by DAN RUSSOMAN
ATHLETICS
THE HAMMONTONIAN | APRIL 2022 | P . 11
Hammonton Little League ’ s amazing 75 seasons
CHARLES “ BUCKY ” CRAIG SCORES A RUN IN THE 1949 WORLD SERIES .
Ask people around southern New Jersey what Hammonton is known for and you ’ ll likely receive one of two responses . “ Blueberries ” and “ football .”
Those two answers are certainly accurate . After all , the town itself claims to be “ The Blueberry Capital of the World .”
Athletically , the town ’ s football teams , at every level , have always enjoyed success around the region .
But while those two things are woven deep into the fabric of Hammonton , there ’ s something else that has brought pride to the community for seven-and-a-half decades . The Hammonton Little League . This spring , the league celebrates its 75th birthday . It is the oldest Little League outside of Pennsylvania , and the first to be established outside that commonwealth .
The story of the Hammonton Little League is an interesting one , filled with tall tales and heroics .
It began more than 75 year ago , when Al Mulliner , at the time working at a J . J Newberry store downtown , read an article in the Philadelphia In-
1949 LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP PARADE .
quirer that told the story of a new organization founded by Carl Stotz in told him to mark off the field . He took
“ I sent Herb up to Williamsport and
Williamsport , Pa . that provided a a taxi to the field and started marking place for young boys to play baseball . off left field , center field and right .
Inspired , Mulliner wrote to Stotz , The driver knew Carl Stotz and he expressing his interest in starting a went and told him . A week later , we league in Hammonton . The letter got a letter from Stotz ,” Mulliner said . went unanswered , so Mulliner sent a Once given the go-ahead to start the friend , Herb Juliano , to Williamsport league , Mulliner and some volunteers to collect some information . built a field at Hammonton Lake Park ,
The story , as told by Mulliner to one that has the same dimensions as Gazette Publisher Gabriel Donio , is the original field in Williamsport , and that Juliano , in true Hammonton one that is still in use today . fashion , clandestinely began to measure off the field dimensions in 1947 , began youth baseball in Ham-
The first game on that field , back in
Williamsport . Stotz caught wind of monton and in the decades since few the visit and eventually reached out local athletes have not played at least to Mulliner and Little League Baseball a few games as members of Hammonfound its way to South Jersey .
See LEAGUE , P . 12