Hoboken, the birthplace of baseball, has another historic chapter: "Chillin In Russia, Hoboken's Triple Play," a documentary following the Hoboken baseball team selected to tour the Soviet Union. The trip profoundly changed the lives of these young men, who were celebrated as heroes with a parade on their return.
In 1985, coaches William Culhane, Joseph Reinhard and Walter (Binky) Lebhrink Jr. scouted Hoboken Little League teams, handpicked the 17 best players and crisscrossed northern New Jersey challenging other Sandy Koufax teams. Within two years, the team, without even a home field, won its division, state and Northeast Regional championships in 1987 with a 22-1 record, then took fourth at the Koufax World Series in Puerto Rico.
The trip was the idea of U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey after a visit to Russia, and he chose Hoboken, home of the first "official" game of modern baseball in 1846. Taco Bell was the principal sponsor. In 1988, the team made eight flights and more than 30 bus trips in 14 days, facing opponents 16 to 20 years old. Despite the language barrier, the biggest surprise was the camaraderie baseball created. On the last day, in Tbilisi, the Ambassadors piled their gear near home plate and gestured for their Georgian hosts to take it.
More finds
Thanks to @hcnyse123, WHSL turned up more about the Ambassadors, the only U.S. team hand-selected to play against Russia, including a proclamation from the City of Hoboken.
Where it began
The first-ever baseball team photo: the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of Hoboken, 1858, via Vintage New Jersey.
WHSL later honored the team with the USA Ambassadors bomber jacket.
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