Baseball As A Gentlemen's Game Returns To Hoboken

(Hoboken Patch, 06/21/2010, by: Claire Moses) Photos

Two teams who play baseball by 19th century rules played a game in Hoboken on Saturday.

The only anachronism during the recreation in honor of the first ever baseball game in Hoboken on Saturday afternoon, was the astroturf field on which it was played.

Wearing 19th century uniforms, the Flemington Neshanock and the Elizabeth Resolutes fought barehanded—literally: 19th century baseball did not involve gloves—through nine innings, following rules from 1873.

According to a website dedicated to the topic, the first organized baseball game was played on Elysian Field in Hoboken on June 19, 1846. Then, the New York Base Ball Club defeated the Knickerbockers 23-1. On Saturday on Stevens' Dobbelaar Field, the Elizabeth Resolutes beat the Flemington Neshanock 19-5. The event was organized by the Hoboken Historical Museum.

Brad "Brooklyn" Shaw, 55, said he got into 19th century baseball about nine years ago, after reading an article in the Smithsonian Magazine. Being the history buff that he is, he said he immediately thought: "this is me."

Shaw, who founded the Flemington Neshanock in 2001, was also clear to describe the game as a recreation, rather than a re-enactment.

"The Civil War guys re-enact," Shaw said. "If they'd be doing what we're doing, they'd be using real bullets."

In 19th century baseball, Shaw explained, there's an umpire who makes sure the men are behaving as gentlemen on the field, there are no gloves, and the players pitch underhand from 45 feet away. The game has nine innings just like modern day baseball, Shaw said.

Although he seemed to be disappointed that his team—on which his teenage son Danny also plays—lost, he said the league is not very competitive. There is a game every week starting in early April, said Neshanock player Jon "Hammer" Hapner. The team travels around the country as well as through time, sometimes they will play by 1864 rules. "Baseball evolved rapidly through the 1800s," said Hepner, "it wasn't the same game all the time."

When asked how he got into vintage baseball, Hepner said that playing by 19th century rules is different and, because of the lack of gloves, provides more of a challenge.

"It's the way baseball started," said Hepner, 44.

The history aspect is exactly what draws the fans to the game.

"It's kind of watching the history of the game," said Juan Saturnino, who was there to cheer on the Elizabeth Resolutes. Saturnino was excited about his team's win.

After the game the two teams lined up and shook each other's hands, like true gentlemen.

1873-style baseball is safe at home in Hoboken

(The Jersey Journal, 06/19/2010, by: Michael Cohen) Link

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Baseball went back to its roots in Hoboken today -- way back.

Stevens Institute of Technology hosted a baseball game from 1873. Or at least a game played under the same rules as a game from 1873. The timing of today's game was deliberate. Today marks the 164th anniversary of the first officially recorded, organized game of baseball. That game was played on Elysian Fields in Hoboken on June 19, 1846, under rules devised by one Alexander Cartwright.

Today, the Flemington Neshanock and Elizabeth Resolutes vintage baseball teams introduced the old style of baseball to Hoboken fans, as the Hoboken Historical Museum teamed up with the Vintage Baseball Association to bring the game to the city.

"I'm originally from Hoboken," said Neshanock president Brad "Broadway" Shaw. "Baseball originated in Hoboken, going back to the days of Alexander Cartwright in 1846. The baseball we play is the purest form of the game."

The teams were made of up of men every age, some were retired teachers, others worked in marketing, some were students. The players played in baggy cotton uniforms, resembling the uniforms worn by players from the 19th century. They used a softer baseball that has a rubber cork in it and bats made to the specifications of 1870s professional baseball. They played under rules effective in 1873, such as catching balls with their bare hands, no batting helmets or catching gear, and counting a caught foul ball that bounces on the grass as an out.

"I founded our team back in 2000," said Paul Salamone, president of the Elizabeth Resolutes. "I saw an article about vintage baseball in Smithsonian Magazine, and then I caught a feature on it on PBS, and was hooked. All they knew how to do was naturally adapt to the game."

The game itself was not very close, as Elizabeth blew away Flemington 19-5, but both teams showed great poise at the plate, and a flair for the dramatic defensively. Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Elizabeth put this game away early with a nine-run first inning, started by a RBI double by Jeremy Davis to drive in Dan Marcus to tie it.

"I was just trying to hit the ball and be patient at the plate," said Davis, who went 5-for-6 with three runs scored and five RBI. "I haven't played since high school, so to do this is great. I love playing the sport that I love."

A single by Harry Uhrig made it 2-1, and a double by Shown Kelly drove in Uhrig to make it 3-1.
Two batters later, Bill Heney's two run double to right made it 5-1 Elizabeth. The offensive barrage was highlighted by three errors by Flemington, that allowed two more runs to score to make it 7-1; finally, a two-run single by Anthony Ferrola made it 9-1.

Dan Marcus pitched extremely well for Elizabeth. He pitched a complete game, surrendering five runs on nine hits. He didn't record a strikeout, but walked only one batter. Up until the seventh inning, Marcus' only mistake came on RBI double by Tom "Thumbs" Hoepfner in the top of the first inning.

"Well, it's 19th-century baseball," said Danny "Batman" Shaw, 17, of the 19-5 loss.
"It is always a high scoring game. We just didn't hit when we needed to, and we didn't field the ball well."

Batman Shaw who played centerfield for Flemington, made a spectacular sliding catch on a line shot in the sixth inning to rob Tim Kelly of a sure base hit.

For Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer, seeing baseball in Hoboken is a dream come true.

"I think of Hoboken as the birthplace of baseball,'' she said. "It should be played here. I want to work with Vintage Baseball Association and the Hoboken Museum to bring a team here."

There are more than 100 vintage baseball teams in the country that try to recreate the style of ball played in the late 1800s.