Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 02:24:38 -0500 From: "Barry A. Popik" Subject: New Jersey Yankees???? From one of my citations, I discovered that the "club sandwich" is an Americanism that originated around the turn of the century at the Pennsylvania Club, in the then-famous resort town of Long Branch, New Jersey. A few months ago, I visited Long Branch for the first time. I searched and searched through the Long Branch Record. Did I find the origin of the Club Sandwich? Did I? No. I found the origin of the ICE CREAM sandwich!! It originated on Wall Street in August 1900, as I posted here a few months ago. It was an enormously productive day nonetheless. The Long Branch Record was very easy to read, and it picked up the most interesting items from major cities such as New York and Philadelphia. This weekend, I returned again to Long Branch to continue my quest for the club sandwich. It was a strange time to come. Patrick King, a very well-liked policeman, had been shot in a Chinese restaurant. (His killer was shot at the George Washington Bridge after a long chase.) I saw a "God Bless You, Patrick King" sign. I arrived in time for the funeral procession, which I read somewhere had 10,000 New Jersey cops. I figured Long Branch deserved a club sandwich. So, did I NOW find the club sandwich?? No. But it was still a productive day. I got an "Automat." I got a "trouble hunter." I got tons of other things that I can't post here. And I also got "Yankees." GEORGE COSTANZA: You got "Yankees"? POPIK: Do you knock? How'd you get in here? Doesn't SEINFELD know that most New Yorkers bolt their doors? GEORGE COSTANZA: I'll tell the Boss! As posted here, the New York Yankees were originally the New York Highlanders. They were first called the New York "Yankees" in William Randolph Hearst's (found "candid camera" there) New York Evening Journal in April 1904, in sports pages that were edited by Harry Beecher, the grandnephew of Harriet Beecher Stowe. Long Branch, New Jersey had a Yankee Athletic Club. In the Long Branch Record of 15 November 1903, pg .2, col. 3, under Foot Ball Notes, there is a story about the game that the "Yankees" played. New York City also had a Yankees football club, by the way, but it was later than the baseball one. Then, in the Long Branch Record of 27 March 1903, pg. 1, col. 4: Yankees Base Ball Club. All members of the Yankee Athletic Club who wish to run for a position on the base ball team of that club are requested to meet at the hospital grounds, opposite the New York and Long Branch Railroad depot, Saturday, March 28th, at 1 p.m. On 15 May 1903, pg. 1, col. 3 was: YANKEES LOSE FIRST BASE BALL GAME GEORGE STEINBRENNER: That's amazing! When is this going to appear in Yankees Magazine? POPIK: When I finish "subway series." I've been waiting six months for the MTA to hire an archivist so I can research the Subway Sun. They told me January! I'll do "Yankees," "Bronx Bombers," and "Subway Series" together. I also have to give stuff to Paul Dickson for his new Baseball Dictionary. GEORGE STEINBRENNER: I heard about your boss not saying hello to you after your parents died. That's awful! That would never happen with Boss Steinbrenner! POPIK: Thanks. GEORGE STEINBRENNER: I'd say: "You're fired!"