shortage of off the field issues, in this case gambling, theft and eligibility, with a bully or two thrown in for good measure.  Beyond these challenges, all of which are, of course, resolved satisfactorily is what seems to be a side issue – Philip Poole's dream of making the school baseball team.  Hence the title.

A Student's Room

Poole has very little going for him – he’s not a natural athlete and the team captain doesn’t think much of him.  Fortunately, Poole has a mentor, his roommate Dick Melvin, a successful athlete in other sports.  When Poole tells Melvin of his dream and the apparent impossibility of realizing it, Melvin tells him to “devote your whole thought and attention out of [academic] study to baseball and nothing else” and then offers the following specific advice:

"Do more than you’re told

Study yourself

Get outside help

If you get cut from the team, form your own team and keep practicing."

Poole takes Melvin's advice in various ways including remaining on campus during spring break so he can hire a former professional pitcher to help him become a better hitter. Naturally, as in all these stories, Poole follows Melvin’s guidance, and, in spite of what the captain thinks, not only makes the team, but saves the day in a win over the school’s archrival.

Phil Poole In Action

The predictable end result may be the fairy tale ending lamented by critics.  But what’s important, at least to me, is the advice Melvin gives Poole about a process to help him realize his dream.  Even so many years later, it resonates with me because I can identify with Poole. It was my dream in high school to earn a varsity letter on the baseball team, a goal I never achieved. It all worked out in the end because I found other ways to be involved, but reading Making the Nine made me wish I had read Poole's story when I could have followed Melvin's advice. 

The Hero (Poole) Receives His Just Rewards

However, I started thinking about a more important question – had I read the book back then would I have followed Poole’s example?  If I’m being honest, I think it’s doubtful.  I would have been far more interested in the story itself than taking on so much work.  The good news though is that such timeless and valuable advice was not only available to young readers then, but also "still is ours today!" 

Tommy John: Patient Pitcher Patient Man

Everyone who reads this post knows who Tommy John was because of a surgery named after him. A tall pitcher, (6’3”), who couldn’t break a pane of glass, he won 288 games as a “crafty lefty.”  He was a 4-time all-star, finished second in the Cy Young voting twice and won 20 games three times. The HOF never called though teammates believed he belonged. On August 8 he wrote a farewell thank you letter to the Yankees organization and his fans and passed away a week later on August 15th at the age of 83. I, [Paul "O'Neill" Cincotta of the Flemington Neshanock], was one of those fans. And I want to share the story of my chance meeting with a patient Tommy John, my dad, and a McDonalds restaurant in Nyack NY.

Tommy John 

My interest in Tommy John was piqued not only because he signed with the Yankees but because of a 1979 documentary that was distributed among Christian churches discussing his faith. That provided me with a clue to his character. My memory again is foggy, but it would have been in the summer of 1980 or 1981 that my chance meeting happened. 

As I wrote in my story about memorable games, my father had an internal GPS of every McDonalds in a 100-mile radius of our home in Tuckerton NJ and I guess Nyack, NY in Rockland County qualified. While my father and I received our order and sat down, I noticed a man waiting for his order who I thought resembled Tommy John. My father took a glance but didn’t agree. But as teenagers often do, I nagged my father a few more times before he said, “well why don’t you go up to him and ask.”  This I did politely asking, “Excuse me, but are you, Tommy John?”  When the answer came back yes, I was frozen in time. All I could do was put out my hand and shake his. No autograph, no other words, just a handshake and back to my seat to tell my father who was surprised that I was correct. 

We ate our meal, but Tommy John was still at the counter patiently awaiting his order. I left saying something like “keep up the great pitching job” and we went out the door. I remember my father and I discussing how it came about to meet him only because his order took so long. I guess he was a patient man just like his pitching style to get batters out who were impatient to wait on his slow breaking pitch

My father, who passed away in 2010, would have turned 100 on July 28, 2026. My siblings and I planned a dinner with his favorite foods to be celebrated on August 17. Little did I know that Tommy John was in poor health when this dinner was planned. But reminiscing about my father, and with Tommy John’s passing, I remembered the connection of how a teenager, my dad and a McDonalds brought back an experience I will never forget. To this day he is one of only two sports figures I have ever “run into.”  (the other being Carl Yastrzemski). Somehow baseball always has a great ending when it involves a dad, his son, a baseball player, and a McDonalds. Thanks Dad.

Neshanock "At the Bat"

While the Neshanock haven't had a plethora of players on the field this season, we continue to enjoy plenty of depth at the photographer's position.  Official blog photographer, Mark "Gaslight" Granieri ably handles most games and when he's not available, others like Rene "Mango" Marrero fill in admirably.  And on special occasions, professional photographer and Neshanock family member, Lauren Marchese Nunn brings her unique touch to our games.  We were both fortunate and glad to have Lauren with us two weeks ago in Washington.

While no one on the Neshanock pretends to be the "Mighty Casey," every Flemington player has his moments "at the bat."

Chris "Sideshow" Nunn typically strikes first so the Neshanock can take full advantage of his speed and base running acumen

Don "Splinter" Becker has been a valuable addition to the Neshanock especially since he's had an injury free season

Mark "Gaslight" Granieri finds himself on the other end of the camera

Jim "Jersey" Nunn brings 25 years of vintage baseball experience to the striker's line, much of it under the watchful eyes of Sam "It ain't nothing till I say" Bernstein

Jeff "Duke" Schneider attempts one of his classic fair/foul hits

Neshanock field captain Chris "Lowball" Lowry appears to be following Duke's example

The members of the Warren Hills High School team had the rare opportunity to play 1864 baseball on their community's historic field.  A two-part history lesson we hope they enjoyed and will remember 

There used to be a ballpark somewhere here

After a week off, seven Neshanock players traveled to Washington (Warren County), New Jersey to take on the Warren Hills High School team.  Since Abner Doubleday decreed a minimum of nine players, Flemington was once again shorthanded.  Fortunately, through the kindness of strangers, we were able to fill out our lineup.  Thanks to Dan and Mike for helping us out.  We were also pleased to see local resident and longtime Neshanock Gregg "Burner" Wiseburn who had just been cleared for running after what seems like a record stay on the injured list.  Not only was it good to see "Burner," he caught the last two innings, the start, we hope, of a return to the Flemington lineup.

Picture of an earlier Washington ballpark at a different location - newspaper and date unknown

Thanks to the aged scorekeeper's call of heads, Flemington won the coin toss and chose to strike second.  Warren Hills tallied once in the top of the first and added five more runs over the next five innings.  Heading to the bottom of the fifth, the Neshanock trailed 6-1, but a three-run rally closed the margin to just two runs.  That, however, was the extent of Flemington's offense and even though they already had enough runs, Warren Hills tallied seven more times for a comfortable 13-4 win.

Historic grandstand at Washington Boro - All pictures by Mark Granieri

Close quarters in the Neshanock dugout - left to right - the aged score keeper, Jeff "Duke" Schneider, Don "Splinter" Becker, Chris "Sideshow" Nunn and Jim "Jersey" Nunn

Local resident, Mark "Gaslight" Granieri led Flemington with three hits and came within inches of recording a clear score.  Chris "Sideshow" Nunn and Don "Splinter" Becker had two hits each while playing solid outfield defense.  Jeff "Duke" Schneider, the other member of the outfield had one hit plus a base on balls.  Walks as a rule don't merit much notice, but in this case, there was a runner on third thereby adding one tally to the Flemington total.  Had there been RBI's in 1864, "Duke" would have gotten one, but they didn't so neither did he."Duke" also made a nice rolling catch in the outfield.  He enjoyed it so much he took another tumble, this time well after grabbing another batted ball on the bound thereby earning a putout, but no style points. 

As always, Bobby "Melky" Ritter's follow through is flawless

Before Flemington's first visit to Washington in 2023, I read in the book "Covered Wooden Grandstands" that Ty Cobb played a game there in 1911.  Further research led to a blog post about that game where a local pitcher won a new hat and a lifetime of bragging rights for striking out Cobb who hit .419 that year.  At the time "Gaslight" and I weren't sure whether that game was played at the same site as the current field with its historic grandstand.  Recently, the picture at the beginning of this post appeared on a Washington Facebook page without, unfortunately, listing the source.  Given, however, the mention of 1911 and the number of fans in the picture it's possible the picture was taken at that game. It could, in fact, be a picture of the Georgia Peach himself at bat.  Time for some more research - stay tuned!

An Old/New Tradition

About four years ago, the Lambertville  Historical Society invited the Neshanock to play a match in this historically rich Delaware River community.  Such invitations are fairly common, but some are more attractive than others.  And few are more attractive than Lambertville for reasons both historical and contemporary.  When the original Neshanock club took the field in 1866, their first rivals, so to speak, were the Logan Club of Lambertville.  "So to speak" because it's not much of a rivalry where one team, the Neshanock, in this case, lose by scores of 77-25 and 71-47.  While no one on the Flemington club wanted to repeat those scores, recreating the original rivalry had plenty of appeal.

Constantly striving for historical accuracy, the Neshanock have added an 1864 coin for the pre-game coin toss.  Coin and all pictures courtesy of Mark Granieri

The historical appeal also had a modern connection.  Two members of the Neshanock, Scott "Snuffy" Hengst and Sam "Ewing" Ricco wanted to revive the original Logan club.  Since they were just getting started in 2023, the Neshanock recreated a Neshanock-Logan match with Flemington players. The event took a more regular form a year later when "Snuffy" and "Ewing" got the Logan Club on the field.  Saturday marked the third annual matchup between the two clubs; a new tradition modeled on an old one.  The Neshanock are especially grateful to the Lambertville Historical Society for the original invitation and their ongoing support.  Preserving and interpreting local history is important work which this organization does extremely well.

Always good to see Brad "Brooklyn" Shaw founder of the Neshanock and advisor to the Logan Club.  Left to right, Chris "Lowball" Lowry, Sam "Ewing" Ricco, "Brooklyn" and Scott "Snuffy" Hengst

Both teams were coming off solid performances at the Gettysburg Festival with Flemington matching its best record ever. The Logan Club, playing in the event for the first time, won twice and more than held their own against the Atlantic and Providence clubs, two of the best vintage teams in the county.  The Lambertville team's success on one of vintage baseball's biggest stages carried over on Saturday as the local team jumped off to a 5-1 lead after just one inning.  Flemington managed to cut the difference to 6-4 after five innings, but the Logan Club sealed their win with a four run seventh inning and a 10-4 win.  The Neshanock's offense was limited with only Bobby "Melky" Ritter and Ken "Tumbles" Mandel contributing two hits.  The game also marked "Tumbles" return from the injured list and, as usual, the Neshanock are a different team with him in the lineup.

Game Action 

After a brief break, play resumed in the second of two seven inning games.  This time the Neshanock got off to the quick start building a 9-0 lead as the game went to the bottom of the fourth.  Not in the least discouraged by the deficit, the Lambertville team tallied 11 times over the next three innings to lead 11-9 after six innings.  Flemington scored once in the top of the seventh, but there was no repeat of the late inning Gettysburg magic.  Don "Splinter" Becker led the Neshanock's attack with three hits.  Adding two apiece were Thomas "Hawk" Prioli, Rene "Mango" Marrero, Joe "Dispatch" Prioli and Paul "O'Neill" Cincotta.  There was an usual defensive sequence in the first when Flemington retired two Logan runners trying to score from third. By winning both matches, the Logan Club tied the recreated rivalry at 3-3.  Little could be more fitting for an old/new tradition

Seen at Gettysburg

Considering Rene "Mango" Marrero played a major part in the Neshanock's three wins last weekend at Gettysburg, it's hard to believe he had time for anything else.  But in those brief moments when he wasn't hitting or fielding, "Mango" took some pictures that capture different aspects of the Gettysburg experience. What follows is a sample of the many moments that make the event so special.

While the fields at Gettysburg are far from level, this is ridiculous.  Ernie "Shredder" Albanesius shows how it's done

Only the ball is in motion as Jim "Jersey" Nunn waits at the striker's line while the Flower City defense awaits his swing

"Jersey" swings and suddenly everyone is in motion

When the Neshanock needed help, their friends were there including Larry "Chops" Etgen of the Logan Club of Lambertville

And Craig Combs of the Elizabeth Resolutes who looks poised to attempt a fair/foul

Jason "Professor" Blazakis joined us on Sunday

Danny "Lefty" Gallagher at the striker's line amidst threatening clouds - fortunately the threats remained just that

Matt "Fly" Nunn before

And after, get well soon

As always, the Neshanock paid close attention to what's happening on the field