By Ray Shaw

A considerable contingent of able-bodied ballist converged on McLaughlin Vineyards on Saturday to continue the ’09 vintage base ball season and host the New London Thames club at the old ball yard. The two clubs met at Fort Trumbull on the banks of the Thames River in early May where the Hooks snuck away with two wins on a dank and foreboding day. This day was in stark contrast to that early season match with temperatures destined to reach the low eighties — well below the mid-nineties that greeted the two clubs when they met in Sandy Hook a year ago.

The Sandy Hooks were coming off four disappointing weekends with a double loss in Hartford against the Brooklyn Atlantics and the Waterbury Connors, and a double-booked match with the Hartford Dark Blues that resulted in a last minute postponement and two rainouts. The squad was fully manned for the first time in memory and expectations were high that this would be Newtown’s day to shine.

Jay “Mister” Edwards continued his miraculous comeback from knee surgery to hurl for the Hooks in game one. With a collection of high-speed drop balls and knucklers, he was able to hold the Thames nine to just three runs and scattered hits in the early match. Southpaw Dennis “Hoboy” Norwich, who grew up in the shadows of the vineyard, enjoyed similar success in game two. However, even though the hurling performances bore distinct similarities, the pace of the games and hitting performance of the Sandy Hook club differed markedly between the two matches.

In game one, an 1861 rules match, the seemingly more powerful Sandy Hooks narrowly squeaked by the Thames club. The local club had great difficulty executing “small ball,” which has always been the key to success in the early game. The Hooks came up short on numerous occasions when trying to drive in base runners in critical situations. Even though the Newtown nine possesses ample power, that power was quickly neutralized whenever they tried to hit one out of the park. This was generally the case in the initial match as the Sandy Hooks did everything wrong with regard to hitting strategy and barely kept pace with their opponents in the nine inning slug-a-thon.

But luckily in the final at bat, cooler heads prevailed as “Bingo” Long, showing his prowess as a line drive hitter, slapped a double to the gap in left center to put the 3 to 3 tie in serious jeopardy. “Lightning” Maleri followed with a single that placed Long only thirty paces from the dish; then “Mister” Edwards, using his serious coaching strategy and precise technique, stroked a single beyond the reach of all opponents to drive-in the final run, in walk-off fashion.

In the second match, a more challenging 1867 affair that fits the style of the Newtowners, a rejuvenated club took their lead from “Muhl” Snyder, “Crash” Wheat and “Thunder” Toomey as they discharged all pent-up frustration from game one to prove they have the tools to be a first-rate presence in the vintage base ball world. Everyone on the squad contributed by pushing copious amounts of aces across the dish with sure hits to all fields and monumental blasts to the outer reaches of the yard. With the “bound out” game sidelined, the Sandy Hooks were free to unleash their awesome firepower and take charge of their destiny.

While in the field, the Newtowners made heroic saves of well-struck New London blasts including a vintage web gem short to first putout between Maleri and Keane that brought the collective vineyard crowd to its feet. Maleri, playing short scout, dove to his right to make a one-handed stab of a daisy-cutter, then jumped catlike to his left while slinging the ball to first where Keane stretched to 90 percent of his body to make a one-handed catch of the stinging throw, and retire the base runner by nearly a step.

In another highlight of the day, newcomer and Sandy Hook resident John O’Leary launched his vintage career with an inspiring 4-for-6 day at the dish and sure-handed play in the field. It is always heartening to welcome another newcomer to the Newtown Sandy Hook ranks and see that player grasp the game immediately. Everyone has high hopes that John will maintain a permanent status as a member of the Sandy Hooks.

In the final analysis, the Sandy Hook’s twenty-two hit attack in game two resulted in a 12 to 4 shellacking of the Thames club and a four to zero sweep for the Sandy Hooks in the 2009 series.

Following the match, the Newtowners hosted a buffet lunch under the shade of the maples where numerous bottles of McLaughlin’s vintage and other appropriate beverages seemed to temper the mood of the somewhat disconsolate and much traveled ballists from the east.

Next Sunday at 3 pm, the Sandy Hooks will host the always-dangerous Waterbury Connors at McLaughlin Vineyards. The match will follow a musical concert and all are invited to join us for fine sport in a peaceful and tranquil setting.

Special Note: On Sunday July 19, Sandy Hook captain “Muhl” Snyder was the winning pitcher in an 1886 match between the Bridgeport Orators and the Glen Head Zig Zags in Roger’s Park in Danbury. “Muhl” not only won the day for the Orators but also hit a towering three run homer to ice the game for the Bridgeport nine.