Well, well, well – some librarian in western Massachusetts claims to have found a document citing the earliest reference to baseball, and now the town of Pittsfield has launched its own stream in the regional pissing contest over the which town may claim the moniker “Birthplace of Baseball.”
It’s argued that Cooperstown, N.Y., resident Abner Doubleday wrote the rules for the game in 1839. Of course Cooperstown is home to the Baseball Hall of Fame, but there’s evidence that the first officially recorded, organized baseball game was played on June 19, 1846, at Elysian Fields in Hoboken (in the vicinity of the modern-day corner of 11th and Washington streets), with the New York Baseball Club defeating the Knickerbockers by a score of 23-1. But now, according to its mayor, James Ruberto, “Pittsfield is baseball’s Garden of Eden,” with the 1791 reference superseding all other claims.
Of course we all know he’s just a blowhard Masshole, but it makes you wonder what other outrageous claims these people are planning to make. Rumor has it the same librarian found evidence that:
Francis Albert Sinatra was born in Pittsfield, Mass. – and he’s actually 100 percent Irish.
Bruce Springsteen is originally from Falmouth, Mass., and most of his earlier work is drawn from his experiences on Cape Cod – particularly his debut album, Greetings From Hyannisport.
Jon Bon Jovi, however, is still from New Jersey.
While widely regarded as a Boston-based band, ’80s boy-band horror show the New Kids on the Block are actually from Bayonne.
The Kennedys are a fine representation of upstanding Massachusetts blueblood, except for Teddy, who was apparently born in Jersey City.
Mayor Joseph “Diamond Joe” Quimby of The Simpsons actually speaks with a New Jersey accent. Originally the character’s name was supposed to be Russo, until one day Matt Groening was run off the road by a black sedan.
Though later known as the “Wizard of Menlo Park,” Thomas Edison got his inspiration for the light bulb while living in South Boston when his buddies “Sully” and “Murph” burned down the house trying to light candles after coming home “wicked hammaahed.”
While the Statue of Liberty currently adorns New York Harbor (in New Jersey waters), she was originally meant for Boston Harbor, but conflict over pronunciation of the word chowder made the French change their mind (The ol’ “chowdah” vs. “choudare” conspiracy).
In the intro to the hit HBO series The Sopranos, Tony actually drives out the Mass Pike from Boston to his home in Westford. Also, the shady construction job with all the bogus contracts funneling money to fat mobsters is not the Newark Esplanade but rather the Big Dig. And in The Sopranos series finale, Tony will be brought to justice by none other than Spenser for Hire.
Oh, and the Boston Red Sox have won 26 World Championships since 1918, the Yanks traded Ruth to Boston, Bucky Dent was hitting for the Sox, Buckner wore pinstripes, and Aaron Boone struck out in the bottom of the 11th in game seven of the 2003 ALCS.
Chris Halleron lives in Jersey City and tends bar at Duffy’s in Hoboken. His column appears every other week in the Current. He spends a lot of his time either in front of or behind the bar in Hoboken, where his tolerance for liquor grows stronger as his tolerance for society is eroded on a daily basis. Feel free to drop him a line at c_halleron@yahoo.com.