Morgan Memories – The Boys of Spring
Margol Ford Little League Team Circa 1968. Image Courtesy of Eric Mutter.
Front Row – L-R: Don’t Know, Don’t Know, George Giovenco, Don’t Know 9, 4 Eric Mutter, 17 John Wilson, Coach Carter?
Back Row: Coach Richard Prevoznak, 8 & 5 Don’t Know!, 10 Mickey Buckley, 16 Michael Prevoznak, 14 Verne James, 6 Francis Kriesmer, Don’t Know.
There is something about timing – it is said to be “everything”. I had not been able to find my Little League photo from, uh, circa 1968, and then my longest time friend Eric sends me a copy of his. In my research to find what goes on in Morgan, NJ these days for Little League, I stumbled into the fact that Opening Day of the 2011 season was at 12 noon on Saturday, April 16, the same weekend this write-up was originally posted. How about that!
The two primary organized youth sporting activities in Morgan in the late 1960s were baseball and football. Perhaps there was something else but not to my knowledge. Most likely, perhaps Kozy Lanes had a bowling league until it morphed into Club Bene. At the time, Soccer was a little known and even lesser understood commodity. In my case soccer was a totally unknown commodity. I’ll cover football in a future page – this one is about baseball. While the baseball teams were not organized through Jesse Selover Elementary School, the two baseball fields were right next to it. Today there are three baseball fields next to Selover.
Sport O’Rama Photo Courtesy of George Mekula (dmangem01@gmail.com) who is looking for any team members to please contact him. Please also let us know if you know the names of any of these boys!
Front Row – L-R: Don’t Know, Don’t Know, Thomas Ryniec, Don’t Know, Don’t Know, Don’t Know, Don’t Know, George Mekula, Don’t Know, Don’t Know, Don’t Know
Back Row – Mr. Kelly?, Don’t Know, Don’t Know, Don’t Know, Don’t Know, Mr. Mekula
When the boys from Morgan Avenue and Dodd Place played baseball during the Spring and Summer, we used either sponge or whiffle balls and played on the street. There was a specific street and a specific place on that street. Probably we used chalk to mark the bases on Morgan Avenue just north of Willow Street. Looking back as an adult (or so I’m told), I guess I can now understand why Sadie Dowdell didn’t like getting her window broken by a foul ball. BTW, while I don’t think the Sadie Dowdell who lived on Morgan Avenue was the same Sadie Dowdell who was the long-term South Amboy Librarian and namesake of the current South Amboy Library, what are the odds of there being two people with that same unique name living in the same area? Sorry Ms. Dowdell. The kids really did treat you terribly. Some of them have since told me how much they regret their childhood behavior toward you.
For boys, there were three levels of leagues then. There were girls’ teams then as well but I don’t know much about them. All games were played in Morgan between the various different Morgan teams. There was no travel involved for “Away Games” since there weren’t any.
The first level was called something I can’t imagine it would still be called: Midget League. I don’t know the exact age range for this league but we were the youngest kids. The field we played on was the one right next to Selover’s driveway at the northwest intersection of Woodland Avenue and Jersey Street. Memories of most of this time period have fully faded away for me but I recall playing catcher a lot.
The highest level was the Babe Ruth League. This was for the oldest boys, pre-High School I think, and was played on a field at the bottom of the hill behind Christ Church Cemetery. I was never in this league so I can’t say anything about it.
The middle level, and the one I have some memories of, was Little League. I don’t recall how many different teams there were at the time but each team was sponsored by a local business or community-based organization. My team was Margol Ford. Ironically to this day I have no idea where Margol Ford was physically located though recently I did run into this Grand Opening advertisement on page 3 of the August 17, 1967 South Amboy Citizen which placed it somewhere on Route 9 in Madison Township.
Margol Ford Advertisement from the August 17, 1967 South Amboy Citizen.
Each team had a unique accent color for their uniforms, specifically the color of the baseball cap and the color of the number on the shirt. These are the team names and colors that I remember (or don’t remember):
- Gabriel Tire – Royal Blue
- Lions – Red (Orange?)
- Margol Ford – Purple
- Morgan Liquor Store – ?
- Sun Valley Furniture – Green
There were also other sponsors, Robert E. Lee Inn, Kaiser’s Bar team (see below), Morgan Fireman, Lippon Motors (VW), and probably others but not during my time. Eric was on Margol Ford with me, Eric’s brother Mark was on Morgan Liquor Store, and our other childhood friend Rick was on Sun Valley Furniture.
From memory, the season began with a Morgan Lions Club pancake breakfast in the cafeteria/auditorium of Jesse Selover Elementary School. No doubt this was a fundraiser for the Lions (and their Little League team) but it also was a way for them to provide the community with one of their primary passions, the administration of vision examinations. Lined up next to the stage was a series of eye exam machines staffed by one of the very dedicated members of the Lions Club International including our wonderful neighbor Andy. No one could have had a better neighbor than Andy (except perhaps Andy).
According to Diane Norek Harrison, who writes the “Remembering the Past” feature for the online newspaper NJToday.net, the Morgan Lions Club was chartered in May 1954 with the Sayreville Lions Club as their sponsor. They were charted as the Bayview Lions Club in 1958.
Following the pancake breakfast was the procession of Little League teams down Lincoln Street or Jersey Street, right onto South Pine Avenue, right on another street – probably Bayview Ave, then back to the Little League field for the first game. According to Christina DiPoalo Olender, daughter of Morgan Lumber founder and Morgan Fire Chief John DiPoalo, the Morgan Lumber truck transported the judges along the route and served as the portable public address system.
While my athletic abilities were nothing to write home (or write blog) about, I have to say what stands out most for me was our coach, Mr. Prevoznak. He was (and still is) the father of my Selover through high school classmate Michael and was one of the most decent, caring, patient and helpful people I have encountered in my 29++ years on this planet. I recall him helping allay my fears of smacking into the back fence from my illustrious right field position when trying to catch a fly ball out to deep right. He simply said to back all the way to the fence while feeling for it with your ungloved hand then to come in as necessary. He also said to always use two hands to catch the ball. The only way he could have been more accurate was to have told me to use two hands when I dropped the ball.
Gabriel Brothers Little League Team on Parade, Circa 1960-Something. Photo Courtesy of John Harris.
During this phase of life, those of us in Morgan would go into the candy section of Kaisers Bar on the north side of Route 35 at Tyler Street (later Covellos Italian Seafood Restaurant and torn down in 2016) to spend a quarter for a five pack of Topps baseball cards complete with a stick of bubble gum. Though I lost interest in baseball after the miracle NY Mets won the pennant in 1969, to this day I have my two metal Band-Aid boxes containing my baseball card collection; one for the NY Mets and one for every other team.
Originally posted on April 12, 2011, reposted on August 3, 2013, George Mekula photo added on October 2, 2016, and name added to Sport O’Rama August 20, 2024.
When was Morgan A.C established? I have a photo of my great uncle in a uniform that states Morgan A.C. another uniform says S.A. H.S.
I don’t really know and am not certain that Morgan A.C. is the same as the Little League. If you look at really old back issues (i.e., 1920’s for example) of the South Amboy Citizen, Morgan A.C. is listed. If you find out anything, please post it. I wonder where they would have played baseball in the area at that time.
I was raised on morgan beach from 1942 till they closed it in the mid 50’s My grandaunt owned Ruan’s grocery store next to Kisers bar. Most of the pictures I have seen have been in the very early days. Does anyone have pictures from the late to mid 50’s would like to see them
Don Hannon Magralu3@twc.com
Margol Ford, the sponsor, was located on Route 9 in South Amboy/Old Bridge. The dealership was directly across the street from Hill Lanes Bowling Alley.
Thank you! I’ve been wondering for decades. Looks like it is now a used car dealership located across the street from the Home Depot and KFC. Are there any photos of it in it’s day? Thanks to the Margol family for their sponsorship!
George,
I am on the Sport)-Rama team pic, front row left.
We sure were a bunch of misfits.
Tom, Are you the first one on the left in the front? If not, please indicate what number from left. Also, do you know the names of any of the other team members and, if so, which one (from left)? Thanks! Verne
I’m second from left with the wrist watch. It’s a long shot but first on left could be Teddy Ratzwell
Hey that’s me! Front row second from left. Note that in 1969 they added a team named Lippon Motors. Somehow I got either traded or changed over to Lippon. We had neat color uniforms the colors of the 1969 Pittsburg Pirates. Those were the days when the uniforms were full and fancy. I believe today you only get a shirt to sport your team and number.
I’m sorry my bad. I’m third from left
Thomas – thanks for the info!!! You have been added. I didn’t add Teddy Ratzwell since you weren’t certain. Please email George Mekula (dmangem01@gmail.com) who provided me the photo. I recall Lippon Motors. They were the VW dealership on Route 35 north which is now Vitale Motors Commercial Trucks. Those were the days where Ford and Chevy dominated and very few people drove imported cars. The tires have turned now.