‘Slugger’s Station’ Popular At Hawleyville Post Office

By Nancy K. Crevier

Stamp collectors, stamp cancellation collectors, and baseball fans had a field day at the Hawleyville Post Office on Thursday, July 20, when the local post office offered a special Baseball Sluggers stamp cancellation. The Baseball Sluggers stamp was issued nationwide on July 16 and features a four-stamp set of Mickey Mantle, Roy Campanella, Hank Greenberg, and Mel Ott.

The special “Slugger’s Station” cancellation was available only from the Hawleyville Post Office and was designed by Postmaster Mark Favale and engraved by Barto Engraving of Brookfield.

“The Postal Service and baseball continue to have much in common,” said Mr Favale. “The players on the stamps displayed great versatility and set high standards for future players. Both baseball and the Postal Service continue to celebrate these qualities, as well as the richness of diversity in the workplace and the accomplishments of our people.”

The cancellations, said the postmaster, are a collectible and a fun hobby for people.

“It’s a community event, especially for baseball fans,” he said, of the all-day event that included hourly raffles and an attractive window display of baseball paraphernalia. “A lot of the older people like to talk about the old baseball players when they come in. One guy came in and showed me some Yankee Stadium programs from 1937 and 1941,” said Mr Favale, who is also a big fan of baseball.

 The post office was a beehive of activity all day, said the postmaster and Laura Smolen, sales associate. “People were waiting at 7:30 am to come in for the cancellations,” Mr Favale said. “One gentleman came in and got 26 cancellations.” That was only the beginning for the small station, which ended the day with sales of almost 3,000 of the baseball sluggers commemorative stamps and aching wrists from stamping nearly 1,500 special cancellations. “It was a huge success,” said Mr Favale.

Collectors could have a single stamp cancelled, the whole set of four players cancelled, or get a whole sheet of stamps cancelled.

Raffle prizes, which included a Gary Sheffield 2004 Fleer card with a piece of game-used jersey from the Atlanta Braves, and a 2004 Upper Deck set of 30 cards highlighting plays and players of the Red Sox and Yankees, were donated by Brookfield baseball fan Jan Smolen. The prizes were awarded to winners Dave Jossick, Bob Brought, Bob Frederick, Ed Cohen, Tom Fornabaio, and Chris Geissler.

The Sluggers of Baseball cancellation is the third baseball themed cancellation offered at the Hawleyville Post Office. In 2000, the Legends of Baseball cancellation was offered, and the Legendary Baseball Fields cancellation was offered in 2005.

For those collectors who were unable to visit the post office on July 20, the cancellation is available until August 20 by stopping by the branch at 30 Hawleyville Road or by submitting a mail order request postmarked no later than 30 days following the event.

All requests must include a self-addressed stamped envelope to return the cancellation in, and a stamped envelope or postcard bearing at least the minimum first class mail postage.

Mr Favale noted that customers wishing to obtain a cancellation should affix stamps to any envelope or postcard, address the envelope or postcard to themselves or others, insert a card of postcard thickness in envelopes for sturdiness, and tuck in the flap. Place the envelope or postcard in a larger envelope and address it to: Slugger’s Station, 30 Hawleyville Road, Hawleyville CT 06440-9998.