"Until the ending of the world"

Thus far the most consistent performer in the 2018 vintage base ball season has been the weather which has managed to rain out all but four of the Neshanock's scheduled matches, two of which were played on one day. Monday marked the renewal of the annual game with the Newtown Strakes as part of that Pennsylvania community's Memorial Day festivities.  Since the game had been rained out the past two years there was some concern about history repeating itself, but the game was played although before a smaller crowd than usual.  The Strakes are made up of players who come together for just this one game, but even with the two rain outs, the game has been played so many times the Newtown team can in no way be considered muffins.  Any doubts on that score were removed by the Neshanock's inability to pull off any of the trick plays Flemington saves for unsuspecting opponents.  As per usual for this game Flemington had an excellent turnout from its roster - 16 players almost enough to field two teams while the Strakes had only one less.  For a brief moment, it appeared like a Neshanock game would actually start on time, but some opening ceremonies delayed play being called until 12:12 with the Strakes at the strikers line.

With Bobby "Melky"Ritter in the pitcher's spot and a stout defense behind him, the Strakes went out without incident giving Flemington a chance to take the early lead and the Neshanock took full advantage.  Dan "Lefty" Gallagher led off with a double and made his run, followed by Dan "Sledge" Hammer, Tom "Thumbs" Hoepfner and Gregg "Burner"Wiseburn all of whom made their base and then their run.  There was no scoring over the next four innings, but there was some good defense by both sides including a double play pulled off by the Strakes in the bottom of the second and fly and bound catches by "Melky" on the pitching lines.  Newtown however was too a good team to be shut down completely and the Strakes tied the game in the top of the fifth through a combination of some well placed hits and aggressive base running.  The match, however, did not stay tied for long as Flemington had the top of its order up in the bottom of the inning.  "Sledge" caught the left fielder playing too shallow and doubled over his head which was followed by extremely well placed hits by "Thumbs," Rene "Mango" Marrero and Meshack "Shaq" Dusane producing four Neshanock tallies.  Two more runs followed courtesy of productive outs by Scott "Snuffy" Hengst and Danny "Lunchtime" Shaw and the Nehsanock had broken the match open by taking a 10-4 lead.

Any hopes the Strakes had of a comeback were frustrated in the top of the sixth when "Mango" made a fine stop at third and threw the striker out at first.  Flemington added two more in the bottom of the seventh led by "Lefty's" triple, his second extra base hit of the day.  Newtown did manage to score twice in the top of the eighth and the local club's center fielder and third baseman made two excellent defensive plays in the bottom of the inning to thwart any chance of the Neshanock adding any more tallies.  Although two Strake runners reached base in the top of the ninth, no runs were scored and the Neshanock earned a 12-6 win.  It was a very efficient offensive game for Flemington which saw 12 of its 17 base runners score, it's not something I've tracked before, but it certainly stood out today.  "Sledge" had a clear score, although probably not the kind Henry Chadwick had in mind when he invented the statistic.   "Lefty," "Thumbs" and local hero Ken "Tumbles" Mandel each had two hits with "Tumbles" also making a mercifully brief appearance in the pitcher's box.  With the win Flemington is now 4-1 on the young season before heading into next weekends event at the Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, the birthplace, not of base ball, but apparently some fine adult beverages.  Although not historically accurate video coverage of the match can be found at http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/video/category/sports/ and going to the video marked "Old School Baseball on Memorial Day."

Yesterday's game was, of course, played on Memorial Day 2018 a time for remembering those who gave their lives for our country, perhaps taking added significance this year as the 150th anniversary of the first Memorial Day observance back in 1868 as well as the World War I Centennial.  For whatever reason, remembering and honoring the war dead brings to mind Shakespeare's Henry V, especially the Band of Brothers speech which to me is one of the most powerful speeches in the English language calling on something deep within the human spirit.  In that speech, the embattled king does not promise his beleaguered and badly outnumbered army that they will win, survive or gain anything material from fighting the battle of Agincourt.  The only thing he promises his soldiers is that they will be remembered and not just in their own generation, but literally "until the ending of the world."  And since Shakespeare was a man of his word, both literally and figuratively, that is exactly what has happened as some 600 years later they are still remembered even if the battle itself had little lasting significance.

Newark Daily Advertiser - May 30, 1868

What is now called Memorial Day, began back in 1868 on "order" of General John Logan, the head of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Union veterans organization, with instructions that flowers should be laid on the graves of Union veterans.  A quick review of newspaper accounts indicates observations in Elizabeth, Trenton, Jersey City and Newark, plus, I'm sure, other New Jersey cities and communities.  Commenting on the beginning of the parade in Newark from Military Park to Fairmount Cemetery, the Newark Daily Advertiser noted the significance of the event because it marked the first time the nation was honoring not just the dead resting in identified graves, but also "the thousands of graves of the "unknown" who were buried on battle fields and in prison yards all of the South from the Potomac to the Gulf of Mexico and from the Mississippi to the Atlantic." 

Meuse-Argonne Cemetery

Obviously remembering was easier for that first generation since at least some of the dead were their friends, family and acquaintances.  The more years in between the more difficult it becomes and the World War I dead are a good, but sad example of that.  Above is a picture of the Meuse Argonne Cemetery located near Romangne, France about 150 miles from Paris.  It is the largest American military cemetery in Europe, the final resting place of 14, 246 American soldiers most of whom died in the battle of the same name, many of them from New Jersey.  Sadly, supposedly the only Americans who visit the cemetery today are those seeking the grave of an ancestor or relative, otherwise most of the visitors come from other countries.  Obviously distance is an issue, but it's also reflective of how World War I has been supplanted in the historical memory by World War II as well as Korea and Vietnam.  The World War I generation was the first generation to experience compulsory military service on a large scale and they conducted themselves in a way that reflected credit on themselves and set an example for those of us who came after.  Our responsibility to them is to see that they are remembered and not just during the Centennial, but as Shakespeare put it "until the ending of the world."

The Brooklyn Dodgers - New Jersey's Team

Aficionados of the "Boys of Summer" or "Dem Bums" reading the above headline will immediately remember that the Dodgers, at the end of the their tenure in Brooklyn, played seven or so games a year at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City.  But the Brooklyn club's connections to the Garden State date back much further, to the franchise's earliest days.  During the club's charter season in 1883, the team that would become known to history as the Brooklyn Dodgers played in the Inter-State Association, a minor league that included not one, but two New Jersey clubs.  In fact, the initial game the Brooklyn team played at the first incarnation of Washington Park was a victory over the Trenton team of that league.  The other New Jersey team was the Camden Merritts, a talented team whose failures at the box office forced them to disband in mid season.  Stealing a march on the other club owners, Brooklyn president Charles Byrne quickly snatched up the best Camden players who led Brooklyn to the league championship, a tactic Byrne would repeat as he gradually built his club into American Association (1889) and then National League (1890) champions.

After some ill-advised decisions during the 1890-91 merger with the Brooklyn team of the Player's League, the Dodgers (or Bridegrooms as they were then known) fell on some hard times themselves so that at Byrne's death in early 1898, the team was doing poorly both on the field and at the box office.  Taking over was 39 year old Charles Ebbets who, among other issues, had to decide where his club would prepare for the upcoming season.  Unconvinced, as were other club owners at the time, of the benefits of a southern trip, Ebbets decided to compromise by heading south, but only as far as Allaire on the Jersey shore, a venture that was previously described at http://amanlypastime.blogspot.com/search?q=Allaire.  Brooklyn was joined at New Jersey shore points by the Giants (Lakewood) and Phillies (Cape May), but bad weather quickly convinced the clubs that March in the Garden State was not a conducive atmosphere for getting ready for the long National League season.

First page of the Articles of Incorporation of the Brooklyn Baseball Club - courtesy New Jersey State Archives

Almost a decade earlier, however, the Dodgers formed a far more lasting New Jersey connection as part of the aforementioned merger.  In 1890 fed up with their treatment by the owners, major league players formed a new league popularly known as the Players League which included a team in Brooklyn.  Hurt by financial losses and intimidated by the National League magnates, the non-playing owners of the Player League teams threw in the metaphorical towel after one season, basically leaving the competing clubs in each city to work out their own settlement arrangements.  In Brooklyn this took the form of the merger of the two teams into a new club where the Dodger owners would have the controlling interest.  The merger necessitated the formation of a new corporation and given the favorable (read minimal government oversight) corporate laws in New Jersey, the Brooklyn Dodgers became a New Jersey corporation supposedly operating out of a headquarters in Jersey City.  Learning this while researching my biography of Charles Ebbets, it occurred to me that no matter how small the degree of state control, there were probably some reporting requirements.  Checking with the New Jersey State Archives confirmed that the incorporation documents as well as close to 20 years of annual reports were still on file in Trenton.

Ned Hanlon about 1887

On the surface the documents appear to be little more than a dry record of club officers, directors and general corporate policies, but they also illustrate some important periods in the club's history especially the 1906-1907 fight for control between Ebbets and Ned Hanlon, the team's former manager.  After Ebbets' disastrous inaugural 1898 season, the owners of the Brooklyn and Baltimore clubs came together to form a syndicate where the same people would own two major league clubs, allowing them to concentrate the best players on one team, in this case in Brooklyn which appeared to be the better market.  Unthinkable today, syndicate ball in one form or another was popular at the end of the 19th century, but in this case while it proved initially successful on the field, it was only marginally so at the box office.  To make matters worse, teams in the new American League began "stealing" Brooklyn players, shredding the Dodger roster and producing a losing club with a highly paid manager - Hanlon who was also, unfortunately for Ebbets, a stockholder.  Ebbets drastically cut Hanlon's salary at the beginning of the 1905 season when the Dodger manager had few alternatives forcing him to grudgingly accept Ebbets demands.  Although Ebbets supposedly told Hanlon that he too was taking a cut, it appears Ebbets actually increased his own salary understandably infuriating Hanlon.

1906 Annual Report of the Brooklyn Baseball Club - courtesy New Jersey State Archives

To no one's surprise, Hanlon left Brooklyn for Cincinnati for the 1906 season, but he was far from finished with Ebbets.  When it came time for the club's annual meeting that fall, required by New Jersey law, Ebbets, his son and Henry Medicus were all re-elected to the team's board of directors.  Hanlon and majority owner Ferdinand Abell immediately insisted the three men were not eligible to serve on the team's board because they had failed to submit the required report of the 1905 annual meeting to the Secretary of State's office in Trenton.   A review of the reports on file in the state archives did not turn up the 1905 report suggesting that the claim, although a technicality, was accurate.  Hanlon and Abell also argued that Ebbets $10,000 annual salary was far in excess of the $4,000 limit mandated in the governing documents and confirmed by the above image.  Ebbet's never denied this, instead offering the absurd explanation that in addition to being club president, he was also the manager and, as also stated in the by-laws, was entitled to the higher amount.  While that may have been technically correct, it's wasn't right since the club had a manager, one Patsy Donovan.  Ebbets claim led the Chicago Sunday Times to wonder whether Donovan was manager or "bat boy or a water cooler."

Charles Ebbets in his prime

Again to no one's surprise, the two recalcitrant owners quickly followed up their claims with a series of lawsuits.  While the salary dispute was a problem, the real threat came from the board eligibility issue since if that claim was upheld, Hanlon and Abell could take over the club and move it to Baltimore.  It was not a good time for Ebbets especially considering that, as per usual, he didn't have access to a lot of money.  But the Brooklyn owner was nothing if not resourceful.  Recognizing that Abell would be the more receptive of the two to a settlement, he somehow got the majority owner to accept $20,000 for his interest, shockingly in the form of $500 down and the rest to be paid over a period of years.  With Abell satisfied, Hanlon was in a far weaker position, leading the future Hall of Fame manager to accept $10,000, apparently in cash, a good portion of which Ebbets financed from back salary once he could again draw the higher $10,000 salary.  The 1906-07 crisis was just one of several times that Ebbets with his back to the wall was able to negotiate his way out of a tight place until finally in 1919 with the advent of Sunday baseball, the Dodgers became a highly profitable franchise.  A few years before that when Ebbets, again in financial trouble, took on the McKeever brothers as partners, the club was re-incorporated in New York.  But the team's long connection to the Garden State is preserved for history in the New Jersey State Archives.

Making Up For Lost Matches

Having managed to play just one match in April, the Neshanock made up for lost time (or at least lost matches) by playing three games the first weekend in May, beginning with a single contest in Nutley, followed by the season's first doubleheader at Ringwood Manor State Park in northwest New Jersey.  Saturday's single game was the fourth annual meeting between Flemington and the Nutley or Kingsland Colonels, an event held at Yanticaw Boys Park in Nutley for the benefit of the Kingsland Manor, an historic home in that community.  Sunday was another regular annual event on the Neshanock schedule, this time played against the Ringwood Miners, a local team formed to provide the opposition for this year's match at the historic state park.  In order not to wear out the patience of those kind enough to spend time reading this blog, this post will cover the Saturday game in some detail (again attempting to use the Chadwick/Cauldwell point of view) before summarizing Saturday's twin bill.

Like the team in Ringwood, the Nutley Colonels were also formed just for one match, but many, if not most, of its members  had played previously against the Neshanock in the earlier renewals of this rivalry so they were by no means muffins.  The local team had a full lineup while the Neshanock had just enough players to field a team with a little help from a local player or two.  The Flemington lineup ran the full age range of the Neshanock roster beginning with Dan "Lefty" Gallagher in his late teens to some Neshanock, who will remain nameless, in their early 60's.  Needless to say defensive positioning was something of a challenge.  Play was called at 1:10 with the Colonels at the strikers line and they quickly put runners on first and third due to untimely and, doubtless age related, muffs.  Fortunately Neshanock newcomer, Adam "Beast" Leffler picked the runner off third with the hidden ball trick and the side was then retired on a fine throw by Scott "Snuffy" Hengst at shortstop to Brad "Brooklyn" Shaw at first.  Once again the Colonels were reminded that while 1860's base ball was a gentleman's game, the Neshanock are not always gentlemen.

If Flemington had any illusions this was going be to an easy match, they were dispelled in the bottom of the first when two fine plays on foul balls by the Colonels' catcher and another in the field kept the Neshanock from capitalizing on Dan "Sledge" Hammer's double.  Nutley then scored in the top of the second and had two on and just one out, only to be denied any further tallies by the Neshanock's first, but not last, double play of the day.  Clearly seeing they had a hard task ahead of them, the Neshanock tallied four runs in their half of the second, keyed by aggressive base running by "Beast" as well as Dave "Illinois" Harris and Chris "Lowball" Lowry.  Nutley added one run in the top of the third, but was shut out in the fourth due to a fine play on a foul tip by "Snuffy" at catcher and another double play this one started by "Beast" at third.  Flemington, however, couldn't add to their total in the third or fourth innings, failing to capitalize on runners at second and third and one out in the fourth.  Nutley tallied again in the fifth, closing the gap to only a single run, but Flemington's third double play of the day, limited the damage, this time by means of another trick play.  Having been victimized twice on trick plays, the local team returned the favor in the bottom of the fifth, using the hidden ball play to their own advantage limiting the Neshanock to one run and a 5-3 lead after five innings.

Both teams added a run in the sixth, the Colonels by means of two extremely well struck balls, while Flemington again used aggressive base running, this time courtesy of "Lefty" to maintain the Neshanock lead at two as the game headed to the seventh.  Nutley broke through in their turn at bat, however, scoring four times, twice due to some very well struck balls and twice due to Flemington muffs, to take an 8-6 lead.  The lead was short lived, however, as Flemington quickly scored three times again due to aggressive base running this time on the legs of "Lefty" and "Sledge," with the latter walking and then circling the bases without Flemington putting the ball in play.  The Neshanock now led 9-8 going to the top of the 8th, but Flemington's lead proved equally short lived as Nutley tied the match on two well struck balls and then retired the Neshanock in order in the bottom of the inning.  Heading to the ninth with the advantage of the last at bat, Flemington didn't waste the opportunity, limiting Nutley to a harmless single by making the routine plays so often taken for granted.  "Lowball" led off the bottom of the ninth with a single and advanced to second on a balk, setting the stage for "Lefty" who promptly delivered a long hit over the left fielder's head, giving Flemington a very hard earned victory.  In addition to a solid pitching effort, Bobby "Melky" Ritter led the Flemington attack with three hits.  It was a very entertaining match and reflected a great deal of credit on the local team.

The following day, amidst threatening skies, that fortunately only threatened, the Neshanock traveled to Ringwood Manor State Park for two games with the Ringwood Miners, trying their hand at 19th century base ball for the first time.  Two seven inning games were played and the Neshanock broke quickly from the gate in the first contest, tallying 10 times before the Minors even had their first chance at the striker's line.  The local team was not intimidated however and played Flemington basically even after that losing, 16-5 while making a number of good plays in the field.  The Flemington attack was led by local man, Dave "Specs" Chamalian with four hits, followed closely by "Lefty," Joe "Mick" Murray and Tom "Thumbs" Hoepfner with three apiece.  After the obligatory break for "Casey at the Bat," the Miners followed Flemington's example by scoring four times in the top of the first.  Flemington tied it in the second, took the lead in the third and then broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth with a seven run inning in route to a 17-6 win.  "Thumbs," "Specs," "Illinois" and "Melky" each had three hits while, "Jersey" Jim Nunn, "Brooklyn" and "Lefty" added two apiece.  With the three wins, the Neshanock are now 3-1 on the season with a weekend off before journeying to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Athletic Club on May 19th, a game I will miss due to Sophie Zinn's sixth birthday because in this man's army, grandchildren outrank pretty much everyone!