Footnotes to Long Island History
Port Nine Heroes
of ‘89
January 17, 1957
Thomas R. Bayles
According to
articles in the local newspapers in 1889, baseball was a popular game
back in those days and was played all winter when the weather was fit.
Edward Pfeiffer was manager of the Middle Island team which was very
active then. The following is from the Port Jefferson Times, during the
latter part of January, 1889:
“About three
weeks ago the Middle Island Baseball Club, after defeating nines from
Coram and surrounding villages, issued a challenge to play any club in
Brookhaven Town. This challenge was immediately accepted by a few
enthusiastic baseball fans in the village (Port Jefferson), but all
attempts to get enough players together for a practice game on the
‘sand’ at the schoolhouse proved a dismal failure.
“Things were
in this sad state of apathy until last Friday evening when L. B. Homan
received a communication from Edward Pfeiffer, the secretary of the
Middle Island club, informing him that unless Port Jefferson’s nine was
on the grounds ready to play the following afternoon, Saturday, the
Middle Island nine would claim a victory over Port Jefferson by default.
“That was
enough. Early Saturday morning Mr. Homan sent his scouts scouring the
village for anybody who was ever known to play baseball and who, in
addition, had interest enough to journey to Middle Island to decide the
question. After climbing the hills and wading through the slush and
mud, enough players were secured to form a team and Mr. Pfeiffer was
telegraphed (no telephones then) that Port Jefferson’s nine would be on
hand at Randall’s store (afterwards Pfeiffer’s) at Middle Island at 2pm,
if the weather was in any way fit for a game.
“At 1pm, Al
Wynne and his stage were in Hotel Square and all the players loaded on
board. The boys having never played together before, the road being
long and muddy, all added to the knowledge that in a short hour and a
half they would stand on the diamond at Middle Island, pitted against
players who were supposed to eat baseball at their meals and sleep on
bats, made the boys feel blue.
“Once well
underway, Joseph Burke was elected captain, and he assigned each of the
players his position and gave them a few necessary instructions about
the conduct of the game. The stage took a route up Main Street, through
the Stony Hill Road to the North Country Road to the Mount Sinai
schoolhouse, then taking the ‘lane’ directly south.
“For a while
it rumbled along disturbing the silence through the woods, until some of
the players broke forth in song, which was kept up until the first
houses of the challenging village were reached. Then the yells and
whoops that were emitted sent the chickens and geese scurrying across
the road and caused the cows in the barn yards to look up in mild-eyed
surprise but brought forth no signs of human life.
“Randall’s
store was soon reached and the stage load was informed that the game was
to be played in one of Azel Swezey’s lots a mile up the road. Arriving
there, the Port Jefferson boys found a large crowd awaiting them. All
the villages from Yaphank to Lake Grove had delegations to witness the
great game.
“A spirited
game followed with considerable wrangling about decisions, finally
resulting in a victory for Port Jefferson, 21 to 12. After the game,
three rousing cheers were given for Middle Island by the victors, which
were heartily returned by the Middle Island boys. The Port boys filed
into their stage and after a short stop for refreshments, were driven
rapidly homeward, with song after song lightening the trip, until the
depot was reached, when the whole stage load took up the chorus of an
improvised ditty, the principal line of which ran, ‘And Port Jefferson,
she got there’ and kept it going until the square was reached.
“If there is
no snow on the ground and the sky is clear, Middle Island will return
the game and play in Port Jefferson, Saturday afternoon, February 8,
when an exciting and much closer game can be looked for.”