NEWSLINE STORY
published July-August 2016
Tournaments Remembered: Horseshoe Facts and Folklore
by Bob Dunn, NHPA Historian
FORT GEORGE (NY) OPEN
Fort George is an interesting chapter as hometown pitcher, Vito Feliccia, was one of the all-time great pitchers of New York. Feliccia first won the New York state championship in 1936 and was a legend ever since. He repeated as state champion in 1949. To tell the history of the Fort George Horseshoe Club which was originated in 1933 is this brief article from the December 1958 issue of the Horseshoe Pitcher’s News Digest:
For George Club Observes Silver Anniversary
“The Fort George Club observed their twenty-fifth anniversary with a social and dance at their club rooms, 1672 St. Nicholas Avenue, Manhattan, on Saturday evening, November 15.
Prior to 1933, “the boys” played their games on the courts maintained at their own expense on the property of the George Washington High School. It was in 1933 that the club organized with Thomas P. O’Gara setting the stage for the election of officers, membership and dues.
On behalf of the members of the club, President Patrick Murray commemorated that event by presenting Tom O’Gara with a plaque, inlaid with 25 silver dollars as a token of their esteem.
A classic event was reported in the June 1937 issue of the Horseshoe World:
Feliccia Wins
“The Open Horseshoe Pitching Tournament held at Fort George Courts to the rear of the George Washington high school stadium, attracted an entry of 30 of the best players on the East. Representatives from Springfield, MA, Westchester County, New Jersey, Long Island and the Greater City were on hand to compete for prizes.
Vito Fileccia, present New York State Champion and member of the home club, was the winner, with Tom Laurino of Ludlow, MA, runner-up and Henry Christie of Corona, Long Island, third.
Class B honors went to L. Phillips of Springfield, MA, with M. Smith of New Rochelle, NY, second and Bill Leonard of Jackson Heights third.
A field of 14 contestants in Class C was reduced by elimination matches with the final four players entering into a round robin that produced A. Cornier of Springfield, MA, the winner and Eddie Berquist of the Woodlawn Club as runner-up.
1937 Fort George Open Final Standing
Class A W L Pct. Class B W L Pct.
Vito Feliccia 9 0 68.9% L. Phillips 5 0 43.5%
Tom Laurino 7 2 62.0% M. Smith 4 1 38.2%
Henry Christy 7 2 55.3% W. Leonard 3 2 35.4%
Charles Seacord 6 3 54.1% D. McQuistan 2 3 31.2%
James McManus 5 4 48.3% Lee Davis 1 4 33.9%
Hugh O’Neill 4 5 42.0% Peter McGill 0 5 20.3%
Eddie Wilms 3 6 49.8%
Gilbert Brinkman 2 7 45.6% Class C
Leonard Zimmerman 2 7 36.4% A. Cornier 3 0 39.5%
Ralph Forsstrom 0 9 37.4% E. Berquist 2 1 40.5%
C. Kuykendall 1 2 21.5%
Al Anderson 0 3 19.9%
Many of the events reported back in the 1930s, did not report percentages, so this report is helpful and informative. It may be a bit surprising to see that a Class B and Class C were included in the event. That was innovative for the time.
This tournament took place a long time ago and still had ties to our modern day version of the sport. Vito Feliccia was the first big star of the sport in New York, being state champion in 1936 and 1949 and pitched for many years at a championship class level. Ralph Forsstrom was a National Hall of Fame promoter being inducted in 1972. Lee Davis, just 30 years old in 1937, was the Stokes Memorial Award recipient in 1983 and was inducted to the National Hall of Fame in 1979.
Now forward 15 years, and the 1952 Fort George Open was reported in the Horseshoe Pitcher:
DALE CARSON WINS FORT GEORGE OPEN
“The annual Fort George Open horseshoe pitching tournament held on Sunday June 29, 1952, was recorded as a classic when 24 of the topflight pitchers of the East answered roll-call to vie for the trophies and medals with Tom O’Gara as tournament director. The field was divided into three eight-man round robins with each contestant playing seven games.
Dale Carson of Baltimore, MD was the king-pin with a clean slate of seven wins. Vito Fileccia was runner-up and Joe Zichella in third place.
In Class B, Dr. Sol Berman of Elizabeth, NJ was tied with Jene Durham of Baltimore, MD for first place with six wins and one loss each. In the play-off game, “Doc” drubbed his opponent his opponent by pitching a 76% game.
The Class C players journeyed to Inwood where three Jerseyites were the winners: Barney Knapp of Midland Park in first place, Walter Haring of Westwood the second man and A. Ward of Midland Park the third place winner.
1952 Fort George Open Final Standings
Class A W L Pct. Class B W L Pct. Class C W L
1. Dale Carson 7 0 77.5% 1. Sol Berman 6 1 55.1% 1. Barney Knapp 6 1
2. Vito Fileccia 5 2 70.7% 2. Jene Durham 6 1 62.3% 2. Walter Haring 5 2
3. Joe Zichella 5 2 67.2% 3. Glynn 5 2 55.9% 3. Al Ward 5 2
4. Pendridge 4 3 70.8% 4. Paul Hanas 4 3 58.2% 4. George Hart 4 3
5. Joe Hardwick 3 4 63.1% 5. Lee Davis 4 3 55.5% 5. Paul Puglise 4 3
6. Bill Kolb 2 5 59.0% 6. Bob O’Connell 2 5 48.4% 6. Kaplin 3 4
7. DiStefano 1 6 61.5% 7. Brennan 1 6 34.1% 7. Rehfeld 1 6
8. Ed Earley 1 6 61.5% 8. Charles Seacord 0 7 34.8% 8. Haseler 0 7
There are some name players in this group: Dale Carson is a member of the National Hall of Fame and many time Maryland state champion; Bill Kolb was a 14 times New Jersey state champion; Sol Berman is a member of the National Hall of Fame; Jene Durham was the AAU National Champion in 1951 and Maryland state champion in 1961; Paul Puglise is known as the “father of horseshoes” in New Jersey. He founded the New Jersey State Association in 1933 and 1971 when the New Jersey Hall of Fame was founded, Paul was the sole charter inductee.
And the 1953 event was reported in the Horseshoe Pitcher also:
1953 Fort George Open Final Standings
1. Dale Carson, MD 7 0 78.9% 5. Joe Zichella 4 3 68.2%
2. Vito Fileccia, NY 4 3 72.1% 6. Pat Brady 4 3 65.4%
3. William Kolb NJ 4 3 70.5% 7. Jene Durham, MD 1 6 59.6%
4. Ed Earley 4 3 70.4% 8. Bob O’Connell 0 7 49.5%
Vito Feliccia keeps on winning as he was the 1957 Fort George Fall Classic champion:
FORT GEORGE FALL CLASSIC
“Vito Feliccia of Fort George came through to defeat Joe Zichella in the final game of the Empire Open horseshoe pitching tournament held at Fort George Park on Sunday, September 25th with Tom O’Gara as director.
The threatening weather of the morning was a factor in accounting for a small but selective field of competitors. Refreshments and a social followed after the tournament at the Fort George Club. The summary:
1957 Fort George Fall Classic Final Standing
Class A W L Pct. Class B W L Pct.
1. Vito Feliccia 5 0 70.4% 1. Brumak 5 0 52.2%
2. Joe Zichella 4 1 73.7% 2. Lugo 4 1 45.9%
3. Hardwick 3 2 63.1% 3. Kirk 3 2 48.9%
4. Lee Davis 1 4 54.6% 4. Bob O’Connell 2 3 41.8%
5. Own Farmer 1 4 53.8% 5. Hoodiman 1 4 30.6%
6. George Hart 1 4 52.4% 6. Puglise 0 5 31.6%
Vito Feliccia claimed another title in 1958 by beating Dale Carson in playoff. Vito pitched 72.3% to Carson’s 71.2%.
An all-star crew showed up for the 1959 Fort George Memorial Day Open:
STEINFELDT WINS AT FORT GEORGE HOLIDAY OPEN
“The Memorial Day holiday tournament staged by the Fort George Club of New York City, on Sunday May 31, drew competitors from far and near to vie for the trophies in three class of competition. Carl Steinfeldt set a terrific pace of 74.8% for the seven games. John Fulton of Carlisle, PA, followed close behind with six wins but with a ringer average that was higher than that of the first place winner. In the Class A division there were no games under 50%. John Fulton had one game in which he pitched 45 ringers out of 50 shoes for an average of 90%.
The distances traveled by the entrants covered a radius of 400 miles from the metropolis, coming from Rochester, NY; Carlisle, PA; Baltimore, MD; New Jersey; Connecticut; Long Island and the Metropolitan area.
At the close of the tournament the players and their wives adjourned to the clubrooms where they enjoyed refreshments and sandwiches and “Batted the breeze.”
1959 Fort George Open Final Standings
Class A W L Pct. W L Pct.
1. Carl Steinfeldt 7 0 74.8% 5. Bill Kolb 4 3 64.8%
2. John Fulton 6 1 76.8% 6. Vito Feliccia 3 4 65.7%
3. Joe Zichella 4 3 67.6% 7. Willie Paradis 1 6 62.6%
4. Dale Carson 4 3 66.4% 8. Joe Hardwick 0 7 53.0%
The star pitchers did show up in 1959. Carl Steinfeldt one of the all-time greats of the sport, was world champion in 1976; John Fulton is one of the greatest pitchers to come out of Pennsylvania, and he was their first big star: Willie Paradis was the Connecticut state champion in 1958, 1961 and 1962 and a star of the New England Championships, winning the championship in 1961.
John Fulton won the 1960 tournament pitching 75.0%, being the only pitcher to exceed 70%. Dale Carson was runner-up (68.3%), Porter fourth (69.6%) and Jene Durham fourth (68.9%).
Jottings
If you are coming to the World Tournament, please stop by my booth and look at the recently book written on our sport’s history. A special offer will be available; any person purchasing any two books will receive a free copy of Gary Kline’s “The Official History of the World Tournament.” Hopefully you have noticed the book “The World Champions of Horseshoe Pitching” on our website. If you would like a hard copy of that book, email me and if you do so right away a copy can be available for you at the 2016 World Tournament. My email address is bobcharlesdunn@aol.com.