"Here's to Charlie!"

Ninety years ago this very evening "as the shadows began to cover the bleak facades of old mansions on Brooklyn Heights," a group of men, mostly of mature years, began wending their way to the Brooklyn Club at 131 Remsen Street.  Once inside, they headed downstairs to a room, lovingly referred to as the "Coal Hole," a name borrowed or appropriated from a famous London pub.  They gathered to celebrate a birthday, but it was an unusual kind of birthday party.  Instead of the more traditional approach of friends throwing a party for someone, in this case all of the expenses had already been taken care of by the honoree.  And not just for this one time, but for as long as any of them should live.  Even more unusual, however, was the absence of the honoree himself, one Charles Ebbets, unavailable because of his death over four years ago.  Ebbets was not, however, about to let the small matter like his death get in the way of his friends enjoying an evening of food and fellowship on his birthday.

Standard Union - October 29, 1931

Founded in 1865, the Brooklyn Club, made up of the Borough's "wealthiest and most influential men," was for many years one of the Dodgers owner's favorite gathering places.  Supposedly his cronies began to "saunter in" to the club around 3:00 and make idle conversation until Ebbets arrived from the ballpark that bore his name.  Then "the conversation would take a serious turn" to the Dodgers and Ebbets would discuss the day's game, the team and the problems and challenges that faced him as club owner.  As the years went by "through a blue-gray haze of tobacco they looked [back into the past] at the team they used to know and watch . . . and somewhere in the outfield of memory, Wheat and Myers and Stengel [still] patrolled their grassy posts."  So close was the group that eventually it became the custom for them to gather on October 29th for a dinner to celebrate the Brooklyn owner's birthday.

Brooklyn Club building today

It's probably no surprise that there is more than one explanation of why the dinners continued after Ebbets death on April 18, 1925, but it is somewhat unusual that the same person gave two different explanations a year apart.  Judge Joseph Aspinall, one of Ebbets longtime friends, was one of three trustees in charge of the annual event.  In 1934, the Judge told the New York Herald Tribune that at one birthday dinner, Ebbets served cheap liquor, leading to queries of why he was "such a tightwad."  Ebbets not only denied the charge, but promised he would continue to pay for the dinner even after his death.  A year later, however, Aspinall told the Brooklyn Daily Times that about 1920 Ebbets told the group "he would like us to dine on his natal day after he died."  Regardless of the explanation, Ebbets didn't forget his promise, leaving $5,000 in a trust with the income at 5 1/2% to pay for the annual dinners as long as any member of the group was still alive.  Ebbets' estate was more than a little complicated with his 50% interest in the Dodgers divided into 15 parts for the benefit of about 25 heirs so remembering that promise was clearly important to him.  The story of the estate is reminiscent of the court case in Bleak House, but in 1927, Ebbets widow asked that the $5,000 be released and for many years it was the only part of the estate to be finalized.

Brooklyn Times Union - October 30, 1934

It apparently took a while to get the first dinner organized, but on October 29, 1929, 25 members of the original group gathered around a "candlelit" table for the initial event.  Ebbets left the details of the affair to Aspinall and the other two trustees of the fund.  Typically a vacant chair was left for the Brooklyn owner and before the first course there was "a silent toast to the departed" while the glass at Ebbets' place remained untouched.  Formal speeches were not on the agenda, but anyone could speak which as a rule "consisted primarily of fond reminiscences" in an atmosphere that was "gay with laughter."  No menus seem to survived, but in 1936, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported that "the best was none too good" from "diamond back terrapin to champagne."  The dinners were to continue until the  last member died with the funds then to go to the Brooklyn club.  It's not clear when the final dinner took place, the last media account was in 1942 when a dozen remained.  Perhaps the final dinner got lost in concern about World War II.

Coal Hole - London 

One feature of every dinner was a toast to Ebbets where members "spoke well of his loyalty and generosity."  The Dodgers owner was far from perfect, but while his "generosity" or cheapness has been debated ever since, there is no questioning his loyalty.  Certainly to his friends, but also to his ball club and above all to Brooklyn his adopted hometown.  The team, the ballpark that bore his name, the dinner and the Brooklyn Club itself are no more, but almost a century later, it's still appropriate on this day, the 160th anniversary of his birth to say, along with all those shades from the past - "Here's to Charlie!"

Sunset

Back in June, the Flemington Neshanock and their good friends, the Diamond State Club of Delaware, had the opportunity to play two games of base ball on a pristine spring afternoon in Princeton, New Jersey.  It was a reminder of how much fun base ball can be.  Today the two teams met again, this time in Paper Mill Park in Newark, Delaware to close out the 2019 vintage base ball season.  The final game of any season always prompts a range of emotions - a sense of completion that another long season (April to October) is in the books as well as a feeling of loss because it will be more than five months before we get to do this again.  Today offered a venue, weather and opponents truly worthy of the occasion. Having lost the toss, the Neshanock went to the striker's line first.  With two out, Tom "Thumbs" Hoepfner and Rene "Mango" Marrero singled, but Flemington failed to score an indication that tallies were going to be at the premium.  Such was indeed the case and the game entered the bottom of the fourth 0-0 when Diamond State got their offense going.

Diamond State wrapped two singles around a Matt "Black Bart" Bartnicki triple for two runs, but Flemington had a chance to get out of the inning with no further damage with runners on second and third and two out.  At that point, however, Greg "Memphis" Boulden, the Diamond State pitcher, took matters into his own hands (or bat) delivering a well placed single to put the home team ahead 4-0.  Flemington finally scored in the top of the sixth when Dan "Sledge" Hammer tripled and went home on an overthrow.  Flemington continued to keep the game competitive, shutting out Diamond State for the next three innings and adding a run in the top of the eighth when "Sledge" singled in Chris "Low Ball" Lowry who had worked out a walk.  Unfortunately, for Flemington however, in Diamond State's half of the eighth, seven hits along with two Neshanock muffs led to seven runs and an 11-2 victory for the Delaware team.  The Neshanock were limited to eight hits by the pitching of "Memphis" and the defense behind him. Leading the way for Flemington was "Thumbs" with three, while "Sledge" and "Mango" had two apiece. 

After a brief break, the two teams returned to the field for a seven inning contest, this time with Flemington striking second.  Diamond State tallied once in their first at bat, but the Neshanock quickly answered that and then erupted for five tallies in the second.  Flemington had a 9-4 lead heading to the bottom of the sixth when the New Jersey team replicated Diamond State's last at bat in the first game, putting the game out of reach.  After Chris "Sideshow" Nunn parleyed a single and some aggressive base running into a tally, "Sledge" hit a home run, leaving him only a single short of hitting for the cycle.  When the inning was over, Flemington had tallied five times and closed out the game for a 14-5 season ending win.  Four Neshanock, the aforementioned "Sideshow," Joe "Mick" Murray, Scott "Snuffy" Hengst and Ken "Tumbles" Mandel contributed two hits apiece.  Especially noteworthy was the hitting of the newest Neshanock, Dan Mahony, who closed out his muffin season with a four hit day and his first clear score.  Welcome to the club Mr Mahony - next step is an appropriate nickname.  Also important was the steady defensive play of "Jersey" Jim Nunn who handled some challenging bound hits in the outfield and his son "Sideshow" who handled one particular tricky hop like it was a three cornered pool shot.

By dividing the two games, the Neshanock finished the year with an overall 16-6 mark. Season's end means its time to say thank you and I want to start with those outside the Neshanock family that make all of this possible beginning with our opponents.  One thing we can never take for granted is the need for other teams like Diamond State willing and able to put in the time and travel necessary to play a full schedule.  By my count, Flemington played nine different vintage teams over the course of the season and five "town" teams, local squads put together for just one game.  We couldn't do it without you and thank you for your participation.  While all opponents are important, we especially value our New Jersey partners - the Elizabeth Resolutes (the state's senior club), the Hoboken Nine, Monmouth Furnace and the New Brunswick Liberty.  Also essential and sometimes taken for granted are the umpires.  The Neshanock are more mindful of their importance of umpires since we have lost Sam Bernstein who worked so many Neshanock games for so many years.  So thanks to the umpires especially John Medkeff who worked today's games so ably.

Within the Neshanock community, the first thank you goes to our founder Brad "Brooklyn" Shaw who got all this started and kept it going for so many years.  We missed you this season and hope you'll join us next year, even if it is just to visit.   While he wasn't there today, much appreciation to Mark "Gaslight" Granieri both for serving as official blog photographer and sometimes writer. Thanks also to the parents, spouses, girl friends, fiancees, significant others and increasingly children who attend games in all kinds of weather and most importantly let us be part of a game we haven't yet, and never will, get enough off.  Finally, thanks are due to the Neshanock players for many reasons, but above all for just showing up on a regular basis.  One thing I've learned this year is that just fielding a team is no simple matter and it's a tribute to the players that only once did we fall short and only by one player which was easily managed.  2019 was my 13th season of vintage base ball and going back to the very beginning my 63rd season of baseball either as a fan or in some other capacity.  That's a long time, but it pales in comparison to the fact that competitive base ball began in New Jersey in 1855 some 164 years ago.  Those base ball pioneers could never have visualized what has happened since, but I would like to think they would appreciate what the state's vintage base ball teams and players have done to continue what they so nobly began.

October Speaking Schedule

Thursday, October 10, 6:30, Morven Museum and Garden, 55 Stockton Street, Princeton, New Jersey: "History, Tragedy and Comedy: The Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Admission includes access to the New Jersey baseball exhibit which will close the end of this month.

Thursday, October 17, 7:00, Bernards Township Public Library, 32 South Maple Street, Basking Ridge, New Jersey. "A Cradle of the National Pastime: New Jersey Baseball 1855 to 1880."