A vintage baseball game between teams from Ansonia and Derby takes place this month, and officials from Ansonia are confident their team will come out on top.
The game will hark back to the late 19th century, when teams of tradesmen from the two cities would form baseball teams and play against one another.
The match-up is part of the city’s “Summerfest,” an eight-hour festival July 19 at Nolan Field on Wakelee Avenue.
And in an effort to drum up more interest in the game, Phil Tripp, the president of Ansonia’s Board of Aldermen, suggested a friendly bet between the two cities during Tuesday’s regular board meeting.
Tripp outlined the bet thus:
If the Ansonia team wins, the Derby Aldermen have to serve a meal at Ansonia’s senior center.
If Derby wins, Ansonia officials will have to serve a meal at Derby’s senior center.
“I just wanted to poll the Aldermen here present to see if they are up to such a challenge,” Tripp asked.
“Absolutely,” Charles Stowe, a First Ward Alderman, responded immediately.
The rest concurred, voting unanimously to throw down the gauntlet to Derby.
Barbara DeGennaro, Tripp’s counterpart in Derby, said via e‑mail Wednesday she hadn’t heard about the challenge yet.
“I am unsure what our response would be,” she said.
Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti said Wednesday says he’s been scouting the teams progress throughout their practices over the past couple of months.
So will the Ansonia team — the “Coppermen” — beat Derby’s “Osbornedales”?
“Absolutely,” Cassetti said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
The team won’t rely on any secret weapons or gimmicks to win, the mayor said.
Just “dynamic players.”
Does he have a bet with his counterpart in Derby, Anita Dugatto?
Not yet, Cassetti said Wednesday, but perhaps she’d be amenable to wagering a dinner at a nice restaurant over the outcome.
Click the play button on the video above to see Cassetti’s comments.
