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Wednesday, April 20, 2011

1937: THE PHILLIES AND SENATORS COME TO DUNN FIELD TRENTON

Do you remember Dunn Field? It was over on the Brunswick Circle within the bounds of Princeton and Brunswick Avenues. I was an occasional visitor to Dunn Field during my Trenton Giant years. It was also the home field of the Trenton Senators back in the 1930's. Imagine how excited local Phillies fans were when the team came to Dunn field for an exhibition game!
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I played many a game on the former Dunn Field lot. Penn Fruit, a large supermarket was nice enough to keep the field mowed and all of our pick up games were played there and that was almost daily during the summers of the late 1950's into the 1960's. It is currently the State Lottery and I think the grass is gone. Oddly, as kids this never came up and we never made the connection between the Dunnfield Auto Parts store across from it on Princeton Avenue. That patch of ground was also the home of Pix Hamburgers (5 for a $1) and Circle Lanes. Skip
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
THANKS FOR THAT INTERESTING INPUT, SKIP. THANKS ALSO FOR VISITING!
Blogger Michael said...

Just to clarify matters, Dunn Field was owned by the Diocese of Tremton, It never contained "Circle Lanes" which was owned by John Mastrasimone, the father of Dr. Angelo Mastrosimone, John Simone the prominent Real Estate Broker, and The famous Playright son who wrote the Burning Bed. The "lanes were located across the street, directly across from Heavy Salvage Yard On Princeton Ave. Penn Fruit was located a large store there and the Post office built a substation on the Brunswick Ave. frontage. Tommy Heath was the Manager of the Trenton Giants, and I saw Willie Mays play there along with Robin Roberts, and others in the old Interstate League. The kids were allowed in free in what was called "The knot hole gang" We were not close to the action, but we were inside the field. Does anyone remember in I think 1946 the polio epidemic kept the park dark because of the scare of spreading the disease. Who among us could forget wearing the "Duke Tabacco pouches filled with camphor to ward off the disease? In regards to the "Industrial League", my cousin Chet Kuzma played for American Steel and Wire's team for a number of years.An outstanding athlete, whose abilities did run in the family, unfortunately! Regards Mike Kuzma
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Delete

Blogger Michael said...

correction:did not run in the family Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Delete

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry Mike, I should have written that we hit the ball from alongside the Penn Fruit wall and into Pix or Circle Lanes, usually on a bounce but Ed Smolinski and a few other were known to put one over traffic. He tried out for the Phillies. Skip
Thursday, April 21, 2011

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I played many a game on the former Dunn Field lot. Penn Fruit, a large supermarket was nice enough to keep the field mowed and all of our pick up games were played there and that was almost daily during the summers of the late 1950's into the 1960's.

It is currently the State Lottery and I think the grass is gone.

Oddly, as kids this never came up and we never made the connection between the Dunnfield Auto Parts store across from it on Princeton Avenue. That patch of ground was also the home of Pix Hamburgers (5 for a $1) and Circle Lanes.

Skip

Michael said...

Just to clarify matters, Dunn Field was owned by the Diocese of Tremton, It never contained "Circle Lanes" which was owned by John Mastrasimone, the father of Dr. Angelo Mastrosimone, John Simone the prominent Real Estate Broker, and The famous Playright son who wrote the Burning Bed. The "lanes were located across the street, directly across from Heavy Salvage Yard On Princeton Ave.
Penn Fruit was located a large store there and the Post office built a substation on the Brunswick Ave. frontage.
Tommy Heath was the Manager of the Trenton Giants, and I saw Willie Mays play there along with Robin Roberts, and others in the old Interstate League.
The kids were allowed in free in what was called
"The knot hole gang"
We were not close to the action, but we were inside the field.
Does anyone remember in I think 1946 the polio epidemic kept the park dark because of the scare of spreading the disease. Who among us could forget wearing the "Duke Tabacco pouches filled with camphor to ward off the disease?

In regards to the "Industrial League", my cousin Chet Kuzma played for American Steel and Wire's team for a number of years.
An outstanding athlete, whose abilities did run in the family, unfortunately!

Regards

Mike Kuzma

Michael said...

correction:did not run in the family

Anonymous said...

Sorry Mike, I should have written that we hit the ball from alongside the Penn Fruit wall and into Pix or Circle Lanes, usually on a bounce but Ed Smolinski and a few other were known to put one over traffic. He tried out for the Phillies.

Skip

Anonymous said...

Dunn Field was property owned by an Irish Immigrate, (that how it got the name Dunn) who donated it to the Catholic Church. Who intern sold it against her wishes. The grandson of Mrs Dunn, was Hamilton former Mayor David C. Goodwin

Tom Glover said...

THANKS FOR THAT INFO, ANONYMOUS. I KNEW THE DIOCESE OWNED THE PROPERTY BUT DIDN'T KNOW OF DUNN NOR FORMER MAYOR GOODWIN.

TOM GLOVER