By Christine M. Quirk — Christine@theconcordbridge.org
It was 145 years ago, almost to the day, that a “Grand Base Ball Match” was held between the Concord Base Ball Club and the Diamond Base Ball Club from Boston. The game was played on the Concord Grounds at 9 a.m. at the rear of the Fitchburg Depot, where the Concord train station sits now. Seats were provided for the ladies. The gentlemen, apparently, were on their own.
The result of that game has been lost to history, but the Concord Baseball Club lives on.
“I founded the Concord Baseball Club in 2011 as a successor to the 1879 Concord Base Ball Club,” Rick Frese said. “The Concord Recreation Department… endorsed the program, providing the Emerson field for our group.”
The group still meets at Emerson every Friday at noon. There are 22 men on the roster, and on a recent afternoon, on a perfect baseball day with bright sun and low humidity, five of them showed up to hit and shag fly balls, field grounders, and pitch.
And, of course, to talk about the good old days of baseball and throw some good-natured ribbing at themselves and one another.
“Let me tell you about my baseball history,” Daniel Donahue, 68, said, as his teammates laughed. “None.”
Love of the game
The club is not competitive. Unlike the original organization, there are no scheduled games, and the players don’t even play against one another. Instead, they enjoy each other’s company, the exercise, and the love of the game.
Jeff Clanon, 79, played baseball in his younger years, and said while he still has his skills, he realizes he’s not playing the way he once did.
One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the delight of the crack of the bat.
“When you hit that sweet spot, a solid hit still feels great,” he said.
David Sedlock, 72, was first introduced to the game on a city street. “I was an urban kid,” he said. “I played stickball.”
Sedlock said one of the appeals of baseball is the slower pace of the game, even though many plays involve running.
Donahue said running and catching fly balls were, in fact, his favorite parts.
“It’s slow enough to allow fans to get involved,” Sedlock said. “They can participate and try to voice their strategy.”
Back on the mound
The elder statesman of the group may well be Jack Maguire.
Maguire, 84, pitched for Boston College High School in the 1950s. He also coached for 42 years, both Pony League and American Legion ball in Arlington, where one of his players recorded a perfect game and two others were recruited by the Red Sox.
“They were in the Seadogs, but they didn’t make it to the big league,” Maguire said.
Despite his coaching experience, his teammates kidded that they weren’t listening to his expertise.
“Every time he tells us to slide headfirst, we say no,” Donahue said.
Maguire is recovering from double bypass surgery and has just started pitching again. He sets up behind a protective screen to protect him from errant line drives.
“Before [the surgery], I pitched to everyone, but now I have to be more careful,” he said.
Most of his throws go toward Joel Cowan, 70, who saw a notice in the newspaper eight years ago and has been coming ever since.
Membership in the Concord Baseball Club is simple: There are no fees, and bats and balls are provided. All you need is a glove.
Though the club is open to women, thus far, none have joined.
“We play spring through fall,” Cohen said. “As long as the weather is good and there’s no snow, we’ll play.”
For more information on the Concord Baseball Club, contact Rick Frese at rfrese@bentley.edu.
