Some of the mystique of the early base ball came to the forefront on Sunday when Newtown's vintage base ball club hosted the Waterbury club at McLaughlin Vineyards for two 1860's style tilts at the old ball grounds in Sandy Hook.

A festive spirit enveloped the picturesque winery as sparkling skies greeted wine lovers and picnikers near the banks of Lake Lillinonah. As the clock struck twelve, the two archrivals met on the emerald pitch for the last time this season. The two clubs, having met on numerous similar occasions over the years are constantly trying to upstage one another. The Sandy Hooks did that early in the season in Coventry, Rhode Island when they thrashed the Connors in a 9-6 match but, the Connors continue to gain the upper hand over their Newtown rivals whenever they meet in Sandy Hook. Waterbury holds a significant edge in victories and an unbeaten streak, at the Vineyard, dating back six years.

The Newtowners have experienced an up and down 2010 season with numerous injuries and defections that has characterized the club since its inception. The Brass City nine features an array of under-thirty ballists who have been known to strike terror into the hearts of most 19th Century clubs. But, on this day the Sandy Hooks trotted out an impressive roster of players that appeared fundamentally an equal to the athletic and purposeful Waterbury club. Regulars Wheat, Norwich, Maleri, Paes, Toomey, Miller, Ortiz and Friedman were joined by 'El Heffe' Wehmann and 'Judge' Giroux from the recently retired Bridgeport club to do battle with their old adversary.

It was Newtown's hope to neutralize the potency of the Waterbury club before it could reach its full potential, so it was suggested that since '1861' rules would be in effect for the day, one tactic would be to insist that both sides be required to use Civil War era bats during all their ups.

Since neither club had ever been required to play with such substantial lumber, this wouldn't be a significant advantage to either side but just a veiled experiment 'to appreciate how an 1860's game might have played, back in the era'. Even if 'advantage' was not the intent, 'confusion' might provide the Sandy Hooks with enough of an equalizer to stimulate victory.

Ray 'Shutta' Shaw, the architect of the 'long bat' strategy, assumed the role of mediator for the match while Mike 'Bulldog' Paes, resident bat turner and entrepreneur for the team, used his notable skills to replicate a handful of 40" prototypes both teams would use. The sizable clubs were turned from well-seasoned ash and poplar planks in prior seasons but, being too much for modern players to consider, have pretty much languished in the Hooks bat bag before taking center stage for this match.

Two Sandy Hook natives opposed each other at the pitching line for games one and two. The aforementioned Paes toed the line for the Newtown club while the affable Ron Miller conducted the role for the 'Crazy Legs' Wigren's Waterburys.

Surprisingly, it took little time for either side to acclimate themselves to their new weaponry. The Connors went to work immediately and rung-up three aces in the top of the first inning. The Sandy Hooks, feeling no need to take such aggression lying down, answered with three runs of their own in their half of the inning to knot the score at three. After taking a well-earned lead that included a long-winded triple by 'Iron' Miller that seemed to carom off every corner of the ball yard, both defenses hunkered-down into a gentle pace and rhythm. As both sides tested each other hit for hit and spectacular play for spectacular play, it was apparent the bat strategy was having a desired affect.

As each striker accustomed himself with his locally turned poplar or ash wagon tongues, it was apparent this throw-back to the earliest days was balancing play at all levels but not in a way anticipated by the sponsors.

Not only were spectators treated to the sight of long bats being used in a ball game for the first time in over one hundred years but, when direct contact was made, the ovoid lemon-peel left the bat with greater authority than seemed possible with contemporary thirty-two inch lumber. Hits exploded off bats and reached further and higher than is generally the case and, at the same time, fielders responded quicker to harder hit balls than they might have with lesser hit balls. Players smacked screaming sky balls that caromed off the maples in dead center and scattered picnickers in their wake. 'Lightning' Maleri, a magician for Newtown at short scout who initiated his own form of mayhem with the bat, made many of his patented 'Alley Oop' plays to thwart suspected rallies, thanks to the vigor of the hard hit strikes.

Sandy Hook's clean-up hitter Tristan Toomey used the opportunity to strike fear into every Waterbury outfielder as he hit moon shots to every corner of the yard and sent picnickers scurrying for cover with his tape measure salvos that would make 'The Babe' envious.

In the fifth and sixth innings the Sandy Hooks mounted more offensive pushes to up the score to a seemingly comfortable 8 to 4 advantage. But as match one waned, the Waterbury club finally mastered the oversize bats and manufactured a spectacular come from behind effort with five aces in the top of the ninth to upset the disappointed Sandy Hooks who seemed confident they would finally savor victory.

After a break for cooling snacks and wine tasting, both sides renewed their battle with the Sandy Hooks matching the Connor inning for inning and run for run. The Sandy Hooks held the advantage until the last of the ninth inning when the Waterbury's knotted the score with well-placed singles. After holding Newtown in the top of the tenth, the Connors scored a walk-off victory in the bottom of the inning that crushed any hopes the Sandy Hooks had of breaking the streak this season.

Even though the hoped-for result was never realized, the noble experiment was a laudable success and all parties went home realizing that they had been involved in two of the most entertaining games every played in this region. Many of the players who experienced success in game one with long bats continued their successes in game two while other fell back into their comfort zones with equally less spectacular results with their more contemporary weaponry.

After the match Shaw commented: "I really thought this experiment would temper the players swings and make them more likely to hit line drives to the gaps. But in reality, the affect of these bats resulted in a hitting clinic none of us ever anticipated."

One ballist exclaimed, "There was a lot of bellyaching by some of the players about having to bat with these long bats but, based on today's experience, a lot of these guys look forward to playing the 'long bat' game in the future."

Following the match a rousing picnic was hosted for both clubs by Dennis 'HoBoy' Norwich.

As the sun set over Caty Mountain both sides toasted another amazing day in Sandy Hook.

Final Tallies - Game one: Waterbury 9 to 8 (9 Innings), Game two: Waterbury 11 to 10 (10 Innings).

In 2011 the Connors and Sandy Hook's will host an early base ball exhibition in Sandy Hook where Town Ball (the Massachusetts Game) and New York style base ball from the 1850's and 60's will be played and explained. Fans and baseball historians will be invited to compare and experience the game as it might have been played in the day.

On Sunday September 12, the Newtown Sandy Hooks meet the New York Gotham at the Fairfield Fall Festival sponsored by the Fairfield Museum and Historical Center. Game times are 11:00 and 1:00pm.

A season ending match between the Sandy Hooks and an All Star Pick-Nine from the Hartford Coltsville League is scheduled for later in the month at the McLaughlin grounds.Check back for details.