Old Dominions Play First Match-And Win!

Potomac, Arundel and Old Dominion Play in Manasas Festival

 Old Town Manassas, VA commemorated the Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War and the Battle of First Manassas (Bull Run) July 21-24 with living history demonstrations, speakers, art, music, and Civil War base ball. 

Members of the Chesapeake and Potomac Base Ball Club and the Excelsior Base Ball Club of Arundel braved the conditions July 23-24, playing vintage (Civil War) base ball in a wonderful environment organized by Historical Manassas.  Playing nearby a Civil War encampment, the Clubs played their finest in front of dozens of cranks who really enjoyed watching vintage base ball, despite the 110 degree heat index.
 
The first game between the Potomac Nine of Washington DC and the Arundel Excelsiors was a close one through the last out.  After spotting Potomac two early runs, Arundel clamped down on defense and pushed across 6 runs in the second and third innings through timely hitting and solid base running.  Potomac’s Erik “Cannon” Christensen cleared the center field fence in the eighth inning with a mammoth 2-run home run that cut Arundel’s lead to 3, but that was as close as Potomac would get.  Arundel’s Fred “Bones” Fontz made two spectacular throws from behind to nail base runners at third and Tim “Shakespeare” Grieb’s timely hits solidified the 8-5 win for Arundel. 
 
The second game featured the Old Dominions of  Northern Virginia taking the field for the first time versus the Arundel Excelsiors.  With 7 Northern Virginians in the line-up, including 4 players playing for the first time, the Old Dominions scored 7 runs in the top of the first and never looked back, winning 11-6 in their inaugural game.  Jerry “Ranger” Sparks crushed two 2-run doubles in his first two career at-bats, while Tommy “Scout” Carlyle, Nathan “Smokey” Sparks, and Matthew Davilia had tremendous at-bats and showed great hands in the field in their first game.  The future looks good for the Old Dominions, who will formally join the MAVBBL for the start of the 2012 season.
 
Overall, it was a tremendous weekend of base ball in Old Town Manassas.  Despite the heat, players and cranks had a great time and demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship.  Many thanks to Kenny Loveless and Historic Manassas for organizing the special Civil War base ball event. 
Published in: Uncategorized on July 28, 2011 at 8:21 pm  Leave a Comment  

Cecils, Neshanock, Eclipse reach Semis of Gettysburg

Four MAVBBL clubs saw action in the 2nd Annual Gettysburg 19th Century Base Ball Tournament this past weekend and three of them made it to the semi finals.  None of them though won the championship as Saginaw Michigan slugged their way to the winners circle.  Chesapeake City defeated the Huntington Champion Hilltoppers and the Flemington Neshanock to win their division, while Elkton downed the Cincinnati Buckeyes and the Central City Stars from Colorado to win their bracket.  Flemington made it in as the wild card after soundly defeating the Hilltoppers.  Mechanicsburg also competed playing the Mudville Nine from New England and the eventual champion, the Saginaw Old Golds. 

In the first semi final, the Eclipse snuck by the Neshanock 9-8 in one of the best games played by these familiar foes in years.  In the other match, the Old Golds overwhelmed the Cecils with a 9 spot to cruise to an 11 run win.  In the championship, after the Eclipse scored 1 in the 4th to start the scoring, the Old Golds layed a 10 spot down to eventually go on to a 22-5 win to take home the gold ball.

Diamond States/ Chesapeake Split

In other matches this weekend, Delaware traveled to Kingsville to take on the Chesapeake Nine from Baltimore.  The Chessies were coming off of a 9-8 loss to Central City, Colorado just a couple of days before.  In the first match, Chesapeake won 12-9 while the Diamond States took revenge in the second game 10-2

 

Published in: Uncategorized on July 19, 2011 at 9:23 am  Leave a Comment  

Scott Murphy

This past Saturday, July 9th, we lost one of the most likeable players in vintage base ball.  Scott “Curley” Murphy was the field captain of the Talbot Fair Plays and one of the nicest human beings you will meet.

EASTON Scott Murphy of Galestown passed away Saturday, July 9, 2011, at the Memorial Hospital at Easton. He was 44.

He was born March 23, 1967, in Easton, the son of Wayne M. Murphy and Marie Turpin Coulbourne.

He was a graduate of Colonel Richardson High School, Class of 1985, and had attended Chesapeake College. He served his country in the United States Army. He was employed by UPS Freight in Federalsburg as a tractor-trailer driver. He was a member of the Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church in Sharptown, where he taught Sunday School, served as a Lay Minister and was a member of the Pastor Parish Relations Board. Scott has played and coached baseball for 20 years. He played for The Historical Society Vintage Baseball of Talbot County Fair Plays, Maryland’s first vintage baseball club, where he also served as Captain. For the past six years, Scott attended the Ravens NFL Football Camp at the M&T Stadium, where he served as coach, teaching the fundamentals of flag football. He coached flag football in Preston for nine years, coached Pop Warner football in Delmar, and coached indoor soccer for the Nets in Salisbury. He was a member of the American Legion Post 243 in Hurlock.

He is survived by his father Wayne M. Murphy and his wife Sherry of Seaford, Del.; his mother, Marie Turpin Coulbourne and her husband Wayne of Federalsburg; his wife of 26 years, Kim Parrott Murphy of Galestown, whom he married Dec. 8, 1984; two sons, Daniel Murphy and Todd Murphy, both of Galestown; grandson Noah Michael Charles of Sharptown; two brothers, Alan Murphy of Hurlock and Jeff Murphy of East New Market; two half-sisters, Sharon Sexton of Georgetown, Del., and Shanna Murphy of Seaford; mother-in-law Bertie Parrott of Cambridge; a nephew, Dylan Murphy of Hurlock, and a niece, Madison Sexton of Georgetown.

He was preceded in death by grandparents Allice and Francis Turpin, and Roy Murphy and father-in-law Harry Parrott Jr.

Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Saturday, July 16, at the Framptom Funeral Home, Federalsburg, with the Rev. Everett Landon officiating. Interment will follow in Junior Order Cemetery in Preston.

Friends may call at the funeral home 6 to 8 p.m. Friday and noon to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Memorial contributions may be made in his memory to the Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 132, Sharptown, MD 21861, or to the Historical Society of Talbot Co. Fair Plays, 25 S. Washington St., Easton, MD 21601.

Published in: Uncategorized on July 12, 2011 at 4:27 pm  Leave a Comment  

Uncle Sam Not Kind to Neshanock-Again

Flemington falls to Elkton at the Shore

Cape May, NJ– In a match that took up to 5 hours to get to and 1 1/2 to play, the Flemington Neshanock took on the Elkton Eclipse in its traditional 4th of July Weekend Match at Cold Spring Village in Cape May, New Jersey.  The Neshanock last year lost 35-10, but this year things were much closer.

In the only game scheduled involving MAVBBL clubs this weekend, the Neshanock and Eclipse played a close match for the first 5 innings as the score remained 3-3 after 5.  The Eclipse then started to pull away despite the slendiferous pitching effort by one Brad Shaw.  After the Elkton club scored 5 and the Neshanock only 1 the next frame, the Marylanders started to pull away and finished strong to win 15-6 at the Cold Spring Village’s Independence Weekend Celebration.  The Eclipse lead the series 3-0 after 3 straight wins outside of Cape May in three years.

Published in: Uncategorized on July 3, 2011 at 8:51 am  Leave a Comment  
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