AAABA Sidelights: 'Gentlemen' take field at Point

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August 14, 2009

BY CORY ISENBERG and MIKE MASTOVICH The Tribune-Democrat Fri Aug 14, 2009, 12:46 AM EDT

They partied like it was 1869 on Thursday afternoon at Point Stadium.

Actually, the Pittsburgh Franklins and Somerset Frosty Sons of Thunder played a Vintage Base Ball Association (VBBA) exhibition game during a break in a AAABA Tournament tripleheader.

Each team had 12 players dressed in the attire of the 1860s.

They played by the rules set when the game was new.

For instance, players don’t wear gloves and they pitch under-handed. Balls caught on one bounce are an out. During introductions, players tip their caps and announce only their nickname.

Somerset won a competitive game 10-6 in front of a small crowd at the Point.

“Honestly, I think it’s really neat to look back to the 1860s,” Pittsburgh Franklins manager Jason “Bird Dog” Ramaley said. “A lot of people don’t understand how important it was to the country at the time with the Civil War going on. It was a way people could get together on the field and forget about the hardships that were happening in everyone’s backyards.

“Also it’s a great way to look back at the sport and realize it’s not just the sport that we see on TV with all the hype we see and all the arguing and fights,” he added.

“It was really a gentleman’s game. You went out there and all you needed was a ball and a baseball bat. You had fun. The guys on the other team were your buddies just like the guys on your team.”

Somerset and Pittsburgh are the only Pennsylvania programs listed on the Web site www.VBBA.org.

The two organizations have struck up a friendly rivalry, Ramaley said.

As for those nicknames – “Sonny,” “Legs,” “Cow Chip” and “Lash” – they’re just part of the game.

“Everyone inherits their own nicknames,” Ramaley said. “We were playing our first game. I got a fly ball and jumped in the woods after it. Everyone started calling me ‘Bird Dog’ after that.”

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Get me to the church on time: Carl’s of Lansing went 1-1 on Thursday with Bob Dziachan filling in for manager Andy Joseph.

Joseph had a pressing engagement back home - preparing for his wedding which is set for this weekend. The rain had given Lansing a bye on Wednesday so Joseph thought he would fly home Tuesday night.

Unfortunately, the Lansing skipper missed his flight by nine minutes and had to rent a car to make the trip back to Michigan.

The Michigan squad won its early game against Youngstown Thursday, but fell in the afternoon to powerhouse New Orleans, sending the Carl’s squad home.

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NOLA tradition: The Scheuermann family has made August trips from New Orleans to Johnstown a tradition since the 1950s and AAABA roots have extended from one generation to the next, beginning with Hall of Famer Lou “Rags” Scheuermann.

Even though college rules prohibit him from managing New Orleans, Joe Scheuermann remains deeply involved as franchise president. His sister, Emma, is business manager. His mother, Maureen, is a mainstay at the tournament.

Joe’s son, Tyler, is a team statistician and historian who compiled the official Web site of the tournament, www.aaabajohnstown.com.

The New Orleans Boosters family ties run even deeper as several current players are related to past players: Beau Boudreaux (brother Ryan played in 2006); Joey Cesario (brother Jimmy, 2004, 2005); Max Ledet (brother John, 2006); Stephen Lukiovich (father Drew, 1976); Ryan Purcell (father Ricky, 1984 AAABA champions, 1985); and Joseph Zimmerman (father Paul, 1971 champions).

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Putting on the Rizzo: Ben Rizzo, who played outfield for Lansing (2-2), is the grandson of former Johnstown standout Ray Rizzo.

The younger Rizzo is a sophomore at the University of Michigan.

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