Odd Weather Pattern or Legendary Ghost Game

While it was a mild October evening last night at the Whitney Grounds which hosts the Westfield Adult Softball Fall League, a brief blast of hot wind had everyone wondering what was going on. Little did anyone know, but we had just experienced a ghostly encounter. According to folklore, once a year in October it is thought that a train from update New York delivers to Westfield a team of ghost players from the Troy area to take on the ghosts players from the Whitney Grounds for one night. During the late 1910s through the late 1930s, Whitney was the home of Westfield baseball which hosted industrial league baseball, semi pro baseball and barnstorming professional games. While the grounds have been transfered to softball diamonds, the ghost players don't seem to care and of course work though the shortened outfield fences. Right around 8:30 PM, near the end of game one of a doubleheader between the Republican Softball team featuring four Westfield Wheelmen and Mobrice & Son's Construction, the tall trees on top of the Whitney dike began to sway rather loudly and without warning with leaves falling all around as if the hill was full of ghost fans waving and cheering that once populated Whitney as a viewing area. The waving trees were followed by an almost uncomfortable blast of hot air as if the ghost players had just entered the grounds. This makes sense as moments before the wave of the trees, the slow but sure screeching of an Amtrak train across the Westfield River could be heard coming from west to east. Although no odd or strange events took place during the game itself as there was no need for "haunting" as the brotherhood of ball players tend to leave it on the field, no matter the era. However, the post game meeting was an interesing forum for the ghostly players as they listened and watched as the Republican team leader (a Yankee fan) was offering a play-by-play, pitch-by-pitch account of the Yankee playoff loss against the LA Angels on his internet cell phone, taking place on the other side of the country. It was an up and down last few innings for the Yanks and just perhaps it was the ghosts of Westfield baseball that defeated the update New York ghosts by not allowing the Yankees to celebrate that night. By 11:35 the grounds had cleared of both players and ghosts for another year.

Westfield's Terry Gets the Win in Game One of the 1889 World Series

Today marks the 120th anniversary of Westfield native Adonis Terry getting the upset win in Game One of the 1889 World Series against the New York Giants at the famous Polo Grounds in New York. According to the Brooklyn Eagle newspaper, Terry was not scheduled to start in the box in Game One in the best of eleven series for the Brooklyn Bridegrooms as that honor was slated for 40 game winner Bob Caruthers to take on the legendary New York Giants who had multiple future Hall of Famers in their line-up. Terry struckout three batters and walked five in the 8 inning darkness shortened game won by Brooklyn 12-10.

The Brooklyn Bridegrooms would go on to become the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers and today they are known as the Los Angeles Dodgers. What would Terry think of Manny on his team?

Read the game recap Brooklyn Eagle by clicking on the link below and entering the date October 19, 1889 and go to page 4. Just click on the article on the page for a larger view. http://eagle.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/Default/Skins/BEagle/Client.asp?Skin=BEagle

Rough House Published

My third book, this one on basketball has officially been published and is available now. Here is a blurb: Rough House is a rare glimpse of the turbulent world of professional basketball played in Westfield, Massachusetts, during the early 20th century. Often overlooked by historians of the game, this era of the pioneer leagues is considered the forefather of the NBA, played in small towns and cities located on train routes throughout the Northeast United States. This was professional basketball when the game was played in wire cages, small courts, rugby scrums and fisticuffs with no backboards, back-court violations, shot clocks or seven-foot giants. This is required reading for the modern day “cager.”

Let me answer two questions; Where can you buy the book in Westfield. The answer is nowhere other than directly from me until I can find a store left in town that can sell it. My baseball books were decent sellers until everyone of my book outlets folded...hmmm...makes me wonder. I have approached the Basketball Hall of Fame and I am confident they will take it in. Drop me an email if you would like to purchase dl.genovese@verizon.net or go to http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-5632-X

It will soon be on Amazon as well.

The second question is will I be starting vintage basket ball team? Maybe not a team but I am thinking about hosting a vintage basket ball game...complete with a cage.

Wheelmen at Abner Gibbs 95th Birthday

The same weekend Gunner was at the Hall of Fame the Wheelmen participated in the 95th birthday celebration of Abner Gibbs Elementary School. As you can see by the photos the Lumberjack learned some scoolin', the boys played some vintage playground ball AND they were on their best behavior...for the most part.

'The Old Ball Ground' Makes It To The Hall Of Fame

“Gunner” Genovese hands-off copies of his authored books on the history of baseball in Westfield titled “The Old Ball Ground – Volumes 1 & 2” to National Baseball Hall of Fame Library Director at Cooperstown, New York, James Gates. The National Baseball Hall of Fame Research Library is the world’s largest source on the history of baseball. Genovese was in Cooperstown recently as part of the Vintage Base Ball Weekend sponsored by the Baseball Hall of Fame. Available late fall Genovese will publish his third book, titled “Rough House,” on the story of Westfield’s major professional basketball franchise from 1902-1904.