History of Baseball in Chester
Chester Little League
1953-2011
Little League came to Chester in 1953 when a man by the name of Austin W. Thompson talked the Chester Rotary Club into sponsoring a supervised baseball team. From the accounts in the old newspaper clippings it may have been due to his nephews and their friends pestering Mr. Thompson. With himself named as the treasurer and 92 dollars in the Peapack-Gladstone bank, the CLL was born. In 1954 CLL paid 50 dollars to join the MBC League (Mendham-Brookside-Chester League) and this continued thru the years in one form or another until 1978 when Mendham split off to form a separate chartered league. In the early 1960's Flanders and Long Valley joined the MBC League and the name was changed to West Morris Little League to accommodate the new towns. This lasted until 1969 when both Flanders and Long Valley dropped out to form their own Leagues. In 1970, Peapack-Gladstone (Gladpack) was approved to join the League. From what we can tell, Chester Little League in its current configuration came about in the early 1980's as all the towns finally went in their own directions. This is a pieced together history by some older news clippings we have. If anyone has insights or contact with anyone from those golden years of Chester Little League, please get them in touch with us we would love to get the story up here!!!!
Chester Baseball and Softball
2012-2015
A new year and a new league. The BOD of the former Chester Little League voted to move to Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken for the 2012 season. The new League will be known as Chester Baseball & Softball.
Chester - Mendham Little League
2016
In the Fall and Winter of 2015, Chester Baseball and Softball and Mendham Little League began discussing in earnest the possibility of merging their operations to provide a better experience for the boys and girls of both towns. In March 2016, plans were officially ratified for the towns to join together in both baseball and softball.
2008 Marked the 25th Anniversary of the Chester Little League's 11-12's winning the Morris County Tournament. The Team was as follows:
Derek Pukash Kurt Anderson
Doug Compton Curt Cleland
Mike Doran Josh Wood
Sam Krutisia Chris Paul
John Harrington John Vilade
John Finnigan Seth Taylor
Eric Hettich
A Word from a member of the 1983 District Champs SEE BELOW:
I want to personally thank the the Chester LL for recognizing the 1983 Morris County LL Championship team on this 25th anniversary of an improbable county championship. 1983 was a great summer with a bunch of terrific kids from Chester and Gladpack, forming an underdog, "all small-town" All Star team that came out of nowhere to do something really special.
What most folks may not know is that the 1983 team had to beat a tough and heavily favored Madison LL team TWICE in two days to win that championship (Madison was undefeated and we carried one tournament loss). In seemingly unending and hard-fought against teams from all over Morris County, a game 1 championship no-hitter from the Chester LL All Stars was thrown in Madison and a final 14-run offensive explosion against Madison back in Chester the very next day was the pinnacle of game 2 for the final win. The 1983 team would also want folks to know that we handily defeated a previously deemed "unbeatable" Morristown National team along the way.
It was certainly a summer to remember --- and as a 12-year old kid from Peapack-Gladstone (along with my PG buddies Josh Wood, Curt Cleland and a young Kurt Anderson), to be able to play with kids who were our rivals during the regular season like Mike Doran, Sammy Krutisia. (a home-run hitting machine that summer), John Harrington, Derek Pukash and Johnny Finnegan and all of the other guys on that team to create such a magic All-Star summer, was a thrill!
That magic summer of Little League baseball helped define our youth. Thanks to Coach Jim Jerbasi wherever you are and thanks for the memories to the boys of the summer of '83!
John Vilade
- Chester LL All Star Team 1983
Pitcher, Gladpack
Past Presidents
Littel League- Chester Little League
Founder 1953-Austin W. Thompson
1954-1955-Ralph Welsh-Mendham
1956-George Connett-Brookside
1957-1959-Richard McDade- Chester
1960-1961-Andrew Keblish-Hackettstown
1962-1966-Anthony Cillo- Mendham
1967-David Edelman-Flanders
1968-1979-Cassie Bowers-Chester
1980-Mary Braswell-Chester
1981-Vernice Robbins-Dover
1982-1984-Thomas Howe-Chester
1985-1993-James Jerbasi-Chester
1994-1996-Diana Brey-Chester
1997-2006-Brett Peterson- Chester
2007-2008- Dennis Farley- Chester
2009-2011- Bruce Schmeal-Chester
Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken- Chester Baseball and Softball
2012- 2013 - Doug Donofrio- Chester
