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

Gettysburg 2026

To say "the outlook wasn't brilliant" for the Neshanock nine late last Saturday afternoon is putting it mildly.  After a decisive loss in the opening game of the 2026 Gettysburg National Nineteenth Century Base Ball Festival, Flemington trailed 5-3 in the second game with only one last chance at the striker's line.  But when there's a chance, there's hope and, as we shall see, this past weekend hopes became reality.  Founded and hosted in a very manly fashion by the Elkton Eclipse Club, the Gettysburg Festival has come a long way from a small six team event back in 2010.  Not only were the Neshanock present at the creation, but Flemington has participated every year since.  Special thanks to the Elkton Club and all the others who make the Gettysburg Festival a truly splendiferous event every year. 

Friendly competition - the spirit of the Gettysburg Festival - Cole "King" Pellman of the Keystone Club chats with Rene "Mango" Marrero during a break in the action.  

All photos by Courey Dutton - http://www.coureyduttonimagery.com/

Saturday's first opponent was the Flower City Club of Rochester, a very strong team the Neshanock has played previously at the National Silver Ball Tournament.  Flower City got off to a quick start, scoring twice in each of the first three innings.  Flemington managed to close to within 6-3 going to the bottom of the fourth, but the Rochester club broke the game open with six tallies in the fifth and four in the sixth.  The end result was a dominant 22-6 win for Flower City.  Danny "Lefty" Gallagher had two hits for the Neshanock with six others adding one apiece.  Special thanks to Craig Combs, captain of the Elizabeth Resolutes, and Larry "Chops" Etgen of the Logan Club for helping fill out the Neshanock lineup.

Left to right - Bobby "Melky" Ritter, Danny "Lefty" Gallagher and Tom "Thumbs" Hoepfner.  Standing Jason "Professor" Blazakis of the Logan Club of Lambertville.  "Lefty" and "Thumbs" are trying (in vain) to credit someone with an RBI

Chris "Sideshow" Nunn

In Saturday's second contest, the Neshanock took on the Allegheny Ironsides.  The Ironsides took an early 4-1 lead and although Flemington kept it close, the Pennsylvania club led 5-3 going to the bottom of the ninth.  Unlike Casey and the Mudville Nine however, the Neshanock weren't finished.  Chris "Lowball" Lowry and Jeff "Duke" Schnieder singled to put the tying runs on bases.  One batter later, "Lefty's" double tied the match 5-5, but not for long.  Rene "Mango" Marrero's hit sent "Lefty" across the plate with the winning tally.  Fittingly, "Lowball" and "Duke" led the Neshanock attack with three hits while "Lefty" and Craig had two apiece.  Bobby "Melky" Ritter handled the pitching, leading a defense that limited the opposition to just five runs.  The one negative note was losing Matt "Fly" Nunn to a wrist injury - we wish him a speedy recovery.

Jeff "Duke" Schneider getting ready to set the stage for one of "Mango's" game winning hits

"Mango" delivers

Sunday morning saw Flemington back on the field for a match with the Lewes Club of Delaware.  Once again, the Neshanock fell behind early, rallied to keep it close, but trailed by one run after eight innings.  Having enjoyed one ninth inning rally, the Neshanock decided to try it again. "Lowball" and "Duke" singled and Chris "Sideshow" Nunn's single sent "Lowball" across the plate with the tying run.  Just like on Saturday, "Mango" came to the line with the go-ahead run-on base.  And once again, he didn't disappoint putting Flemington ahead 9-8.  Having given his team the lead, "Mango" had no intention of giving it back and made three "amazing" plays at third to close out a 10-8 win.  "Mango" and Tom "Thumbs" Hoepfner led the Neshanock attack with five hits each, followed by "Lefty" with three.  One of "Lefty's" hits was a home run.  "Sideshow" and Jim "Jersey" Nunn joined "Lowball" and "Duke" in the two-hit club.

Chris "Lowball" Lowry 

"Melky" about to induce an unsuspecting opposition striker to foul out at a crucial moment.

Playing from behind had been the norm thus far and it seemed like it would continue when the Keystone Club of Harrisburg took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first of the final game.  However, Flemington tied the game in the bottom of the inning on "Lefty's" home run and never trailed again.  The Pennsylvania team tied the game at 3-3, but Neshanock went ahead 7-3 after six innings and then broke the game open with an 8 run eighth to close out the weekend with a 15-4 win.  "Duke" had another strong game at the striker's line with four hits, followed by "Lefty," "Mango," "Sideshow" and the "Professor" with three apiece.  "Shredder" and "Lowball" added two each.  "Sideshow" and "Thumbs" supported "Melky's" pitching with some solid defensive plays.  

A mighty swing by Ernie "Shredder" Albanesius

Jersey "Jim" Nunn pensively prepares for the next pitch

Only three outs away from being 0-2, Flemington made a remarkable comeback to win three games, matching the Neshanock's highest win total ever at the festival.  As always, it was a splendiferous weekend, and the Flemington club appreciates everything the Elkton Club and others do to make the event happen.  Special thanks to Jason Blazakis, Larry Etgen and Craig Combs for playing for the Neshanock.  And we're also very grateful to Courey Dutton for the insanely cool pictures.  We're already looking forward to 2027.

"No Balls"

Yesterday, just a week after the 250th anniversary of July 4, 1776, the Neshanock resumed our Semiquincentennial tour of New Jersey revolutionary war sites.  It would have been hard to find a more appropriate host than the Bergen County Historical Society which operates Historic New Bridge Landing.  Located on the Hackensack River where the Continental Army crossed on the way to their victory at Trenton, New Bridge Landing preserves "a compelling and scenic fragment" of New Jersey's Dutch countryside. 

Courier-Journal (Louisville) - May 24, 1895

Until this year, the game was played at the site itself which presented no shortage of ground rule challenges.  This time, however, the game was moved to a local park, but for a very good reason.  The BCHS is building a Visitors Center, an initiative well worth supporting. Unfortunately, Saturday was one of those games that happens every so often with very low player participation.  Fortunately, Bob "Riverboat" Smith, captain of the local Enterprise Club and sometime "Neshanock" was able to find enough volunteers to fill out the Flemington lineup.  The Enterprise Club is tough to beat under normal conditions and in this less than desirable situation, it's no surprise local team won both games by scores of 11-7 and 15-3.  The important thing though is that the Neshanock, with help, was able to honor the commitment.

Sam Bernstein - master of all he surveys - all pictures by Jeff Schneider

Every venue has its own memories, and New Bridge Landing is no exception.  For this aged scorekeeper, I'll never forget a game a few years ago that almost became my most embarrassing vintage baseball moment.  As usual I arrived early, only to realize I'd forgotten the game balls. Hard to play a baseball game of any era without a game ball.  Fortunately, New Bridge Landing, as a gesture of hospitality, provided the game balls so I was spared having to figure out how to retrieve the ones I'd forgotten.   I was reminded of this a few weeks ago when Sam Bernstein told me about an 1895 game between Louisville (then a National League team) and the Brooklyn club.

Not quite the pitch that Jim "Jersey" Nunn expected

At the time, game balls were used very differently from today where the ball is replaced seemingly at will, with or without a reason.  In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the game ball was used until it was lost which wasn't that often because fans weren't permitted to keep foul balls.  Typically, about a dozen balls were sufficient for a game.  However, when the Brooklyn team turned up for the May 23, 1895, game at Louisville, the home team only had five new balls.  Supposedly ownership had decided that if too many balls were left lying around the players would use them so "extra" balls were kept off site. 

Chris "Lowball" Lowry at the striker's line

Under the custom of the day, two of the balls were given to the Brooklyn club for pre-game practice with the understanding that if more balls were needed, the game would be delayed until they were obtained.  In the meantime, a boy was dispatched by trolly car to obtain some new balls.  Predictably, the remaining game balls were lost fairly quickly.  Apparently, "forgetting," the prior agreement, the Brooklyn club demanded the game proceed.  An argument ensued, and the umpire forfeited the game to Brooklyn 9-0 based on the rule that a team cannot inappropriately delay the game.  Also predictably, just after the umpire announced the forfeit, the boy, who had been delayed because the trolly went off the tracks, arrived.  As the Louisville paper noted (quoting from Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade") "Someone had blundered."  Embarrassing to say the least - something I was fortunately spared for my own blunder.

"The Best Pitcher"

In anticipation of next week's All-Star game, this post will recall one of the greatest pitching achievements not just of the midsummer classic, but in all baseball history.  At the 1934 All-Star game, the Giants Carl Hubbell struck out Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmy Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin, all future Hall of Famers, in succession. It's no surprise Hubbell, who was also headed to Cooperstown, chose the game as his greatest day in baseball. But when asked immediately afterwards how he felt, Hubbell said simply “Low, we lost.”  That's a reminder of how important winning and losing the All-Star used to be.  At the time and, at least until I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, the result mattered.

Liberty-Tribune - July 11, 1934

This is not in any way to suggest that Hubbell’s accomplishments didn’t receive due credit at the time.  American League manager, Joe Cronin, and Hubbell’s fifth victim, claimed Hubbell was the “best pitcher I’ve ever seen.”  Nor were media accolades wanting.  Paul Gallico of the New York Daily News illustrated the magnitude of Hubbell’s achievement by estimating some of the probabilities of what did and didn't happen.  With two men on, none out and Ruth, Gehrig and Foxx coming up, Gallico projected the odds the American League wouldn't score at least once were 500 to 1.  Even greater, he thought, were the odds against Hubbell striking the three out in order which Gallico put at 1000 to 1. 

The fans also appreciated what they had witnessed.  Legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice broke it down like this:

Hubbell strikes out Ruth – “A National League uproar.”

Hubbell strikes out Gehrig – “The stands began to rock”

Hubbell strikes out Foxx – “Even those supporting the American League stood up to pay him tribute.”

It's no wonder sportswriter Lee Scott called Hubbell's All-Star game performance "the greatest thrill that baseball enthusiasts could ever hope for.”    

Carl "The Meal Ticket" Hubbell

In his account of that historic day, Hubbell not only described the game but also explained his pitching strategy. According to Hubbell, his catcher Gabby Hartnett, told him to throw his screwball for strikes and to waste (throw outside the strike zone) everything else.  Although out of fashion today, Hubbell used the screwball to dominate baseball for a decade.  From 1929 to 1938, he won 195 games with a 2.81 ERA (the best in the majors) and earned two Most Valuable Player awards.  Joe Cronin’s opinion of Hubbell didn't come from one at bat in the All-Star game.  A year earlier in the World Series, pitching against player-manager Cronin’s Washington Senators, the Giants left-hander didn’t allow an earned run in 20 innings.   

Carl Hubbell receives the 1933 Most Valuable Player Award - fair warning to the American League about what lay ahead - Daily News - July 11, 1934

Carl Hubbell as told to John Carmichael

"I can remember Frankie Frisch coming off the field behind me at the end of the third inning, grunting to Bill Terry: "I could play second base 15 more years behind that guy.  He doesn’t need any help.  He does it all by himself.”  Then we hit the bench, and Terry slapped me on the arm and said: “That’s pitching, boy!” and Gabby Hartnett let his mask fall down and yelled at the American League dugout: “We gotta look at that all season,” and I was pretty happy.

As far as control and “stuff” is concerned, I never had any more in my life than for that All-Star game in 1934.  But I never was a strikeout pitcher like Bob Feller or “Dizzy” Dean or “Dazzy” Vance.  My style of pitching was to make the other team hit the ball, but on the ground. It was as big a surprise to me to strike out all those fellows as it probably was to them.  Before the game, Hartnett and I went down the lineup . . . Gehringer, Manush, Ruth, Gehrig, Foxx, Simmons, Cronin, Dickey and Gomez.  There wasn’t a pitcher they’d ever faced that they hadn’t belted one off him somewhere, sometime. 

The New York Daily News - July 11, 1934

We couldn’t discuss weaknesses . . . they didn’t have any, except Gomez.  Finally Gabby said: We’ll waste everything except the screwball.  Get that over, but keep your fast ball and hook outside.  We can’t let ‘em hit in the air.”  So that’s the way we started.  I knew I had only three innings to work and could bear down on every pitch.

They talk about those All-Star games being exhibition affairs and maybe they are, but I’ve seen very few players in my life who didn’t want to win, no matter who they were playing or what for.  If I’m playing cards with pennies, I want to win.  How can you feel any other way?  Besides, there were 50,000 fans or more there, and they wanted to see the best you’ve got.  There was an obligation to the people, as well as to ourselves, to go all out.  I can recall walking out to the hill in the Polo Grounds that day and looking around the stands and thinking to myself: “Hub, they want to see what you’ve got.”

 

New York Daily News - July 11, 1934

Gehringer was first up and Harnett called for a waste ball just so I’d get the feel of the first pitch.  It was a little too close, and Charley singled.  Down from one of the stands came a yell: “Take him out!”

I had to laugh.

Terry took a couple of steps off first and hollered: “That’s all right,” and there was Manusch at the plate.  If recollect rightly, I got two strikes on him, but then he refused to swing any more, and I lost him.  He walked.  This time Terry and Frisch and “Pie” Traynor all came over to the mound and began worrying. “Are you all right?”  Bill asked me.  I assured him I was.  I could hear more than one voice from the stands: “Take him out before it’s too late.”

Ruth fouls one off before striking out - New York Daily News - July 11, 1934

Well, I could imagine how they felt with two on, nobody out and Ruth at bat. To strike him out was the last thought on my mind.  The thing was to make him hit on the ground.  He wasn’t too fast, as you know, and he’d be a cinch to double. He never took the bat off his shoulder.  You could have pushed me over with your little finger.  I fed him three straight screwballs, all over the plate, after wasting a fast ball, and he stood there.  I can see him looking at the umpire on “You’re out,” and he wasn’t mad.  He just didn’t believe it, and Hartnett was laughing when he threw the ball back.

So up came Gehrig.  He was a sharp hitter. You could double him, too, now and then, if the ball was hit hard and straight at an infielder.  That’s what we hoped he’d do, at best.  Striking out Ruth and Gehrig in succession was too big an order.  By golly, he fanned . . . and on four pitches.  He swung at the last screwball and you should have heard the crowd.  I felt a lot easier then, and even when Gehringer and Manusch pulled a double steal and got to third and second, with Foxx up, I looked down at Hartnett and caught the screwball sign, and Jimmy missed.  We were really trying to strike Foxx out, with two already gone and Gabby didn’t bother to waste any pitches.  I threw three more screwballs, and he went down swinging.  We had set down the side on 12 pitches, and then Frisch hit a homer in our half of the first, and we were ahead.

Brooklyn Daily Eagle - July 11, 1934

It was funny, when I thought about it afterwards, how Ruth and Gehrig looked as they stood there.  The Babe must have been waiting for me to get the ball up a little so he could get his bat under it.  He always was trying for that one big shot at the stands, and anything around his knees, especially a twisting ball, didn’t let him get any leverage.  Gehrig apparently decided to take one swing at least and he beat down at the pitch, figuring to take a chance on being doubled if he could get a piece of the ball.  He whispered something to Foxx as Jim got up from the batter’s circle and while I couldn’t hear it, I found out later he said: “You might as well cut . . . it won’t get any higher.”  At least Foxx wasted no time.

Of course the second inning was easier because Simmons and Cronin both struck out with nobody on base and then I got too close to Dickey and he singled.  Simons and Foxx, incidentally both went down swinging and I know every pitch to them was good enough to hit at and those they missed had a big hunk of the plate.  Once Harnett kinda shook his head at me as if to say I was getting too good.  After Dickey came Gomez and as he walked into the box he looked down at Gabby and said: “You are now looking at a man whose batting average is .104.  What the hell am I doing up here?  He was easy after all those guys and we were back on the bench again.

We were all feeling pretty good by this time and Traynor began counting on his fingers: “Ruth, Gehrig, Foxx, Simmons, Cronin!  Hey, Hub, do you put anything on the ball?”  Terry came over to see how may arm was, but it was never stronger.  I walked one man in the third . . . don’t remember who it was . . . but this time Ruth hit one on the ground and we were still all right.  You could hear him puff when he swung.  That was all for me.  Afterwards they got six runs in the fifth and licked us, but for three innings I had the greatest day in my life.  One of the writers who kept track told me that I’d pitched 27 strikes and 21 balls to 13 men and only five pitches were hit in fair territory."