It was a bright, cloudless morning in the village of Simsbury as the Sandy Hooks took on their upstate rivals for the first time in history. The air was full of expectation as the Newtowners prepared for their initial '1886' test of the new season while the Taverneers anticipated their '06 season opener. Old glory was unfurled for the first time as the Taverneers appeared in their sparkling new uniforms, Bulldog bats and new catching gear.

Coming off a miserable start earlier in the month, the Hooks went into the match with a handful of new players who had never played an 80's match under game conditions. One half of last season's starters were unavailable on this day, which put captain 'Tex' Casey at a huge disadvantage. The starting nine included veterans Casey, 'Doughboy' Norwich, 'Sparks' Marcucelli, 'Bulldog' Paes, 'Shoeless' and 'Chief' Dieckman along with first year rookies 'Mister' Edwards, 'Mudcat' Albano and 'Muhl' Snyder. The battery of Snyder and Albano were chosen to start the game against a balanced nine of Simsbury vets.

Inning number one provided a wake-up call for the down state nine as they went down in quick order to the precision Taverneers who immediately turned the table on starter 'Muhl' Snyder and the Hooks by scoring eight quick aces in an inning punctuated by numerous miscues and spotty fielding which reminded one of the April 9th massacre in Waterbury.

Having little or no on-field practice since early in the month (due to rain, swampy field conditions and languor), virtually no batting practice, a cobbled together lineup and mismatched kit (due to undelivered new uniforms), the Sandy Hookers resembled 'muffins' from west of Poughkeepsie against their nearly perfectly ordered hosts.

In spite the situation and the inhospitable opening frame, the Hooks held their heads high while the battery of Snyder and Albano turned it up the heat and held the confident Taverneers while the Hooks generated seven balanced innings of come-back base ball. Everyone on the squad did their part to turn what looked like a rout into a nip and tuck battle. Timely hitting and skilled base running sparked by 'Sparks' Marcucelli, Norwich, Edwards, Casey and the twins push the Hooks to within a couple of runs of their opponents. 'Slapshot' Casey joined the fun challenging the Taverneers with hit and run tactics that made his old man beam with approval. 'Muhl' Snyder lived up to his name as he barreled into and through every base in his path in support of the cause. This, along with defensive readjustments, enabled the Hooks to battle to within two aces of their new friends for a sum total of 10 to 12 by the end of nine frames.

A balanced attack with the only the occasional misplay gave everyone new enthusiasm and reason to feel good about what they had accomplished in a short period of time; to use this as a stepping stone to their upcoming affair with Hartford next week and their end of May match in Pittsfield when they take on the same Simsbury nine in the first round of the Memorial Day tournament.

In game two, a less compelling 1864 affair, the Hooks reverted to their '1860's melancholy when they were quickly buried by the sure hitting and fielding of a refreshed Simsbury nine. To say the Hooks were not mentally or organizationally prepared for the underhand match is an understatement as they never really found their swing or recovered from their impressive comeback in match number one. Without the advantage of a full compliment of ballists, the NSH squad sputtered in the backend of the doubleheader in a preview of what to expect in the coming months if they don't have a full compliment of players for all doubleheader games.

Next on the fixture will be a Saturday adventure to Colt Park in Hartford to take on the always-powerful Senators in an 1876 match. The Hooks will get back to work to try to get up to speed with their competition and in sync with each other for the challenges ahead.

The Senators will play an '86' match with the recently formed Westfield Wheelmen before or after the '76 game at Colt Park.