It was a bright September morning and I was driving up I-95 towards New York. New York is a great baseball state: two major league (and several minor league) teams, the sport's national Hall of Fame, and the final resting place for such legends as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, plus countless others. Yes, I was heading TOWARDS New York... but that's not where I was going. My destination for the weekend was a little closer to my starting point. A state with no MLB teams; I was looking forward to a baseball-themed weekend in New Jersey.
I titled this post Back To Beginnings for two reasons. First, because this month marks the one-year anniversary of my blog, which started as a guide to baseball-themed road trips. Perhaps I'll be able to recapture a bit of that original intent. More importantly, it's because New Jersey is widely believed to be the site of the first organized baseball match (back in 1846). Cruising up the interstate that morning, I wasn't just driving towards a geographic location, I was heading back in time.
How appropriate, then, that my first stop would be the historic Dey Farm, where a vintage-style baseball game was about to take place. Subject to mid-19th century rules, players wearing replica uniforms took the field sans gloves. The hurler tossed underhand to the opposing team's strikers, while an umpire - donned in top hat - kept track of aces (runs). True to the time period, balls caught on one bounce were considered an out. Other than that the game looked pretty much as it does today. Afterwards, a man dressed in 19th century garb treated the cranks (spectators) to a recitation of Casey at the Bat and the full version of Take Me Out to the Ball Game. There was a second game starting in a few minutes, but I had a lot of places to see.
One of those places was about 30 minutes down the road in the borough of Milltown. The small town was built up in the early 1900's by the Michelin Tire company. With baseball's popularity on the rise, a diamond was constructed in the center of the community. Over the next few decades, Michelin Field was host to barnstorming legends such as Babe Ruth and the House of David squad. These days, it's mostly used by local schools and little league teams - although it still has the look of an old-time field. On the day of my visit, there was nothing taking place. So I snapped a few photos and moved on.
I was especially excited about my next destination. It had been on my radar screen for several years and I knew it wouldn't disappoint. The Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, located on the campus of Montclair State University, is a repository for all things Yogi. World Series rings, MVP trophies, baseball cards, game-used equipment, etc., along with an abundance of other Yankees memorabilia, are on display for public viewing. Outside a statue of a proud, young Yogi greets visitors. Sadly, shortly after I returned home from my trip, I learned that professional thieves had found a way into the museum to steal some of the priceless artifacts. As sad as I was to read this, it made me glad I was lucky enough to see the exhibit in its entirety. I hope they are able to retrieve the stolen items for the enjoyment of future fans. Adjacent to the museum is Yogi Berra Stadium, home to the New Jersey Jackals of the independent league.
My day wasn't done. Not too far from Montclair, in the town of Paterson, one can find the deteriorating Hinchliffe Stadium. Built in 1931-32 as a multi-sport venue, this beautiful edifice has clearly seen better days - yet miraculously it still stands. In its heyday, Hinchliffe was home to the New York Black Yankees and briefly the New York Cubans. During that time, the greatest Negro Leagues players of the era dug their cleats into its dirt. The stadium was recently designated an historic landmark and fundraising efforts to restore the structure are on-going.
Paterson is also the birthplace of Lou Costello, best remembered for his Who's On First routine with long-time partner Bud Abbott. The hometown hero is remembered with a statue of the famous comedian holding a baseball bat. After visiting the statue, I was ready to call it a day. The final two sites on my list would have to wait until the morning.
I rolled out of bed on Sunday and got ready to complete my itinerary. With my iPhone GPS set to Jersey City, I hopped back in my car. I was looking for remembrances of the former Roosevelt Stadium. Completed in 1937 as the home field for the Jersey City Giants (Triple A), the park also hosted 15 major league games as part of a deal with the Brooklyn Dodgers. On April 18, 1946, the stadium was permanently inked into the history books when Jackie Robinson made his professional "white baseball" debut for the visiting Montreal Royals; ushering in the era of integration (Robinson hit 4 for 5 with a home run, 4 runs scored, 3 RBIs, and 2 stolen bases). The structure was demolished in 1985, but its spirit lives on through the names of nearby establishments such as Stadium Plaza, Stadium Pizza, and a residential road Robinson Drive. A little further away, a statue of Jackie Robinson adorns the Journal Square Transportation Center. Part of the former stadium grounds is still used for baseball (and softball) by student athletes at New Jersey City University (see photo). The exact site of the stadium is now occupied by the housing complex seen in the background.
Finally, no baseball history trip through New Jersey would be complete without stopping by 11th and Washington Streets in downtown Hoboken. A historic marker here identifies the intersection as the long-ago location of Elysian Fields - site of the first recorded organized baseball game. There's nothing particularly sporty about the place now, although each corner of the intersection is playfully marked with symbolic first, second, third, and home bases. The last stop on my baseball history tour was the first stop for baseball history. My trip was complete.
Overall, the weekend was a good reminder that baseball road trips are more than just working your way down a checklist of MLB stadiums. To be successful at them, you have to have a little ghost-hunter in you. It makes sense. When we watch a present-day hitter slug out a multi-homer game, we can see the influence of Babe Ruth and the excitement he created around hitting home runs. We see Jackie Robinson's face in the faces of all players who have had to overcome adversity just to get their fair shake. When recent Yankees, like Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada, talk about wearing their uniforms with pride, we hear the proud voice of Yogi Berra - now a spry 89 years young - and his other legendary Yankee teammates. Every game we watch contains the 150 years of baseball that preceded it. You can't escape the ghosts of the game, but you can share in their glory. You just have to know where to find them.
More pictures from my Back to Beginnings baseball weekend can be found here.
Paterson is also the birthplace of Lou Costello, best remembered for his Who's On First routine with long-time partner Bud Abbott. The hometown hero is remembered with a statue of the famous comedian holding a baseball bat. After visiting the statue, I was ready to call it a day. The final two sites on my list would have to wait until the morning.
I rolled out of bed on Sunday and got ready to complete my itinerary. With my iPhone GPS set to Jersey City, I hopped back in my car. I was looking for remembrances of the former Roosevelt Stadium. Completed in 1937 as the home field for the Jersey City Giants (Triple A), the park also hosted 15 major league games as part of a deal with the Brooklyn Dodgers. On April 18, 1946, the stadium was permanently inked into the history books when Jackie Robinson made his professional "white baseball" debut for the visiting Montreal Royals; ushering in the era of integration (Robinson hit 4 for 5 with a home run, 4 runs scored, 3 RBIs, and 2 stolen bases). The structure was demolished in 1985, but its spirit lives on through the names of nearby establishments such as Stadium Plaza, Stadium Pizza, and a residential road Robinson Drive. A little further away, a statue of Jackie Robinson adorns the Journal Square Transportation Center. Part of the former stadium grounds is still used for baseball (and softball) by student athletes at New Jersey City University (see photo). The exact site of the stadium is now occupied by the housing complex seen in the background.
Overall, the weekend was a good reminder that baseball road trips are more than just working your way down a checklist of MLB stadiums. To be successful at them, you have to have a little ghost-hunter in you. It makes sense. When we watch a present-day hitter slug out a multi-homer game, we can see the influence of Babe Ruth and the excitement he created around hitting home runs. We see Jackie Robinson's face in the faces of all players who have had to overcome adversity just to get their fair shake. When recent Yankees, like Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada, talk about wearing their uniforms with pride, we hear the proud voice of Yogi Berra - now a spry 89 years young - and his other legendary Yankee teammates. Every game we watch contains the 150 years of baseball that preceded it. You can't escape the ghosts of the game, but you can share in their glory. You just have to know where to find them.
More pictures from my Back to Beginnings baseball weekend can be found here.
