Where the Legends Played...

Come on out to historic Cameron Field at  Meadowlands Park in South Orange tonight for two great Columbia High School baseball games at 4 pm and 7pm.

Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig played on Cameron on barnstorming teams back in the 1920's - it's a great setting for a ballgame on what should be a nice Spring night.

The JV kicks things off against Madison High School at 4pm, followed by the Varsity at 7pm.  Easy parking at South Orange Middle School and a short walk over the bridge or near the Baird Center on Meadowbrook Lane.

We'll have a grill going starting 4:30ish - Burgers, dogs, drinks and other refreshments will be served.

Hope to see a nice crowd to watch the now 14 and 1 !! Cougars try for win number 15!

Oh, and bring your lawn chairs too, if you like...

Baseball, sunshine, worknight in the city, rub it in, grumble, grumble.

Aw, come on Dave - we should be there until sometime between 9 or 10!

Worknight for me = 5 to 1.

(Eerily similar to the title of another discussion.)

DaveSchmidt said:

Worknight for me = 5 to 1.

(Eerily similar to the title of another discussion.)

Oy... 

In that case, I hope to meet you on Saturday at the Greater Newark Tournament game against West Orange

3pm at Underhill Field

You're killing me: Saturdays, I work morning through afternoon. As I've complained before, nobody cleared the Cougars' schedule with me.

The upside is that I get to watch Wednesday and Thursday afternoon games (and the occasional Saturday night spectacular in Roselle Park), which are my days off. Three more of those left, weather permitting. Mother Nature hasn't been clearing things with me, either.

But, sorry, enough drift. Back to the boys in red and black ...

Bump

Not that I'm complaining but why aren't you guys playing at Underhill?

Just a one-off special occasion, closer to downtown South Orange, to highlight the team and make it a little more accessible to friends, family, and the community..

It's a fun night under the lights - last year was great and tonight should be much warmer.

Hope to see you there Wendy!

I'm going to try jimmurphy. May not make it until the 3rd inning or so (and I'll bring along my little transistor radio set to 710 if I do make it out of the house). Go Cougars!

Will see if ctrzson wants to go...

Sorta related question:  What is the reason for SO letting the scoreboard fall into such disuse and disrepair all these years?  It's such a fantastic old-school gem.  Can it be brought back?  Can I help in some way?

5-3 Columbia over Madison in the bottom of the 6th in the JV game. 

That's an old picture. We restored it back in 2010 and it still looks pretty good. Come out and see!

6-5 Win for the JV over Madison with a walk-off double!

jimmurphy said:

6-5 Win for the JV over Madison with a walk-off double!

 !!

And I caught an earlier train so hope to get there by the bottom of the 1st depending on parking. 

It was painted last year for the vintage baseball game. 

jimmurphy said:

5-3 Columbia over Madison in the bottom of the 6th in the JV game. 

That's an old picture. We restored it back in 2010 and it still looks pretty good. Come out and see!

Great game (Varsity that is)!! Great to see such great pitching, fielding, hitting and coaching. And of course great to hang with some parents and coaches I have known since my son (now almost 23) played in middle school (or earlier) and to hang with some of his old teammates, many of whom I have known since preschool. (It made up for the Mets eventual loss.) Go Cougars. May you continue in your winning ways and advance in the GNTs!

Thanks to all who came out last night to witness 2 wins for the Columbia Baseball teams over Madison.

JV won 6-5 on a walkoff hit in the 7th!

Varsity (now 15 and 1) won 2-0 in a complete game shutout!

Next up for Varsity is a game Friday at 4pm at Underhill.

jimmurphy said:

That's an old picture. We restored it back in 2010 and it still looks pretty good. Come out and see!

 Ended up working late, but have a game there this eve and will wander out to it, for sure.  Thanks.  And congrats on the wins!

@ctrzaska

We didn't use the scoreboard last night but as Marylago mentioned above it was used at last year's alumni / vintage game.

If you look closely there are holes in the concrete where wooden dowels used to be inserted that held the number placards for the score.

Restoration has been an ad-hoc community affair.  My family and I cleared the weeds, ivy, and poison ivy back in 2010 with the intent of repainting it the following weekend.  Charlie Tamayo beat us to it and repainted the graphics a few days later, and someone apparently repainted it last year.

If memory serves there was an ancient wheelbarrow with numbers in it in the Baird basement.  I didn't get up close at last year's game, so I'm not sure whether they made new numbers and dowels.  Might want to inquire with Kate Schmidt at the Baird if you want to do additional work on it.  

The more the merrier...    ;-)

And Go Cougars!!

ctrzaska said:

jimmurphy said:

That's an old picture. We restored it back in 2010 and it still looks pretty good. Come out and see!

 Ended up working late, but have a game there this eve and will wander out to it, for sure.  Thanks.  And congrats on the wins!

Saw it sort of close this eve, and it was in better shape than I'd initially thought...will get with Kate and see what I'll be allowed to do over there and where the numbers have gone off to.  If new dowels need to be made and installed and numbers ordered, I'll be more than happy to pitch SO for it (or pitch a major league team for help with it given the history of the field with some help, or failing those options contribute toward it).

In my present abode of St. Louis, there is a team called the "Perfectos," named after an historic local team that Cy Young evidently played on.  They play in c.1860's uniforms in a c.1860's park to c.1860's rules.

www.perfectos.vintagenine.com

www.lafayettepark.org

www.lafayettesquare.org

ctrzaska said:

Saw it sort of close this eve, and it was in better shape than I'd initially thought...will get with Kate and see what I'll be allowed to do over there and where the numbers have gone off to.  If new dowels need to be made and installed and numbers ordered, I'll be more than happy to pitch SO for it (or pitch a major league team for help with it given the history of the field with some help, or failing those options contribute toward it).

Sounds great ctrzaska! I'll help again too if you like. 

chopin said:

In my present abode of St. Louis, there is a team called the "Perfectos," named after an historic team that Cy Young evidently played on.  They play in c.1860's uniforms in a c.1860's park to c.1860's rules.

www.perfectos.vintagenine.com

www.lafayettepark.org

www.lafayettesquare.org

 Very cool!

We used it, with new numbers, for the vintage ball game. If Kate doesn't know where the numbers are, it's likely no one does. (Although, if, she doesn't, I can ask around.)

ctrzaska said:

Saw it sort of close this eve, and it was in better shape than I'd initially thought...will get with Kate and see what I'll be allowed to do over there and where the numbers have gone off to.  If new dowels need to be made and installed and numbers ordered, I'll be more than happy to pitch SO for it (or pitch a major league team for help with it given the history of the field with some help, or failing those options contribute toward it).

I got a text from Charlie Tamayo - he commissioned new numbers for the vintage game last year and has them if they are needed.

Great!

Hey now!  That's great news.  Was talking to some parents yesterday about using the board for the rec playoffs and will see about the who/what with Kate.  Thanks again.