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General |
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It all started in 1965... |
The Freehold Township Little League (FTLL) opened it's inaugural season on the first Sunday of May in 1965. The season opened with a parade that was organized at the Shop Rite parking lot and continued down Willowbrook Road to the leagues' original home at 3M Field.
The ground was leveled and grass just started to take root on the only field that was created at 3M in 1965. The backstop was constructed out of chicken wire held in place by four telephone poles. A snow fence served as the home run wall at a friendly distance of 185'. All four bases were tied down and the players sat on benches behind wire screens which served as the dugouts. A snack bar was built behind the left field fence.
There were four teams during the leagues' inaugural season - the Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers and Mets. The season was divided into two halves to create more interest. The first games were played on the day of the parade. In 1965, Sunday games could not count in the standings! So the first two games were simply exhibition games.
The league was created and organized by volunteers, with all of the teams being sponsored by local merchants. No fee's were charged to players who were outfitted with Major League replica uniforms containing sewn on letters and numbers.
There were many volunteers who helped to make this possible in 1965. Some of those who were instrumental in creating the league were Morton Brach, Sr., Bill Weber (the second 3M field was named after him), Jim Carney, Bob Ruplash, Ralph Nelson, Sr., Bernie Guinter, and Fred Barth (who built the original snack bar in one weekend).
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The tradition continues... |
In 2008, the FTLL celebrates it's 43rd season with a continued commitment to excellence and sportsmanship for the community. This year, members of the Townships youth, ranging in age from 7 through 16, take the field on teams playing in 7 divisions. In addition, the FTLL is one of a few leagues in New Jersey to have enrollment to support their own divisions for ages 13 and up. This season we are proud to play on the new fields provided in the Townships' outstanding Michael J. Tighe facility.
In 2004, Freehold Twp. captured the Senior League World's Championship, becoming only the fourth team in New Jersey history to win a Little League World's Championship at any level! In 2005, our Junior & Senior teams both won their respective Regional's and advanced to the World Series. In 2007 our Seniors advanced to the World Series marking our 3rd visit to Bangor in 4 years.
For our 4th consecutive year, the FTLL will host the Junior League Eastern Regional Tournament from August 1-7.
The success of the league is the result of the countless hours and dedication by the volunteer board members, managers, coaches, parents, children and the support of Township officials, who all take an active role in making the league a success. All teams are sponsored by local merchants and community members whose generosity supports the purchase of uniforms and league related expenses. Please support our sponsors! We have additional sponsor opportunities as we look to purchase scoreboards, enhance our snack bar facility and to provide amenities for the new fields. Please send us a note if you can help.
If you would like more information about the Freehold Township Little League or would like to volunteer to help, please send us a message at info@ftll.org or call (732) 431-1152.