Manville Little League team won title in 1974
By: Rudy Brandl
It was difficult organizing a 20-year reunion. Add 10 more years to that and imagine how challenging this process becomes.
Manville resident Lou Nordone doesn’t mind the work, especially when it comes to arranging a gathering of the Manville 12-year-old Little League team that captured the first Piscataway Invitational Baseball Tournament way back in 1974. Nordone’s been trying to contact former coaches and players, who have scattered all over the country and to other parts of the world since the team won that championship almost 30 years ago.
Ten years ago, the players and coaches from that 1974 championship team convened at Petey’s in Manville. This time, Nordone has a bigger celebration planned.
A former Recreation Director in both Piscataway and Manville, Nordone now works part-time for the Somerset Patriots. He’s also affiliated with the Public Works Association of New Jersey. Those connections gave him an idea for the team’s 30-year reunion.
"We’re going to have a night at the (Commerce Bank) Ballpark," Nordone said. "We want to get together as many people as we can families, players, friends. We have a date."
That date is Aug. 13 when the Patriots host the Nashua Pride. Nordone urges everyone to make their plans now, even though the event is still six months away.
"If people want to come, they’ve got to know about this ahead of time," he said. "They can’t find out about it a week before. They have to know about it so they can make plans."
Nordone has run this fundraising event for charity for the past six years. It’s sponsored by the Public Works Association of New Jersey and proceeds are donated to the N.J. Make-a-Wish Foundation. Last year, the "Night out at the Ballpark" raised $4,735. Nordone’s hoping for more this time.
This year’s seventh annual event should be the biggest ever. Nordone has already received several phone calls from former players from many of the teams in the inaugural Piscataway tournament for 11-12-year-olds. Many of those folks have families and the Patriots always provide a great night for family fun and entertainment.
Nordone said that the players from the champion Manville and runner-up Piscataway American West teams will be announced on the field prior to the Patriots game that night. If a player can’t be present, then a member of his family may be invited onto the diamond for introduction.
"They do a very nice pre-game ceremony," Nordone said.
With about six months to go before the event, which is being held around the same time in August that the boys won that title 30 years ago, Nordone is urging everyone to make their plans. Tickets, which cost $8 each, may be reserved immediately.
For more information about tickets or the reunion, contact Nordone at home on (908) 725-7812 or on his cell phone at (908) 507-4534. Joe Homyak is also helping organize the event. He can be reached at (908) 722-6481 or (908) 966-0027. People with information on the whereabouts of players and coaches from that 1974 team are also encouraged to call.