The "As Old As Dirt" Story

It was an ordinary day.  The New Era Tournament has just ended.  For those of you who don't enjoy the sport of baseball, you may not appreciate my story today, since baseball is what the New Era Tournament is all about; baseball and the youth of the community to be exact.  Now, calling the baseball year-end tournament of champions in the county of Lancaster, PA the New Era Tournament may not be accurate, since there is no longer a New Era newspaper publication in Lancaster, having been replaced with what is now the LNP or Lancaster News Paper.  

August 20, 1946 cartoon the Championship Game.

But to me and many of the old-timers who are as old as dirt and who have been around for as long as the tournament is old and who have played, have children who have played, and have coached in the tournament, it will always be known as the New Era Tournament.  It was back in 1946, right after WWII ended, that the elders of Lancaster decided that the kids of the community were involved in too many shenanigans and decided to come up with something wholesome to correct the problem.  The New Era sports editor, George W. Kirchner, decided to organize a baseball tournament and wrote of the event in one of his columns.  You know the statement from the movie Field of Dreams: If you build it, they will come.  

The Championship New Providence team.

Well, they came!! 65 teams competed in the Midget Division which at the time was players ages 12-14.  The champion- ship game was played at Stumpf Field along Fruitville Pike in Manheim Township.  Stumpf Field was home to the Lancaster Red Roses who played in the Class B Inter-State League from 1940 to 1953.  The newspaper headline the following day said: "Record crowd of 7,250 at Stumpf Field for Finals of the New Era Midget Baseball Torunament." A team from New Providence beat Hamilton 6-3 to claim the title.  

The Manheim Township Sertoma team I had the honor
of coaching and help win the 1991 Championship.  I am
standing on the left in the white shirt.

That was 69 years ago and the tournament is alive and well today.  The tournament has grown with the addition of a Midget-Midget (ages 8-12), Jr. Midget (13-14) and Midget )15-16) age brackets.  I played in the championship game in 1956 while a member of the Schick Midget-Midget team which lost to Slaymaker Lock Co.  My oldest son played in several tournaments at all three levels.  My youngest son played in several tournaments and finally won in 1991 at the Midget Level.  I coached in 8 New Era Tournaments and had some exciting times along the way.  I finally coached my youngest son's team to the Title of the Midget age group in 1991 with Manheim Township.  The coach of the opposing Lancaster Township Team in the Championship Game was my wife's cousin and former profession player with the Detroit Tigers, Bobby Nonnemacher.  A thrill to say the least to win that game.  I look forward to next year's tournament with the chance of my grandson being involved in that game.  Hey, why not!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an oridnary guy.