Saturday June 25 '05 was the home opener for the Newtown Sandy Hook Vintage Base Ball club as the local ballists welcomed the Hartford Senators to the Fairfield Hills grounds for an 1876 match in what promised to be a preview of the August 6 Tercentennial Celebration event between the two squads.

The old asylum grounds provided an eerie backdrop for the vintage affair as the two teams took the field; spectators young and old took to the shadows to gain some relief from the scorching a sun but as one crank would state, the ghosts in the ball yard that day may contributed greatly to the bazaar twists and turns of the game.

As the two clubs, in their brilliant whites, took the field 'Pops' Pendergist took the box for the Sandy Hooks while 'Big Train' Burke, sporting a broken rib from the previous week's match with the new New Hampshire squad, hurled for the visitors. The home club provided savvy pitching and outstanding fielding skills in keeping the powerful Hartford nine at bay while they tested the visitors in the field.

Both teams scored early but were it not for some unfortunate fielding mistakes in the second inning that allowed the Senators to manufacture five runs, the game might have been closer than the eventual 10 to 3 triumph for the visitors.

The Senators fortified by the hitting and fielding of Moran, March, Venezia, Durham and Moore provided the usual mischief in the field as they stifled a potential rally in the early going using the old hidden ball trick on unsuspecting 'Kid Rambo' Rambone (who had just completed his brilliant & historical Guinness World Record tire rolling performance the week before.). Junior and senior Donovan team provided extra pizzazz for the Senators as the younger Donovan showed evidence of his ex-Yankee farm hand father's base balling skills.

'Plywood' Moore launches a skyball while junior and senior Donovan await their turn at the line.		Triple threat 'Pops' Pendergist hurled, hit and ran to keep Newtown Sandy Hooks in the game.
Old-school short scout 'Pudgey' Dieckman barehandedly executed a most unusual triple play to close-down Senators offense.		The 'spirits' of the old asylum ball yard were seemingly in attendance throughout the day's action.

Were it not for the superior glove work by all the Sandy Hooks, highlighted in the last inning by an amazing triple play executed barehandedly by short scout 'Pudgey' Dieckman, the score might have reached the mid teens. Pendergist while hurling admirably for the Hooks, provided a large part of the offensive stamina for the Sandy Hooks with timely hitting and brilliant baserunning.

Zulli and Keane (playing in spite of serious leg injury from the Mudville game) provide able backstopping skills for the Hooks while captain 'Grit' Moran and 'Crazy Legs' March did the same for the Senators.

Billy Paladino officiated his first ever vintage game in his 'skivvies' keeping the heat of the day from impacting a most memorable match. (We hope, in the future, he will be appropriately attired for the match!)

In the fine tradition of the game, following the match both teams offered 'huzzahs', and all participants retired to the treeline for celebratory refreshment.

The Sandy Hook's next home game is scheduled for the last day of July with the Waterbury Connors. Plans are still incomplete at this time but the game is likely to be held in Sandy Hook near Cady Mountain in nearly the same spot where a much heralded game was played 111 years ago to the date. (see History - 1894) [Ray Shaw]