When September Still Mattered - To the Last Pitch

St. Louis' loss in Pittsburgh and Brooklyn's sweep in Boston produced another 180-degree emotional shift in a pennant race already full of twists and turns.  Somewhat surprisingly, the first loss to the Pirates hadn't dampened the optimism in St. Louis. The prevailing attitude was that even if the Cardinals lost again in Pittsburgh, things “still would be all right” because the Dodgers weren’t going to sweep the doubleheader in Boston.  But now that what seemed impossible had happened, St. Louis' pennant hopes suffered a major hit.  Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, the lament that the World Series ticket process was a mere formality, turned into a sunrise celebration at Grand Central Station.  Cheering fans and the Dodger Sym-Phony band greeted the 6:30 a.m. train from Boston.  Recognizing the race was far from over and more prudent than Cardinals manager Dyer, Burt Shotton deflected a reporter’s question about the team’s pennant chances by replying “Good morning!”

The situation as play began on Saturday, the next to the last day of the season  - St. Louis Globe-Democrat - October 1, 1949

But no matter how deep the despair in St. Louis, the Cardinals, like the Dodgers, still had their fate in their own hands.  If St. Louis won the three games with the last-place Cubs, they too were guaranteed no worse than a first-place tie. Winning the first game would be a major step in the right direction, tying them with the idle Dodgers.  The Cardinals got off to a good start, scoring twice in the top of the first, but the lead proved short-lived.  In the bottom of the inning, Max Lanier, who had shut the Dodgers out in his last start, surrendered back-to-back home runs.  Chicago took a 4-2 lead in the third and the Cardinals never caught up, losing 6-5.  With only two games left, St. Louis was one back in a race, they had seemingly controlled just a few days earlier.

Dick Young - acerbic New York Daily News reporter.  Earlier in the 1949 season he had accused the Dodgers of choking and lobbied for the firing of manager Burt Shotton

Saturday began with the possibility of a Brooklyn pennant by nightfall or a flat-footed tie after 153 games.  In Chicago, Dyer chose veteran Harry Brecheen, the winner of three games in the 1946 World Series. Chicago countered with Bob Chipman who hadn't won a game in almost three months.  The matchup clearly favored the Cards, but the Cubs weren’t finished playing spoiler.  In the bottom of the first, Chicago’s leadoff batter, Hal Jeffcoat homered on Brecheen’s first pitch. It was only Jeffcoat’s second home run of the season.  If that wasn’t enough, Hank Sauer drove in the Cubs' second run with a “freak” double, hit while falling away from the plate.  The two first-inning runs were enough as the Cards managed only one run, leaving 12 men on base.  Just over 20,000 spectators, mostly Cardinal fans, watched and suffered through the 3-1 loss.  About 2,000 remained in their seats for the ultimate exercise in scoreboard-watching.

Although he was from Brooklyn and began his career there, Bob Chipman's greatest contribution to the Dodgers was pitching for the Cubs when he beat the Cardinals on the season's next to last day. 

They were following the score from Philadelphia, where earlier a crowd dominated by Dodger fans “stormed the Shibe Park gates . . . and brought with them a World Series atmosphere.”   They were rewarded with "a brilliantly waged duel" worthy of any Fall Classic  Playing the spoiler role to the hilt, the Phillies started Ken Heintzelman who was 5-0 against Brooklyn.  Burt Shotton chose Ralph Branca because he had recovered from his blister, regained his manager’s trust or Shotton had no other options – perhaps all of the above.  Brooklyn led 2-0 after two innings, but as Dick Young warned ominously, it “should have been closer to 20-0.”  And it didn’t get much better on a day the Dodgers got nine hits, benefitted from 11 walks, but left 15 men on base.  Brooklyn led 3-1 going to the bottom of the sixth, only 12 outs away from the National League pennant. But the lead quickly evaporated on Dick Sisler’s triple and Del Ennis’ home run. 

In 1949 fans had limited ways to scoreboard watch.  Newspapers tried to help out by updates in the different editions published throughout the day.  Here the Eagle got a little carried away with the use of the word "rout" - Brooklyn Daily Eagle - October 1, 1949

Unwilling to press his luck with Branca, Shotton brought in seldom-used, second-year pitcher Carl Erskine, but the move blew up in the Brooklyn manager's face. Seminick apparently determined to deny Brooklyn the pennant singlehandily, greeted Erskine with a home run.  After the next two batters reached base, Shotton turned to Jack Banta who had failed so miserably against the Phils a week earlier.  This time the result was different.  Banta needed only one pitch to induce Mike Goliat to hit into an inning-ending double play.  Brooklyn tied the game in the top of the eighth, but with two on and one out, they were unable to take the lead.  

Wally Jones' eighth-inning home run meant the race would go down to the season's last day - Philadelphia Inquirer - October 2, 1949

Understandably wanting to win a pennant that was so tantalizingly close, Shotton brought in Preacher Roe, hoping the left-hander could duplicate his recent magic in relief.  Roe, however, typically needed more rest than other pitchers and had gone nine innings just two days earlier.  It was, as the Eagle noted, an act of “desperation.”  The Dodger left-hander got out of a jam in the seventh, but his luck ran out in the eighth.  After a one-out walk, Willie Jones hit a home run to put the Phils ahead 6-4 and Brooklyn had no answers in the ninth.  At Wrigley Field the final score produced a "roar . . . [that] echoed over the neighborhood.” Almost simultaneously, Dodger fans in Philadelphia headed for trains, cars and hotels frustrated over another missed opportunity and worried about what tomorrow would bring

Philadelphia's Ken Heintzelman was a Dodger killer up until the last game of the season.

Over the course of the 1949 National League season, 620 games had been played without determining a champion.  However, as the players and fans woke up on Sunday, October 2nd, the possibilities were clear.  St. Louis’ only hope was a win and a Dodger loss to force a tie and a playoff series.  Otherwise, their season was over.  Brooklyn by virtue of its one-game lead knew its season couldn’t end that day.  Either a win or a Cardinals' loss gave Brooklyn the pennant while if St. Louis’ hopes were realized, the Dodgers would play in a best-of-three playoff series.  Given the painful memories of the 1946 playoff loss to these same Cardinals, neither the Dodger players nor fans wanted to repeat that experience.  But since the Phillies had come from behind to beat Brooklyn twice in one week, no one thought a victory in Sunday’s finale would be easy.

Dodger fans at Shibe Park hoping their heroes will make their signs a reality on the scoreboard - Philadelphia Inquirer - October 3, 1949

As limited as the Cardinals' chances were, almost 31,000 fans, most of them rooting for St. Louis crowded into Wrigley Field.  Mercifully for their sake, the Cardinals wasted little time doing their part, jumping off to a 6-1 lead and coasting to a 13-5 victory.  With their task in hand, the Cardinal faithful at Wrigley Field and those listening on the radio concentrated on updates from Philadelphia.  In the greater New York area, Dodger fans tuned into Red Barber’s radio broadcast.  Others, determined to see for themselves, again flocked to Shibe Park.  Unscientifically, Dick Young estimated that 35,000 of the 36,765 on hand were Dodger fans, giving Brooklyn no shortage of fan support.  A parking lot with cars from every Middle Atlantic and New England state except Maine confirmed that it was another “World Series atmosphere.”

Winner-take-all pennant races offer players the chance for redemption in crucial moments.  In 1949 no one epitomized that role more than Brooklyn's Jack Banta.

Once again it was a game worthy of the Fall Classic.  Brooklyn struck first, scoring five times in the third.  When the score was posted at Wrigley Field, Cardinal fans let out disappointed “ahs and ohs.” Just an inning later, however, the Phillies cut the margin to 5-4, and the St. Louis faithful responded with “tremendous shouts of joy”.  The key blow was another home run by Willie Jones, this time a three-run shot.  Brooklyn added two runs in the fifth on Campanella’s double, but the Brooklyn catcher was stranded at third.  Rex Barney relieved Newcombe in the fourth, gave up one run in the fifth and then got in trouble in the sixth.  With two out, two on and one in, Shotton once again turned to Jack Banta who allowed a game-tying single.  A “thunderous shout” greeted the score at Wrigley Field.  It was the final emotional swing of the pennant race with Cardinal fans seeing a possible path to the pennant while Dodger fans feared the worst.

Pee Wee Reese slides across the plate with the run that gave the Dodgers the lead in the top of the tenth.  Brooklyn Daily Eagle, October 3, 1949

Although Banta got out of the inning without further damage, Dodger fans couldn't have been confident with their team’s fate in the hands of someone who had failed so miserably just a week ago.  To make matters worse, Dodger killer, Heintzelman took over the pitching for Philadelphia.  In another moment of frustration, the Dodger loaded the bases in the top of the seventh but failed to score.  However, Banta, with the pennant in the balance, rose to the occasion, setting the side down in order in the seventh and eighth. But in the ninth, he walked the leadoff batter, putting the winning run on base and offering Philadelphia the chance for a walk-off win.  Banta, however, was still up to the challenge and retired the next three batters.  Finally, in the tenth, Brooklyn broke through with two runs giving Brooklyn a 9-7 lead.  

 

Some of the estimated 25,000 fans waiting for their Dodgers at Grand Central Station.  Note the relatively diverse crowd - Brooklyn Daily Eagle - October 3, 1949

To add one final stressful moment to the race, the Phillies got a runner on base in the bottom of the tenth, bringing the tying run to the plate. But Luis Olmo caught Richie Ashburn’s fly ball for the last out and Dodger fans let loose “a demonstration of unrestrained joy that sent thrills up and down the spines of many neutral observers." A joy that echoed throughout countless homes, bars and other gathering places back in Brooklyn. To Stan Baumgartner of the Philadelphia Inquirer it was a game “that for tense moments, spine thrilling situations and crowd enthusiasm far out shadowed a World Series contest and has seldom been equaled in regular season play.”  But Dodger captain Pee Wee Reese might have put it best when he said, “Even though we won, I could sit right down and cry.”  For very different reasons, many in both St. Louis and Brooklyn were ready to join him.  September had indeed mattered.

When September Still Mattered - The Spoilers

While the Dodgers enjoyed the luxury of a charter plane flight home, the 1949 National League pennant race changed course.  With head-to-head competition complete, the Dodgers and Cardinals entered the last lap on parallel tracks.  Blocking their way to the finish line were teams with seemingly little to play for, probably looking forward to the end of a long season.  But teams with nothing to play for also have nothing to lose.  And even if they had no chance for postseason play, some players and sometimes entire teams had extra motivation to be a spoiler – to deny the contenders a place in the World Series. Regular season games of this magnitude are rare today, but when there was only one winner, they could and often did, have a major impact on the final result. 

The situation when play began on Saturday, September 24 - Brooklyn Daily Eagle - September 24, 1949

On paper, the Cardinals appeared to have the easier path to the pennant.  St. Louis would play sixth-place Pittsburgh twice and cellar-dwelling Chicago five times.  Brooklyn, on the other hand, had two games with fourth-place Boston and four against the third-place Philadelphia Phillies. The quality of the opposition didn’t matter much on Saturday, September 24 when both teams won easily.  Form also seemed to be holding on Sunday when the Cards handled the Cubs with little difficulty and the Dodgers led Philadelphia 3-1 after seven innings.  Brooklyn might have had a larger lead but for Phillies catcher Andy Seminick. Demonstrating how much a player with little to gain could hurt a contender’s chances, Seminick short-circuited two Doger threats by picking runners off base.  But Brooklyn led 3-1 behind Ralph Branca who had limited the Phils to five hits and one run while striking out nine.

Phillies Catcher Andy Seminick

Considering Branca’s dominant performance, Dodger fans had to be shocked to see rookie Jack Banta heading to the mound for the top of the eighth.  An explanation of sorts was offered over the public address system, claiming a blister had broken on Branca’s throwing hand.  Since it was well known that Dodger manager Burt Shotton’s confidence in Branca was “well disguised,” the move and the explanation seemed suspicious.  Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for the Phillies to turn a questionable move into a controversy that threatened Brooklyn’s pennant hopes. Philadelphia quickly tied the game and Seminick just as promptly untied it with a two-run homer that sealed a 5-3 Phillies win.  Whether or not the Philadelphia catcher had any special motivation for beating Brooklyn is unknown, but his two pick-offs, topped off with a game-winning home run positioned him for a special place in the Dodgers' hall of infamy. 

Ralph Branca 

Any other time, Seminick’s performance would have been the story, but the New York City newspapers jumped on the so-called “bogus blister.”  Shotton claimed that when he questioned catcher Roy Campanella, the Brooklyn receiver said the blister was limiting Branca to his fastball and he was losing his effectiveness.  Branca disagreed which reportedly led to “words” between the two battery mates.  Needless to say, as Tommy Holmes wrote in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, “the second guessers are having a field day.”  Anticipating the worst Dick Young of the Daily News, no fan of Shotton, predicted if Brooklyn lost the race, the manager's “guess,” would go down in Dodger history “as one of the greatest human skulls of all time.”

When Leo Durocher was suspended for the entire 1947 season, literally right before opening day, Burt Shotton was the last-minute replacement.  

Sunday's results marked another dramatic shift in both teams' outlook. With St. Louis ahead by 1 ½ games and only five games to play (four for Brooklyn), the Globe-Democrat's front page proclaimed “The Cards close in on the pennant.”  Equally confident, the Post-Dispatch published the so-called "magic number."  Any combination of four Cardinal wins and Dodger losses would give St. Louis the flag.  The newspapers’ confidence was shared by the Cardinal players who dubbed their train to Pittsburgh, the “pennant special.”  Manager Eddie Dyer agreed, telling reporters “It looks like we’re going to make it.”  Also encouraging was word that World Series tickets had arrived in St. Louis.  Permission from the Commissioner’s office to "print the tickets" was an old September baseball tradition that no longer exists.  In a far less technology-enhanced world, processing World Series tickets was labor intensive. In St. Louis, it took 15 clerks until midnight to process 115,000 requests for just over 31,000 tickets.

Optimistic Cardinals manager Eddie Dyer

The Dodgers' announcement of World Series ticket sales a few days later seemed “a shallow formality” to Dick Young.  The dramatic swing from optimism to gloom set in right after the loss to the Phillies with the Eagle proclaiming Brooklyn was now “virtually counted out of [the] pennant race.” Tommy Holmes agreed the outlook was bleak, comparable to “climbing up the Palisades on skates.”  Roscoe McGowan took an equally negative, but more poetic approach, with his “Elegy Written in a Brooklyn Ballpark.”  Some of his sophisticated New York Times readers likely understood the literary allusion but didn’t appreciate it.  Less intellectual Cardinal fans reading the article, which was reprinted in the Globe-Democrat, may not have gotten the allusion but loved the sentiment.

St. Louis Globe-Democrat - September 27, 1949

Although some of the Cardinal fans' optimism consisted of hopes and dreams, another party, far more objective, also liked St. Louis’ chances. Oddsmakers made the Cardinals a 6-1 favorite to win the pennant while the odds were 4-1 against Brooklyn.  Whichever team won, they had to do so on the road.  St. Louis would visit sixth-place Pittsburgh for two games before finishing the season with a three-game series at last-place Chicago. Brooklyn had a more difficult path.  After two games at fourth-place Boston, the Dodgers would travel to Philadelphia for their last two games.  Just how difficult the third-place Phillies could be, was fresh in the Dodgers' minds.  While only one of the league’s eight teams (13%) would play in the postseason, 75% played games that mattered in the season’s last week, and 50% on the final weekend.  It’s unlikely a similar percentage of modern teams do so even with three wild cards.

While the Pirates were destined to finish sixth, 12 games under .500, the Pittsburgh club didn’t lack talent or motivation.  Especially dangerous was Ralph Kiner who threatened Babe Ruth’s home run record before ending the season with 54 round-trippers.  Perhaps more importantly, Pittsburgh had "an intense hate” for the Cardinals because of the beaning of their teammate Stan Rojeck and Enos Slaughter’s hard slide into Pirate second baseman Danny Murtaugh.  Also not lacking motivation was pitcher Murry Dickson who St. Louis sold to the Pirates in January.  Cast off to the purgatory of sixth place, Dickson had already beaten his former team four times in 1949.

A warning to the Cardinals of what awaited them in Pittsburgh - St. Louis Post-Dispatch - September 28, 1949

Even if the Cardinal players took the Pirates seriously, it did them little good.  St. Louis lost the opener 6-4, largely due to a Pittsburgh grand slam home run not by Kiner, but a “shot” off the bat of rookie Tom Saffer that hit the foul pole.  It was just the Pirate rookie’s second homer of the season, and he hit only four more in his 262-game major league career. The decisive blow reminded anyone who needed reminding that unsung players on poor teams sometimes wreak havoc with a contender’s pennant hopes.  The next game was rained out, but a day of rest made no difference.  Dickson finished his revenge tour with a 7-2 win the following day.  For the season, the exiled Dickson went 5-3 against his former team but only 7-11 against the rest of the league.

No matter how bleak the outlook, Brooklyn was loyal to their beloved Dodgers - Brooklyn Daily Eagle - September 29, 1949

The rain on Wednesday, September 28 also wiped out the Dodgers contest in Boston. For the Cardinals, the rainout only meant delaying their game one day, but in Boston, the Dodgers now had to play a doubleheader.  A game back of St. Louis, the Dodgers faced the unenviable task of winning two games on one day against Braves aces Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain.  The two led Boston to the National League pennant only a year ago and while they hadn’t been as good in 1949, they were still formidable foes.  In the first game, Brooklyn countered with Preacher Roe coming off his brilliant two-hit shutout of St. Louis a week ago.  The Dodger left-hander was equally dominant this time, throwing eight shutout innings (17 in a row) before allowing two meaningless runs in the ninth.  Meaningless because the Dodgers offense exploded for nine runs, led by three-run homers from Snider and Furillo.

Needless to say the umpires were not amused when Boston's Connie Ryan appeared in the on-deck circle wearing a raincoat.  He was summarily ejected. Boston Globe - September 30, 1949

Now trailing St. Louis by just one-half game, the Dodgers faced an additional foe in the second game, rain and cold weather that made the field as “dark as a pocket.”  Wasting none of the limited time available, the Dodgers blasted Sain for five runs in the first and added three more against his replacements in the second.  With the weather their only hope, Boston began stalling, but the umpires would have none of it, completing the required five innings for an 8-0 Brooklyn win.  Once again with their backs to the wall, the Dodgers had more than met the challenge, making Spahn and Sain “look like third stringers” in the process.  This time, however, the clutch performances didn’t just keep Brooklyn in the race. The Dodgers were now in first place by one-half game and in control of their own destiny.  Wins in the last two games in Philadelphia guaranteed Brooklyn nothing worse than a tie for first place.

When September Still Mattered - The Contenders

In his superb book, The Grandest Stage: A History of the World Series, Tyler Kepner reminds us why the Fall Classic is so special.  The choice of the word “stage” for the title is especially appropriate.  The World Series is, after all, the final act in a drama performed over seven long months.  Considering what’s at stake, it would seem to be the point in the season when players and managers feel the most pressure.  But according to Hall of Famer, Sandy Koufax, no stranger to tension-filled World Series games, that's not the case.  The real stress Koufax believes came from “the accumulated pressure” of “April to October [when] you play 162 games” “to separate the winner from the losers.”  The key to understanding Koufax’s argument is that there could only be one “winner,” but multiple “losers.”  The Dodger pitcher's comments were made near the end of over 60 years of winner-take-all pennant races when there was a solitary winner and seven or nine “losers.”

The situation on the morning of September 21 - Brooklyn Daily Eagle, September 21, 1949

Not long after Koufax’s comments, Major League Baseball introduced division play, followed by wild cards, currently three in each league.  As a result, there are now effectively six regular-season winners in both circuits.  The major disadvantage of the old system was the potential for a one-sided pennant race that could dampen, if not kill, fan interest.  But when a league was blessed with a close race, it generated weeks of nationwide energy, excitement and drama.  Whether or not the new system is better is debatable. That there is no going back to the old way is undeniable. But for the experience of those winner-take-all races to be forgotten is unforgivable.  To that end, over the next week, we will explore the last 10 days of the 1949 National League pennant race when the Brooklyn Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals competed for a place on “the grandest stage.”  A time when September still mattered.

Part of the crowd at the first game of the September 21 day-night doubleheader.  This picture appeared on the front page of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, September 22, 1949

On the morning of September 21, St. Louis had a minuscule 1 ½ game lead heading into the two contenders' final head-to-head matchup.  Today, important late regular season games attract fan and media attention, but the stakes in a winner-take-all race drove interest to the highest and most widespread level imaginable.  Even before this important series began, five New York newspapers had assigned reporters to cover the Cardinals on a daily basis.  From this point forward, pennant race coverage became front-page news, not just in Brooklyn and St. Louis, but throughout the league including Chicago, home of the last-place Cubs.  With a crucial three-game series on tap, working press from 28 out-of-town locations descended on St. Louis to keep their readers informed.

Ticket lines for the first game - St. Louis Globe-Democrat, September 22, 1949

No matter how vivid the writers’ descriptions, however, some fans had to see for themselves.  They came from all over the Midwest and Southwest, snapping up hotel rooms and filling local restaurants to capacity, something more characteristic of the World Series.  Also similar to the series, were the celebrities in the large crowd. Former heavyweight champion Joe Louis came to watch Dodger rookie ace Don Newcombe pitch.  Dizzy Dean was there too, rooting for his old team and doubtless reminiscing with anyone who would listen.  Also on hand was Kid Nichols, a great nineteenth-century pitcher and one of the newest members of the Hall of Fame. Local fans who couldn’t find an excuse to miss work relied on portable radios they “smuggled” into the office or office boys who made frequent trips to check the score.

Marty Marion was not the first, nor the last to fall victim to the arm of Carl Furillo - "the Reading Rifle" - St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 22, 1949

Regardless of how fans followed the opening game of the day-night doubleheader, they were rewarded with a classic pitcher’s duel worthy of a tight pennant race.  St. Louis almost scored in the bottom of the first, but Brooklyn right fielder Carl Furillo threw Marty Marion out at home on what Cardinal manager, Eddie Dyer called the “greatest throw I’ve ever seen.”  The game was still scoreless in the bottom of the ninth when the Brooklyn players were sure Newcombe had struck out leadoff batter Enos Slaughter.  However, the umpire thought otherwise. Granted a reprieve, Slaughter doubled to put the winning run in scoring position.  An intentional walk and a bunt single loaded the bases with none out.  Suddenly, Jackie Robinson, still furious about the non-call on Slaughter, was ejected from the game.  Presented with a golden opportunity, St. Louis seized the moment and won on Joe Garagiola’s infield single.

The Cardinals win game one - St. Louis Post-Dispatch - September 22, 1949

Having seen their team win in dramatic fashion, Cardinal fans enjoyed the upside of the mood swings that were part of the DNA of winner-take-all pennant races.  The crowd erupted in an “ear splitting demonstration” which was “the signal for cheering all over the city and in hundreds of towns throughout the Midwest and Southwest.”  Attention then shifted to the night game.  Especially “ardent” were nine men who after watching the first game on television at Grady’s Bar, took their bar stools home to ensure their availability for the second game. Since they were good customers, James Grady, the owner, didn’t object.  Elsewhere the owners of some of the other 55,000 televisions in the St. Louis area found themselves “playing host to entire neighborhoods.”  So large were the gatherings that children were sent to bed early to make room for more adults.  They would have been well advised to remember that mood swings go both ways.

As advertised, Preacher Roe didn't cut an imposing figure - unless you had to bat against him

The excitement was understandable.  A split of the two remaining games would put St. Louis in a commanding position with only a half-dozen games left, while a sweep would effectively end the race. Brooklyn’s backs were to the wall and they needed a stopper on the mound.  Pitching for Brooklyn was Preacher Roe, a far less intimidating presence than Newcombe. So unimposing was Roe’s physique that one paper cruelly called him a “bag of bones.”  Even Roscoe McGowan of the more dignified New York Times got into the act, claiming the Dodger pitcher “has to stand up twice to cast a shadow.”  Appearances in this case, however, proved to be more than a little deceiving. Roe dominated St. Louis from start to finish.  The Dodger left-hander set the side down in order in all but two innings, allowing just two hits and no walks.  All told Roe faced only 28 batters in Brooklyn’s 5-0 victory.  

Carl Furillo

It was a clutch performance, but Brooklyn had little time to enjoy it.  As pleased as the Dodgers and their fans were with the win, there was another game to play. A St. Louis victory in the finale would put them up 2 ½ games, still very much in control of the race.  Having fought back from the brink, the Dodgers weren’t about to take a step backward.  Led by Carl Furillo’s five hits and seven RBIs, the Brooklyn offense erupted for a 19-3 rout. St. Louis’ emotional high after the first game was just a memory and the Dodgers returned home only ½ game off the lead. Now it was the Brooklyn rooters' turn to get excited.  Hundreds of fans, accompanied by a “big battery of photographers” met the team's flight at LaGuardia airport. But Dodger fans would have been well advised to remember just how fleeting such feelings had been in St. Louis.

Metaphorically Speaking

On Saturday, the sun set, the curtain came down and the journey ended.  There are doubtless even more metaphors for the end of the baseball season, but these are sufficient to record that another year of Flemington Neshanock baseball has come to a close.  The sunset, curtain and journey's end all took place simultaneously at the historic Dey Farm in Monroe Township.  The opposition for the last game was to be provided by the Hoboken Nine, but on this day, they were the Hoboken Four.  In order to honor our commitment, players from the Elizabeth Resolutes, the Enterprise Club of River Edge and Cooper Albanesius, a member of the Neshanock community filled in.  Thanks to all those who helped, especially to Cooper for playing and we hope he will do so again, but for the Neshanock alongside his Dad.

All photos by Mark Ganieri

Surprisingly, for the second time in three weeks, Flemington won the coin toss and sent Hoboken and friends to the striker's line. After Hoboken failed to score, the Neshanock tallied twice on a triple by Thomas "Hawk" Prioli, a single by brother Nick and a single by Rene "Mango" Marrero.  Hoboken rallied, however, scoring twice in the second and once in the third to lead 3-2 after 2 1/2 innings. Flemington matched Hoboken's two in the Neshanock's half of the third and then added three more in the fourth for a 7-3 lead.  From that point, the Neshanock took control of the match by keeping Hoboken off the scoreboard for the next three innings while scoring 11 times.  The result was a 21-6 victory to close out the 2024 campaign (another metaphor) on a positive note.

Ernie "Shredder" Albanesius is ready for the pitch approaching to the left of the picture

"Hawk" led the Neshanock attack with a four-hit clear score, only a home run short of the cycle.  Close behind were three Flemington strikers with three hits apiece including Jeff "Duke" Schneider who wanted/hoped for credit for a home run on one of his hits. Even the most generous scorekeeper, however, couldn't justify more than a triple.  "Duke" spent part of this season on the injured list and his manly return to the lineup is much appreciated.  Also getting three hits were wily veteran Mark "Gaslight" Granieri,  Ernie "Shredder" Albanesius and Ken "Tumbles" Mandel.  Like "Hawk," "Tumbles" earned a clear score for the day.  Contributing two hits each were "Mango" and Sam "Ewing" Ricco.

Jeff "Duke" Schneider contemplating one of his famous fair/foul hits

Season's end is a time for thank-yous, beginning with Carol Zinn for supporting me in my seventeenth year of vintage baseball.  Seventeen years is a long time, but it pales in comparison to her support for me in so many ways in almost 50 years of marriage.  Next year's schedule isn't set yet, but if I miss a game on April 19, 2025, I hope everyone will understand.  Thanks, also to all of the wives, girlfriends and significant others which also extends to all family members who enable us to play the game we love. 

Chris "Lowball" Lowry ready to drive in the runner on third

Next, of course, are the players - regardless of how many games they played, it helped and is much appreciated. Saturday's game illustrated a point, I've frequently made - the importance of opponents.  It was great the way players from two other clubs helped make today's game possible. As always, we are also extremely grateful to our host organizations like Dey Farm, which provide the one thing we can't - fans.  And they also gave us free ice cream!  Lastly, not in importance, but because he has the final word is Sam Bernstein, our regular umpire.  As I've said many times, umpiring is easy - until it isn't.

Chris "Sideshow" Nunn and Sam Bernstein follow the hit which is presumably headed foul

One of the deepest positions on the Neshanock roster is our photographers beginning with the official blog photographer, Mark "Gaslight" Granieri.  "Gaslight" submits the bulk of the game-related pictures featured in the blog while Lauren Marchese Nunn provides the material for photo essays as well as the individual pictures for our website.  When needed Kelly Prioli steps in to pinch hit as a photographer, but her special project is our Instagram page which features a number of her creative videos.  Also contributing photos this year was Catherine Prioli.  The Neshanock has a Facebook page maintained by Scott "Snuffy" Hengst and our website which is under the care of Jack "Doc" Kitson.  Thanks to all of them for their hard work.

The last hurrah (another metaphor - no extra charge)

Flemington finished 2024 with a 14-15 record, the first "losing" season in some time.  No one likes to lose, but I think there's another statistic that is more important - commitments honored.  On that basis, the Neshanock once again had a perfect season.  Events like Saturday at Dey Farm are important to our host organizations because of the visitors they attract.  The numbers are never going to be high, but I was reminded once again how much people enjoy and appreciate baseball when it is played outdoors, on grass and in daylight.  That may be the most important reason we do this and I hope the Flemington Neshanock continues to do so for a very long time.

On Many Fields

The Neshanock were very busy this past weekend.  Not only did Flemington host the Diamond State Club for two games on Saturday, but on Sunday, Thomas "Hawk" Prioli represented the Neshanock at the 2024 version of the John Martin All-Star Series.  Saturday's games were hosted by the Historical Society of Princeton at Hilltop Park, a makeup of a cancellation earlier in the season.  The Neshanock prevailed in the first contest 9-1 with Diamond State taking the second game 15-8.  On Sunday, "Hawk," as expected, was a very worthy representative of both the Neshanock and New Jersey vintage baseball, getting eight hits in nine appearances at the striker's line including a home run.  Unfortunately, there wasn't a blogger in sight at either event, but the following pictures give a sense of two, dare I say it, splendiferous days of baseball.

Thomas "Hawk" Prioli at the striker's line at Wethersfield Cove in Connecticut. Well-played sir! - photo by Kelly Prioli

Ken "Tumbles" Mandel explains the finer points of nineteenth-century baseball to the crowd.  The barrier between "Tumbles" and the spectators is for their safety.  Photo courtesy of the Historical Society of Princeton

Renee "Mango" Marrero with a prodigious blast off the offering from the Diamond State pitcher - photo by Catherine Prioli

Chris "Sideshow" Nunn heads home with a Flemington tally - photo by Catherine Prioli

Scott "Snuffy" Hengst waits at the striker's line under the watchful eye of umpire Ken "Tumbles" Mandel - photo by Catherine Prioli

Jeff "Duke" Schneider keeping score - photo by Catherine Prioli

Chris "Lowball" Lowry delivers the ball to the waiting Diamond State striker

A Penny For

Vintage baseball scheduling is similar to umpiring - it's easy until it isn't!  Take for example the Neshanock's schedule for July and August.  Since July includes the annual Gettysburg weekend, a major commitment of time and money, only one other date was scheduled.  Then, after a well-deserved post-Gettysburg weekend off, there would be matches on the first three weekends in August - seemingly just the right level of activity for the summer months.  The first date in Lambertville went well, but weather and circumstances beyond our control wiped out the other two events.  As a result, Flemington only got on the field three times over the summer - hardly ideal for what are supposed to be prime months for baseball.  It was, therefore, all the more satisfying to return to the field this past Saturday in Delanco, New Jersey.

Unless otherwise noted, photos are by Mark Granieri

The occasion was the centennial celebration of the July 1, 1924 game when the one and only Babe Ruth played and homered (of course) at the field that now bears his name.  Saturday was the fourth time, the Neshanock have been privileged to be part of these celebrations, most recently two years ago.  The blog post about that visit has some of the details of the original game. Peter Fritz and the Delanco History Board do a wonderful job in hosting these events and Flemington was once again glad to be part of it.  To make it even more special we were delighted to host our friends, the Elkton Eclipse, one of the country's top nineteenth-century teams and the organizers of the Gettysburg event.  We were also glad to have Matt Labella join us and hope he returns.

While we were honoring a 1924 game, reenactors from the 23rd New Jersey were a reminder that the games were played by 1864 rules

Two unusual things took place as the first game got underway.  First Flemington won the coin toss, ending a 15 or so coin toss losing streak.  More on coin tosses later.  Next for the second time since 2010, a Neshanock game started on time.  If this were a perfect world, those would have been good omens, but, as we well know, it's far from a perfect world.  Elkton tallied once in the top of the first which the Neshanock matched in their turn.  After the Eclipse took a 2-1 lead, Flemington scored three in the third and one in the fourth for a 5-2 lead.  It didn't, however, last long as Elkton got two back in the fifth.  It could have been worse but for a fine play made by Rene "Mango" Marrero's at first.  The Neshanock scored again in the sixth, but Elkton tied up this well-played, interesting game in the top of the eighth.  

As always Sam Bernstein officiated efficiently and with good humor - photo by Rene Marrero

Flemington broke the tie in the bottom of the inning and retired the first two strikers in the top of the ninth.  It looked good, but teams have 27 outs, not 26 and Elkton tied the game again.  Sadly, the Neshanock didn't score in the bottom of the ninth when a run could have won the game.  Baseball can be an unforgiving game and that proved once again to be the case as the Maryland team scored six times in the tenth and won the match 13-7.  Leading the Neshanock attack with two hits apiece were Tom "Thumbs" Hoepfner, "Mango," Nick Prioli and J.P. Prioli.   Defensively, Flemington played well behind Bobby "Melky" Ritter and Chris "Lowball" Lowry including a key play that kept the game tied in the top of the ninth. 

Both teams took full advantage of the free lunch

After ten innings of dramatic baseball in just over 90 minutes, the two teams took a break to enjoy a free lunch courtesy of the host organization.  Flemington didn't score in either of its first two at-bats in the second game and Elkton led 2-0 heading to the bottom of the second inning.  Thus far offensive success had been limited, but Elkton changed that tallying ten times on one well-struck ball after another.  Flemington continued to struggle at the striker's line, scratching out only 3 runs in the first six innings.  Elkton led 14-3 at that point, but suddenly the Neshanock's bats woke up, aided by some Eclipse muffs.  When the dust metaphorically cleared, Flemington had closed to within 14-10.  

No one can say the Neshanock weren't into the game 

Any hopes of a Neshanock comeback died quickly, however, when the Maryland team added 5 more runs in the bottom of the seventh to lead 19-10.  Meanwhile, the skies were getting darker and darker while the wind was picking up leading to a decision to end the game after seven innings.  The decision proved to be a prudent one since a downpour followed the usual end-of-game ceremonies.  It was not a productive offensive game for Flemington as only "Thumbs" had two hits with eight other Neshanock having one each.  As always it was a privilege to play at Babe Ruth Field and help Delanco honor that historic day a century ago.

Saturday's games were played with the standard nineteenth-century equipment - bats, balls and bases, replicas of what was used in the 1860s.  But we did have, and use, one object that existed in 1864, the Indian head penny pictured above.  The coin was used to decide which team batted first.  In the nineteenth century, the visiting team didn’t automatically go to the striker's line first, requiring some method to make that determination.  During my 15-plus years of vintage baseball, the decision has typically been made by a bat toss.  I think that came about because people knew the bat toss was sometimes used for that purpose and assumed it dated back to the organized game’s early days.

Game action and the crowd

However, recent research has determined that while the bat toss may be more colorful, the coin toss was more common.  In addition, even when the coin toss was used in vintage games, the umpire was usually the officiant.  Here again, further study has found something different – the coin toss was typically done by the two captains.  One unresolved issue is which captain called the toss.  All of this may seem like the vintage baseball version of counting the number of angels on the head of a pin, but it illustrates the challenges of recreating nineteenth-century baseball.  There are a lot of details and, therefore, the real danger of getting carried away to an extreme.  

This exchange between Bobby "Melky" Ritter (left) and Ken "Tumbles" Mandel pretty much sums up how things went on the field for the Neshanock - picture by Rene Marrero

 

There’s an old saying that “the devil is in the details,” meaning that it's important to look closely at the specifics of any undertaking to find and avoid potential problems.  It's also possible, however, to turn the phrase around 180 degrees to say that “God is in the details.”  The idea is that it can be equally, if not more, important to search among the details for the good things that can help us achieve our objectives.  When it comes to vintage baseball that means working to recreate the game as accurately as possible without getting bogged down in things that can make it lose its appeal, especially to those doing the recreating.      

Well Begun Indeed!

Saturday was a very important day for New Jersey vintage baseball.  The Logan Club of Lambertville played their first matches against the Neshanock.  Led by Sam "Ewing" Ricco and Scott "Snuffy" Hengst of the Neshanock with Brad "Brooklyn" Shaw as a mentor, the Logan Club's plan is to play six to eight times a season.  Fortunately for the Neshancok, "Snuffy" and "Ewing" will continue to play for Flemington.  In order to get things off to a good start, Rene "Mango" Marrero, Joe "Mick" Murray, Chris "Lowball" Lowry and Tony Pallanta manfully agreed to supplement the Logan Club's lineup.  Also playing for the Logans, was Jeff "Duke" Schneider who we were pleased to welcome back from the injured list.  Building on a match sponsored by the Lambertville Historical Society a year ago, the clubs played two seven-inning games at Ely Field on Main Street in this historic Delaware River community.

Logan Club players - photo by Filomena Hengst

To no one's surprise, the Neshanock lost the coin toss but began the game in the field when "Ewing" opted to have his team bat first.  The local team tallied twice and recorded a perfect first inning in the field retiring the first three Neshanock strikers on bound outs.  Flemington tied the game in the second and the score remained 2-2 going to the bottom of the third.  With one out, Thomas "Hawk" Prioli blasted a triple and the next six strikers reached base to help the Neshanock take a 9-2 lead.  The Lambertville club chipped away, but the Neshanock held on for a 10-7 win.  Matt "Fly" Nunn led the Neshanock attack with three hits and a clear score.  Nick Prioli and Mark "Gaslight" Granieri each had two hits.  Bobby "Melky" Ritter handled the pitching with his usual aplomb.  The Neshanock were ably assisted by Nick, Joe and J.P. Prioli who are now full team members.  We're glad to have them - nicknames to follow.

Not only did Brad "Brooklyn" Shaw throw out the first pitch, he performed "Casey at the Bat" between games and umpired the second contest - photo by Rene Marrero

After a rehydration break, the second game began with the Logan Club at the striker's line and Brad "Brooklyn" Shaw serving as umpire.  Sam "It Ain't Nothing Until I Say" Bernstein handled the first game with his usual efficiency.  This time the Logan Club did the early scoring, jumping out to a 10-3 lead after three innings.  The local team still led 12-5 headed to the bottom of the sixth when the Neshanock rallied.  Jim "Jersey" Nunn got it started with a single and five additional hits led to five Neshanock runs, closing the score to 12-10.  A double off the bat of Paul "O'Neill" Cincotta was a key part of the rally.  The Neshanock then blanked the Logan Club in the top of the seventh, to enter their last at-bat down two runs.  

Left to right - Jeff "Duke" Schneider, Sam "Ewing" Ricco, Scott "Snuffy" Hengst, Larry Etgen, Larry Vellenskey and Brian Thomas - photo by Mark Granieri

Flemington tallied once and had the tying run on third with only one out.  The next Neshanock striker hit to "Mango" at first base who made an outstanding play holding the runner at third while retiring the batter.  When the next Flemington batter went out on a bound out, the Logan Club had their first win and a well-earned one at that.  Tony Pallanta hit the only home run of the day for the Logan Club.  While all of "Duke's" hits combined didn't travel as far as Tony's homer, he gave a clinic on the fair-foul play, with some hits that defied description, the Neshanock defense and perhaps even the rules.  Joe Prioli had three hits and a clear score for the Neshanock as did "Hawk" who hit a triple and a double.  Nick Prioli, Ken "Tumbles" Mandel and "Jersey" each had two hits for the Neshanock.  Chris "Sideshow" Nunn continued to demonstrate extraordinary ball-hawking skills in center field.

Jeff "Duke" Schneider about to execute one of his many fair-foul plays - photo by Rene Marrero

Why was Saturday such an important day for New Jersey vintage baseball?  It's because of a requirement for playing a game that, strange as it may seem, sometimes gets taken for granted - an opponent. We usually don't think that much about this because, in most forms of modern baseball, the larger structure provides the opponent.  Almost every level of organized baseball from youth to the majors takes place in a league or conference where as the word implies, the larger organization supplies the opposition.  It wasn’t like that, however, when the Neshanock and Logan Clubs got started in the 1860s.  The captains or club presidents had to find other teams and make arrangements for matches.  

Game action under the watchful eye of umpire Sam Bernstein - photo by Mark Granieri

While it’s not by design, vintage teams have to recreate that aspect of 1860s baseball.  It isn't easy to do, particularly this year because of some supply and demand problems at least in New Jersey.  Simply put the demand for matches exceeds the supply of teams to play them.  In preparing the Neshanock's 2024 schedule, five different invitations had to be declined, at least partially due to the lack of potential opponents.  At present, there are just four nineteenth-century baseball teams in all of New Jersey.  That’s what makes the efforts of Sam Ricco and Scott Hengst in starting the Logan Club so important.

Left to right - Rene "Mango" Marrero, Ken "Tumbles" Mandel, Mark "Gaslight" Granieri and Joe "Mick" Murray - "Tumbles" is either observing the prohibition against smiling in nineteenth-century baseball pictures or he's in a daze - picture by Rene Marrero

But there's more to it than finding nine baseball players.   Good opponents must commit to historical accuracy - to play baseball by rules that no longer exist, are hard to understand and sometimes make little sense.  Sam and Scott know this from their experience with the Neshanock and they’ve wisely relied on the wisdom and experience of Brad Shaw. Historical accuracy, however, doesn’t mean that much, if the team doesn’t honor its commitments.  Here again, the Logan Club is being prudent, by starting slowly, playing just a few times in their first season. Their success will create another badly needed New Jersey nineteenth-century baseball team.  Certainly, the Neshanock will do our part to help.  And, if reading this post, makes you think you’d like to try your hand at playing, or if you know someone who would, please contact Sam Ricco at  sricco74@yahoo.com or sam@loganclub.org.