(With Video)
By Amy Batista, Special Writer
MONROE — Residents took a step back in time and enjoy an old-fashioned 19th century baseball game at Historic Dey Farm on Sept. 29.
The Flemington Neshanock played the Philadelphia Athletics in a double-header game during the afternoon.
A couple hundred people came to the event throughout the afternoon to check out this unique game and to visit the open house at the Historic Dey Farm.
”It’s our third season that we have done this,” said Chairman of the Monroe Historic Preservation Commission John Katerba, who has been involved in the organization for more than 20 years. “It’s been a nice turnout and a nice success. Everybody that I talked to is happy and getting a little educated on the history of the game.”
In addition to the game, Flemmington resident Brad “Brooklyn” Shaw gave the audience a rendition of the famous “Casey at the Bat” poem.
”We are playing 19th century baseball,” Mr. Shaw said. “There are probably more than 200 teams in the United States that do this and probably 30-40 teams up and down the East Coast.”
Mr. Shaw said the farm was a perfect setting for the trip down memory lane.
”This is always one of our favorite events,” Mr. Shaw said. “They (people) are very nice and it’s actually a perfect setting. The field is perfect. It’s an old farm field.”
Mr. Shaw said he was inspired to get involved in vintage baseball by an article in a magazine.
”I saw an article in the Smithosian Magazine about 12 years ago and it was about a guy in an old-time baseball uniform doing pitching and I said, ‘Hey, what’s that.’,” Mr. Shaw said. “I had always heard of civil war re-enactors but I had never heard of baseball re-creators. When I saw that I found out that there was a team playing and a festival in Long Island and I went there that Sunday and found someone who had formed a team in Jersey and (then) joined his team for that year and started my team the next year.”
Mr. Shaw’s team is the Flemington Neshanock’s and has more than 20 players on the roster.
”The youngest one on the team is my son who is 20 to I have someone who is not here today who is 63,” Mr. Shaw said.
Mr. Katerba said that they had hosted Civil War events at the farm for years and the re-enactors recommended bringing the baseball demonstration to Monroe.
”I said what the heck is that,” Mr. Katerba said. “The guy gave me Brad Shaw’s phone number and I called him and within a week’s time he was looking at the fields and he said ‘I love it,’” Mr. Katerba said.
Mr. Katerba said that when they first started playing baseball they really didn’t have it fined tuned yet.
”It was a works in progress,” Mr. Katerba said. “If you look in the brochure you will see how the rules have changed and evolved over the years.”
According to the brochure on the history of the 19th century rules, some of the rules mentioned that included the fact that gloves were not used until the late 1870s.
Before 1865, an out could be made if the ball was caught before it touched the ground or on the first bounce. A foul ball was still an out if caught on one bounce until 1883, according to the brochure.
Mr. Katerba said that these vintage baseball players “actually play real seasons” and playing a game that counts for the season.
”I was sort of brought into this sub-culture of historic baseball and old-time baseball,” Mr. Katerba said.
Amy Heller,9, of South Plainfield was enjoying the afternoon out with her dad, brother, and grandfather.
”It’s (a) good (event),” Amy said. “They are not wearing any (baseball) gloves,” Amy said as she mentioned some of the things that is different from today’s players.
”I find it very interesting,” said Claude Heller, Amy’s grandfather, of Monroe. “These guys are of various ages and play with a great deal of enthusiasm.”
”We had a lot of fun at the game,” said dad Bill Heller of South Plainfield. “Interesting to see how the rules have changed over the years.”
A spectator, or “Muffin” as they are called by team members referring to an unskilled player, joined the game to fill in as a second baseman.
Mr. Katerba said he is looking for future caretakers to preserve artifacts and keep history alive.
”Our basic goal is to keep the local history alive in general,” Mr. Katerba said. “I personally believe that you should get out and learn about it not just on the internet and on the computer but you need to get out and see it, touch it.”
He said he is worried that the very history he seeks to protect may eventually be lost to the ages if no one takes up the mantle of keeping it alive.
”My goal has always been that we need to find future caretakers,” Mr. Katerba said. “That’s what I’m concerned about right now, who’s going to do it for the next generation because we don’t really own any of these things. We are just the caretakers right now and each year things are lost that we can never get back.”

