Tom King

It has become an annual celebration of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.

In the last year or two the circuit decided it is old enough now to have a Hall of Fame. It will start its 13th season in May, 2023.

But this current weekend in Leicester, Mass., the Hall of Fame induction, scheduled for Friday night, is really the celebration of a franchise – your Nashua Silver Knights.

It’s fitting. Thanks to this past August’s dramatic victory in Vermont, the Silver Knights own six of the 12 FCBL championships, including the first two. The franchise is the only one remaining from the Core Four, so to speak, as Torrington (gone), Martha’s Vineyard (now in the NECBL) and Seacoast (gone) are no longer in the picture. Within a couple of years of its 2011 start, the league grew to 10 teams, probably a bit too quickly, and is now at a healthy, manageable eight. Eventually, it will probably grow to 10.

But this Hall of Fame class includes former Nashua manager and VP of Player Personnel B.J. Neverett, a constant for the first nine years; former Knights pitching coach and manager (also former Worcester manager) J.P. Pyne, former Knights slugger and 2016 league MVP Mickey Gasper (.421 batting, .532 on-base), former Silver Knight Ryan Gendron, who later had two great years at Seacoast, and that entire 2011 Nashua title team from the league’s inaugural season.

The only inductee with no Silver Knight ties is former Torrington standout and MV manager Mike Odenwaelder, a former Orioles farmhand, is the only inductee with no Nashua ties.

Thus, this just isn’t the celebration of a league, it’s the celebration of a franchise. There have been other franchises that have done some great things. Knights owner John Creedon, Jr.’s other team, the Worcester Bravehearts were a finals staple for several years. Former Nashua Pride owner Chris English’s Vermont franchise has played in two finals in its two seasons with one title and is a top draw.

But, when you look at the FCBL, Nashua is the constant. Attendance has often been more than respectable, the team has always been well run, Holman Stadium is probably the best in the league, and the team on the field has missed the playoffs once in 12 years and been to seven finals. It has had two owners, with Drew Weber establishing the culture and Creedon taking things even further.

Neverett, who was one of the original hires in November of 2010, could never have envisioned this.

“No, I was around for the Pirates and Angels and Pride,” Neverett said. “I was around for all that stuff. Back when that was going on, I thought that was pretty cool.

“I think what we have is a really solid league, we have a great owner, the organization is in great hands.

“And here’s the thing: This is the perfect thing for the community, college wooden bat, the community still gets to come in and use the stadium when they can in the summer. I think it’s just right. Minor league ball was a long season and they’d be there for a week at a time. This is different, it’s well run, they care about the fans.”

Neverett will watch from afar, as he put in his nine years to help ensure the product on the field was entertaining for the fans. No one wants to watch bad baseball, and he doesn’t feel that will ever be an issue.

“They had a very good season drawing this year,” he said. “They’re going to keep that going, the Creedon family is very successful.

“They know what they’re doing, they care about the fans. It’s going to continue.”

Let the celebration not only begin, but let it also continue for a long time.

Tom King can be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or on twitter @Telegraph _TomK.