The story of the Bombers softball team began in the early 1960’s when Bob Brennan and Jerry Hemenway met and became close friends during their early college days at Fairfield University.  Besides double dating with their future wives to be, there was a considerable amount of time spent playing Wiffle ball on the grass esplanade outside the Brennan house on West Morgan Avenue. Frequently Dennis Watkins, Danny Brennan, Billy Kearns, and Jimmy Stone would join Bob and Jerry in the games. The Wiffle Ball games were fun, but lacked the basics of fielding different positions, running the bases, and throwing base runners out on close plays. Knowing that their (at least Jerry’s) playing days in organized hardball such as the Senior City League was not a realistic option, their conversations over a real beer (not O’doules), or three, centered around forming a slow pitch softball team as that sport seemed to be growing in popularity and more closely fit their skill level at the time.

 

Bob and Jerry started by coming up with a potential team roster. Besides themselves they felt they could recruit Billy Kearns, Jimmy Stone, Danny Brennan and some of his talented, athletic, but young friends who were only 14 years old at the time. Tommy Brennan, Ernie Delia, Michael Kearns, and Richie Polumbo would take some prodding, but would most likely play. Bob came across and recruited two former classmates of his from Notre Dame of Bridgeport – Al Roberts and Tommy Lynch. Thus with their somewhat “motley crew” they found some practice fields, and got themselves into some kind of playing shape. Not an easy task as they had a lot of people who wanted to play catcher. 

 

Next they addressed the problem of who we would play, or better yet who would play us. In those days there were few leagues and they were somewhat restrictive and talented, so Bob and Jerry decided their best chance was to find social/church groups willing to play “beer games”. Friends of Richie Palumbo – John Simses and Billy Menty- played on an Espiscopal Church team who were willing to play the unnamed “motley crew of catholics” for beer. So the crew headed down to diamond #9 at Seaside Park in the summer of 1962 to play their first organized softball game. Thus began what was to become the slow pitch softball team known as the “BOMBERS”. Most of the initial members of the team continued to play under the leadership of Bob “The Coach” Brennan until our sons became age eligible to take over and play in the Fairfield Recreation Wednesday and Thursday night leagues. 

 

The “BOMBERS” are currently playing in their 50th year of uninterrupted play. Hopefully, the current team members will continue to play to turn the team over to their sons.   

by Dick Douglas 

2012