As the spring season approaches, we’re gearing up for warmer weather, longer days, and baseball. Sure, Hoboken is known for being the birthplace of Sinatra, the location of where the Oreo and ice cream cone were created, but Hobokenites have always valued sports culture in town, and many professional athletes have come from here – after all, the Mile Square was the home of the first-ever game of baseball. To commemorate the kickoff of the 2022 Little League season, the City has reinstated its beloved baseball parade.
If you walk uptown on Washington, situated on the small street divider just outside of Sorrelina, you’ll see a plaque dedicated to Alexander Cartwright, The Father of Baseball. The inscription reads, “On June 19, 1846, the first match game of baseball was played here on the Elysian Fields between the Knickerbockers and the New Yorks. It is generally conceded that until this time, the game was not seriously regarded.” In front of the plaque, a large baseball mural is painted in the center of the street.
In addition, the four corners between 10th and 11th and Washington Streets each proudly bear four bases that mark 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and home plate, where Elysian Fields used to be.
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Generations later, a small but fierce little girl made history in the game of baseball. That little girl is Maria Pepe. In 1972, Hobokenite Maria Pepe became one of the first girls to play Little League, which was previously a boys-only sport, solidifying Hoboken in baseball history. After 12-year-old Maria received the go-ahead to try about and then subsequently made the team, she became a trailblazer for girls everywhere, pitching three Little League games wearing a Young Democrats jersey in the New Jersey city she called home. The Hoboken Little League batting cages are named after her.
The city announced that the Opening Day Parade will take place on Saturday, April 9, Patch reported.
The tradition of baseball in Hoboken continues with the younger generations.
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Registration for the 2022 Little League season opened this week for baseball and softball for Hoboken kids ages 4-18. Registration will close on March 4 at 5PM. Email recreation@hobokennj.gov with any questions.
Register for baseball here: hobokennj.gov/baseballregistration
Register for softball here: hobokennj.gov/softballregistration
