Ron Kuboski Takes a Look Back

by Ron Kuboski

South Plainfield in the 1950’s reflected small town America … our version of The Wonder Years. Walk or ride your bike anywhere. Get together with friends—stick ball, hide and seek at night, ice skating in winter.

Ronnie Kuboski, 1954

Ronnie Kuboski, 1954

And, like much of America, sports were part of our daily activities, and during the summer that meant baseball. We played wherever and whenever we could. Unfortunately, trying to play often presented some difficulties because it was rare we could muster 9 players for each side. Several other factors were out of our control too. A regulation field. Bats and a ball (forget balls). While we always found a way, it wasn’t easy.

Then in 1955, the notice went out. A Little League was starting in town. Even though South Plainfield was geographically small, from the perspective of an 11-year-old, it still had sections where we never got to go. So, kids played in their own neighborhoods on whatever fields they found, even backyards. Now, that was about to change.

Being a part of the South Plainfield Little League in its first years (1955–56) is something upon which I look back with pride and fond memories. The Dodgers were my team. Being a Yankee fan, that was hard. (Later in the Pony League, my team was the Red Sox—even harder.)

Like most individuals who play sports, I can remember specific games, plays, and scores. However, what brings me the greatest pleasure is thinking about all of the players with whom I played. Some remained life-time friends; some I never saw again after little league.

Franklin Field with its picket fence and dirt infield wouldn’t compare to many of the fields on which kids play today. But for us, it was our Stadium. We walked or rode our bikes to the games. No bat bags … fancy spikes … or training camps. Just a glove, if we were lucky.

So many good players … such competition. Yes, we had fun in our pick-up games, and we continued to have fun even after the Little League officially started. But now. Umpires! Bases! Helmets! New balls! Bats! Uniforms! Someone keeping score.

Today, I look at the team pictures and remember the names of most of the faces that smile back at me. In many instances, I can remember specific moments with them, like when I hit my good friend Lou Calderone in the side with a pitch the one and only time I would ever face him in a competitive game. Lenny Schiavi, my catcher in the little league. Bill Anderson, our coach, and his wife who kept score. Billy, their son, a year younger than I was, was an outstanding player, and his younger brother, Jim was our batboy. Too young to play, he eventually became one of the best baseball players to come out of South Plainfield.

By the second year, the league was big in town and it seemed everyone was involved. The parade through town to Boro Park marked opening day with Mr. Joe Farrell, a pioneer in starting the program, announcing the game from behind the backstop. The Dodgers (my team) lost that game to Terry Slater, an eventual teammate in high school and good friend, when Bob DeSesso hit a home run. I can remember being very emotional afterwards. But maybe we had the last laugh so to speak. We won the second half of the league and then beat the Braves in a best of three playoff.

The season was always divided into two halves with the winners playing each other for the championship. If one team won both halves, as the Giants did the first year of the league, then they played an all star team in a game.

I was lucky enough to throw the first no hitter in the South Plainfield Little League, and, Paul Phillips hit the first home run. Where are those young men today? I calculate that they would be between 68 and 72 years old. Nick Muzzilo, Fred Eckert, Reese Kirchoffer, Gordon Lynn, Wally VanFleet, Rich Capraro, Bill Delayo. Some are no longer with us, but when I think of them, I remember them from that time, 11- and 12-year-olds running the bases, catching flies, scoring runs … smiling and having a good time as we were sure that time would last forever as would our youth.

Memories give life meaning and bring a sense of happiness and satisfaction to our lives, especially when they are positive memories. Playing in the South Plainfield Little League those two years was certainly a positive experience. Skills were developed; friendships were formed; character traits were molded.

Today, occasionally the horror story emerges about outrageous little league behaviors, especially, it seems from the adults. We had disagreements, I’m sure, but I can’t remember behavior that was rude or hostile, and when the game was over we were still all friends. And those adults, Steve Timko, Joe Farrell, Tom Orlando, Bob Gilbert, Bill Anderson devoted their time because they loved the kids and baseball.

What a wonderful time in our lives. What wonderful memories.


Ron Kuboski graduated from South Plainfield High School in 1962, lettering in both baseball and basketball. Ron moved on to King’s College for undergrad and Fairleigh Dickinson where he earned his master’s degree. He eventually came back to South Plainfield High to teach English and coach both the varsity baseball and basketball teams.

His 1974 baseball team won the Mid-state Conference championship and had the most victories (18) of any SP team up to that time. His 1975 team won the Group II Central Jersey Championship and finished 21 – 9. Ron won both the Middlesex County and Daily News Coach of the Year awards in 1975.

Ron was one of the original Small Fry League players in 1955. He played for the Small Fry League Dodgers, winning the championship in 1956 and for the Red Sox in the Pony League winning the championship in 1957, ’58, and ’59, a record of success any of our alums would be hard pressed to match!

18 Comments

  • Pete Maniscalco says:

    Great article. Enjoyed it.

  • Philip Feltham says:

    This brings back many great memories. I too played in those early days. I played for the Tigers coached by John Kaplin. The uniforms had the name of team sponsors mostly local businesses. La Costas Barber Shop was our sponsor.

  • Randy Carone says:

    Great article. In the summer, we (brother Bob and I) would eat breakfast, get on our bikes and head to Franklin Field. So simple. So much fun. Home for lunch. Back to Franklin Field. Home for dinner. Back to Franklin Field. Trying to decide when it was too dark to play ball.

  • Lynn says:

    Great article, Ron! Hard to believe you were only 12 yrs older than us when you were teaching at SPHS. I loved growing up in SP & I get more nostalgic for it as I get older. They say your heart never truly leaves the place where you were born & raised. This is true in my case. Enjoyed your well written article

  • Jim Manning says:

    Remember you had a hell of a fast ball Ron. I was #8 on the 1955 Rotary Club Yanks. Was just thinking back about those days when Yogi passed.

  • M. Bruno says:

    Great article…Growing up in SP was definitely my Wonder Years time.

  • Reese says:

    Best pick off move to third base. EVER !!!! Fun to watch

  • Tom Stukane says:

    Great description of part of a boy’s life in SP. For those of us who were not good at baseball, little league was a struggle but, in hindsight, a great life lesson. Since there was not much else to do, I learned how to try harder. So glad they did not give us all trophies.

  • Cathy Easton says:

    Great article! I remember going to SP Little League baseball games for years to cheer for my brother, Tom, as a player, and for my dad’s teams as he coached. Warm memories!

  • Laurie Quagliariello says:

    I had Mr Kuboski for English in high school at SPHS

  • rick tarnowski says:

    Ron, thanks for the article. good to learn that you became both a teacher and coach. I could never hit your curveball! I remember one game in high school when a pro scout had come to evaluate an opponents third baseman and left talking only about your pitching performance. good to hear from and about you.

  • Ladd Kochman says:

    Ronnie…that’s what I remember…this is Ladd Kochman. Remember me from Grant School?

  • Phil Massa says:

    Great piece Coach. I could smell the grass, hear the fans and escape back to that time for a few minutes. My wife asked me what I was smiling about, I told her “it’s a SP thing, you wouldn’t understand “.

  • I was part of that 74’championship team even though we had some talented players we would have never have gotten as far as we did without Coach K’s commitment to winning,passion and building character. Thanks coach for that great articile and the memories!

  • Linda Hartpence Bohl says:

    My brother Dave Hartpence played on the “sandlot” field in the corner of Franklin and Grant Ave along with Jack Gordon, Charlie Oaks and other neighborhood friends. I was their tag along cheer leader, bat and ball girl! Great memories from simpler times!

  • Thanks, Ron. Great article! I remember my brother, Joe, being in Little League and the teams marching in parades. He passed away 14 years ago, but we have lots of wonderful pictures of him and his team from the 50s. Great to have it all come into focus and remembered in your article.

  • Bill Anderson says:

    It was good reviewing South Plainfield baseball through the eyes of an ex-Dodger teammate.

  • Ladd Kochman says:

    Ron, I just read your recollection of South Plainfield in the mid-fifties. Would have been there with you if the family hadn’t moved to Plainfield in ‘56. Played Little League there when 11 and 12. Hit a three-run homer in the all-star game but lost to the national league 7 to 3. I played baseball against Schiavi and basketball with Terry Slater. I never clicked at PHS. Would have been happier at SPHS. But then it was in Plainfield that I got the idea of attending WVU where I met my wife and launched an incredibly lucky life. As you may know, Plainfield was a special place in the ‘40s and ‘50s. Joe Black the Dodger ran the Optimist baseball program in the summer. Got to know him very well. I’m rambling but who cares…you will probably never see this response.

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