Looking To Name Glendale Players While Revisiting Locals In 1964

Shown are the members of a baseball team sponsored by the Glendale Boys Club. Help is needed in providing the names of those pictured. Little League was founded in 1939, but until 1947, all of the teams were from Pennsylvania.

Meanwhile, when World War II ended, some community-minded young men from the Glendale area who had served their country wanted to establish local sports teams upon their return to the neighborhood. The result proved to be the founding of the Glendale Boys Club.

The team photo shown here is undated, but the guess is that it was taken sometime in the late 1940searly 1950s.

While the players are unknown, we think that the manager/coach standing at far right is Jim Murtha of the Glendale Boys Club.

Anyone who can identify one or more of the players should consider this an invitation to do so. Check the end of this week’s column for the contact information.

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Who remembers Ridgewood’s softball players from 35 years ago?

An article that appeared in the Feb. 27, 1964 issue of the Ridgewood Times essentially served as a preview of the upcoming season.

The story appeared as follows:

The first 1964 meeting of the Ridgewood Softball League was held at the Eagle’s Nest Tavern on Sunday, Feb. 23 with President Tom Casey presiding.

Six teams were present and paid entrance fees for the coming sason. They were:

Eagle’s Nest, the 1963 regular season champions, managed by Red Westenberg and Artie Curtis; Pelligrini Caterers, last year’s playoff champs, with Bob Haig as manager and Joe Prince as assistant; O’Neill’s Cafe, Louie Monaco, manager; Jerry’s Tavern, managed by Bob Moriarty; Island Garden Center, piloted by the popular George Dunne; and Hudson Council, Knights of Columbus, managed by John Hourican.

All but Hudson Council are veteran teams; Hudson is a first-year entry.

Although the uniforms may be different this year, the personnel of the various teams will be practically the same as last year.The change in uniforms indicates new sponsors.

For instance, the O’Neill’s Cafe entry will have practically the same ballplayers that made such a good showing in the league last year as the Putnam Inn club. Players will include pitchers Bob Schroeder and Bill Whalley; catchers Bob Schulz and Tony Corsi; infielders Jim Hunt, Mickey Matula, Harry Phillips and Jimmy Simpson; and outfielders Eddie Jaesal, Bob Felicio and Jerry McDonough. Manager Monaco has also added two new performers in infielder John Bahnken and first baseman Jerry Mannon and may add some other new players before the start of the season on Apr. 27.

The Jerry’s Tavern club will comprise most of the same men who made up the Sullivan’s Bar team last year. The same manager will be piloting the club in the person of Bob Moriarty and he’ll depend on his same pitcher to do most of his mound work this year—John Mehling. Monaco has also lined up a new twirler in Eddie Fudginski, last year with Welch’s Bar, and he’ll have the nucleus of a strong team in Joe Bantangelo, Dick Laller, Ray Meade, Brad Tracy and John Mauceri. Catcher William Tracy and pitcher Tommy McGuinness, formerly of Van Ronn’s and Glendale Rec, respectively, will also be with the club.

Very little change at Eagle’s Nest, where the club won three Long Island Association titles and one Ridgewood league championship last year. Vito Colaprico, chubby lefthand pitcher who won 18 games in two leagues last year with the Nesters, has moved to Rockland County and will only be available for spot duty this season. However, pilot Westenberg still has reliable Ferdie Camera, one of the best chuckers around, and has added Tony Giles, the 6-foot, 8-inch (or is it 9) hurler from the now-defunct Thunderbirds. Giles was the big star fot the T-Birds when they won the Ridgewood regular season title three years ago and hurled Crew Cut Manufacturing Company to the championship of the Marty Spolan tournament at Riis Park last season.

Eagle’s Nest will have their allstar infield of Chubby Turner, Chuck Klien, Jack Bock and Danny Scibelli back this year, as well as outfielders Don School, Johnny Weismann, Ben Tristaino and Artie Curtis and infielder/ outfielder Frank Talbert.

Manager Bob Haig of Pelligrini’s has added two new performers in pitcher-outfielder Don Sidat and shortstop Phil Lindenauer. The addition of Sidat gives Haig four pitchers in the persons of Mickey O’Connor, Vinnie Llantonio, Red Huge and Sidat. Lindenauer, who formerly played with Schrimpf’s and the Casino Bullets in the Glendale League, is a fine fielding shortstop and a good hitter. Pelligrini’s will also have most of their 1963 playoff champs back, including hard-hitting catcher Carmine Rainone, infielder Bob Kelly, Johnny Ligotti, George Spier, Bob Pasquale and Tony Marchese.

Softball Shorts: Rumored that George Dunne has lined up pitchers Jerry Fleming and Ernie Remmers for his Island Garden Center team but nothing definite. It’s definite, though, that George has lost Mickey O’Connor to Pelligrini’s...Island Garden, though, will have many familiar names on their roster this year, including Benny Longo, Jake Mauceri, Boob Cherichella, Danny Santa Maria, Bob Pasquale, Danny Shea and Andy Fesler. And, of course, the versatile Alex Santos, a good outfielder, fair pitcher and a fine hitter and baserunner ... Little is known of the strength of the new Hudson Council entry in the loop, except that they boast of an extra-fine battery in pitcher Jack Stevens and catcher Butch McKenna ... Rumored that Johnny Albertelli, former star pitcher with Wonder Bar under Manager Bob Haig, may come back with the Eagle’s Nest club this year. Johnny may have given up pitching but he still is a good first baseman and outfielder and wields a potent bat.

One of the most respected persons in the Ridgewood league, Mathilde Seidt, cosponsor of the Eagle’s Nest club, will be honored on Saturday evening, Apr. 11, at a dance at New Ridgewood Hall. Admission is $1.50 and the public is invited to attend ... Ridgewood league season will open on Apr. 27 and close on 14. Playoff start on Aug. 16 ... The league all-star game will be held either Friday, July 17 or Sunday, July 19 ... The league trophy and award night dance will be held on Saturday, Oct. 17 at Pelligrini’s Cafe on Fresh Pond Road in Ridgewood.

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The Junior bowlers sponsored by Ridgewood Post 123 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars were on a roll in 1964.

Headlined “Local Juniors Top Visitors In Bowl Meet,” this item appeared as follows in the Feb. 27, 1964 issue of the Ridgewood Times:

Sal Grazia, 14 years-old, with high games of 221 and 203, was the top bowler in a match game packed with tension and helped his team beat the opponents.

Ridgewood Post 123, Veterans of Foreign Wars Junior bowlers, played host to the Royal Lanes played host to the Royal Lanes Traveling Junior team at Glenwood Bowl, Saturday, Feb. 22.

The visitors, an undefeated team under the leadership of John Brozek, won the third game, but it came too late to overcome young Sal’s drive to win.

The total wood difference of 120 pins will be carried over and give the Ridgewood boys an edge in the return match on Saturday, Feb. 29 at the Royal Lanes in West Hempstead.

The winning team will be determined by the total wood of the combined games.

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Who remembers when the Lynvets celebrated their 15th anniversary?

Headlined “Lynvets Salute Grid Stars,” this article appeared as follows in the Jan. 16, 1964 issue of the Ridgewood Times:

On Sunday, the Lynvets Sports Association Inc., many of whose members come from Ridgewood and Glendale, will hold their annual Parent Son Award Dinner in the newly enlarged Pelligrini’s at 66-86 Fresh Pond Rd. in Ridgewood.

Said a spokesman: “Marking our fifteenth anniversary, we will have such notables of the sports world as Hugh McElhenney, star halfback, New York Giants; Terry Kossins, defensive star of the Minnesota Vikings; Bob Haig, president of the Pop Warner Conference; Bob Griffin, CHSF Coach of the Year at Holy Cross High School; Chet O’Neil, asxxxxxxx sistant coach, Hofstra University, Long Island, and many more.”

As a special treat, the Lynvets will honor the first undefeated junior team of the Lynvets, most of whom will be present. Many are from the Ridgewood area: Larry Fitzgerald, Bob Flakner, Larry O’Brien, Frank Stadulis, Jim Wahl, Jim Gorman, Dick Verdon. These boys, all from Ridgewood, can contact Larry Kelly for more information on the dinner or just show up at Pelligrini’s on the 19th

A table will be reserved for all members of this 1956 club.

Officers are Lawrence J. Kelly, president; Robert Hardtman of Glendale, treasurer; Hugh Mulligan of Richmond Hill, vice president; Irving Lipschitz of East New York, secretary.

Jack McBeth of Ridgewood and Ken Rudzewick of Maspeth are two of the coaches for the ten teams the Lynvets place in local football competition in the 8 to 22 age bracket.

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To share a local sports-related recollection, send letters to Memory Games, c/o Times Newsweekly, P.O. Box 860299, Ridgewood, N.Y. 11386-0299, or via e-mail at b.mitchell@timesnewsweekly.com.