The Plainsboro Historical Society is celebrating the opening of the 2007 baseball season with an event focusing on the history of baseball in the township during the mid-1900s.
Between 1920 and 1950, Plainsboro residents banded together to form baseball teams that played in the Twin-M League, which included eight teams from Mercer and Middlesex counties.##M:[more]##
The Historical Society event, “Plainsboro Baseball,” will be held on Saturday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m. at the Plainsboro Municipal Building. The evening is free and open to the public.
From 1936 to 1940, Plainsboro fielded two teams — one comprised of potato farmers, and the other from a group of Walker-Gordon employees. Judge John Holohan of Plainsboro, the league president for many years, instituted a three-mile rule, where players had to live within three miles of the team for which they played.
The potato farmers included two major league prospects; pitcher Ollie Boyko and Edward Simonson, a first baseman with a lifetime league batting average of .378. The team was the league champ in 1938.
In 1941 the teams combined under the Walker-Gordon name, but did not play from 1942 to 1945, due to World War II. When they resumed in 1946, the team won the champion playoffs. In 1947, the team had a stellar record, led by Boyko’s pitching record of 10 wins, no losses, and one tie. Simonson had a number of years where he batted in the mid .400s. There is no record of games played after 1950.
Robert Yuell, local historian and executive director of the Plainsboro Historical Society, knew that Plainsboro had baseball in its history and that it was documented in old newspapers, but never found the time to research the subject.
But last summer, Yuell teamed up with Joe Karpinski, a recent graduate from Kutztown University who was living with one of his twin sisters, Melissa, in Plainsboro.
Raised in Creskill, Karpinski played baseball from Little League through high school. A history major in college, Karpinski’s advisor suggested that he either volunteer or find an internship instead of looking for a job. His sister suggested that he visit the Plainsboro Museum just down the street.
When they met and Karpinski told him about his history major and fascination with baseball, Yuell shared with him his dream of researching baseball in Plainsboro.
After agreeing to volunteer to research the subject for the Historical Society, Karpinski spent close to 30 hours a week researching New Brunswick newspapers to create the team and individual statistics, says Yuell. Those finding will be the main subject of the March 31 event.
Also featured will be several of the players who actually played in the leagues, including Jack Petrone of Princeton, and Chris Christianson of Cranbury.
— Lynn Miller
Plainsboro Baseball, Plainsboro Historical Society, Plainsboro Municipal Building, 641 Plainsboro Road, 609-799-9040. Saturday, March 31, 7:30 p.m.
