It seems like summer is whizzing by in the New Jersey/Hoboken area! Here we are in August, and on August 9, the Hoboken Nine will play a final game at Smith Field Park. Then they’ll head to Cooperstown the week after that. If you live here in Hoboken, and haven’t heard of the Hoboken Nine, here’s the scoop!
The first officially recorded, organized baseball game was played on June 19, 1846. Hoboken’s Elysian Fields was the venue for that game. It was a wipeout. The New York Base Ball Club trounced the Knickerbockers 23-1. Alexander Joy Cartwright umpired the game which was played using his rules. By August of 1865, the attendance at such games had increased to 20,000 people. A Currier & Ives print in 1866 depicted this game.
Fast-forward to 2012. Vintage baseball is beginning to take hold. The Hoboken Historical Museum sponsored one game a year. The Hoboken team would be soundly defeated. Manager Frank Stingone decided to try to put together a team that would be able to practice and make a better showing. Now they play on a regular schedule.
Vintage Baseball is played under the 1864 rules, using only equipment available then. The players are dressed in vintage uniforms, and they keep the fast pace of the vintage games. You won’t see any long time-outs at these games. They just keep moving.
The pitching is a fast underhanded pitch. A look at the official rules of The Vintage Baseball Association proves both interesting and informative. They very distinctly prescribe position and delivery of the ball, and make it clear just what constitutes a baulk. The behavior of the players is expected to be both competitive and sportsmanlike. Ah, those were the days… but you can go back to them if you attend a vintage baseball game!
These players are committed to keeping it authentic. They fund their games through sponsorships. There are more than 40 teams in the Mid-Atlantic League, and three of these teams are from New Jersey.
Here is a link to a Youtube video of a segment Conan O’Brien did on vintage baseball, featuring the Hoboken Nine. It’s an amusing look at an entertaining display of old time behavior.
Do you enjoy watching vintage baseball?
Edward