Amsterdam fans loved the Rugmaker’s Vince Ventura for a couple of real good reasons. First of all, in addition to being a solid pitcher for the 1939 team, posting a 10-4 record with an ERA of just 3.31, the multi-talented New York City native also filled in at third base for manager Eddie Sawyer’s ball club and averaged .309 at the plate that season.

The second reason Ventura was a popular figure in the Rug City was his Italian heritage…

You can read the rest of my story about this former Amsterdam Rugmaker in my new book “A Year’s Worth of Amsterdam Birthdays.” To order your copy, click here.