By Mary Ann Tarr

Moving to Atlanta was likely going to be the dominant thing for the Klisures family in 1992. However, the biggest thing that happened to the former Hamilton family during The Summer of ’92 was Little League baseball.

“You may remember I was the kid whose family had already moved out of our house in New Jersey and were supposed to move to Atlanta whenever the season ended,” said Scott Klisures, who was a member of the Nottingham Little League All-Stars in ’92.  This was the team that captured the hearts of the township (and later, much of the eastern seaboard) during a run that landed the “Hamilton Square Gang” in the U.S. Final of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

“We knew we had a good team, but the thought of going all the way to the Little League World Series never even crossed our mind!” Klisures said. “So, we ended up living in hotels throughout the whole summer.

“And then we moved to Atlanta so late in the summer that I actually started seventh grade about two weeks late.  The other kids, especially some of the baseball players, knew there was going to be a new kid coming to school who played in the LLWS, so there was some intrigue about me.  I think they were expecting a giant kid who would dominate their league … but then a 4-foot-11, 85-pound kid showed up to their surprise – and disappointment, I’m sure.”

Klisures was not a disappointment as he completed a nice youth baseball career and made the all-county team as a pitcher in high school.  “Unfortunately I injured my shoulder at the end of my senior year and it never really healed so that was the end of my baseball career,” he said.

However, he and the other members of the special NLL All-Star squad have tons of memories from that magical summer.

“The specific moment that I remember and cherish the most was when we were down 6-4 in the sixth inning to Rhode Island in the eastern regional tournament,” Klisures said. “And Matt O’Neill came to bat with two runners on and two outs. He took two pitches for balls, and then swung and missed on two pitches – and he looked awful on those two pitches.  I was coaching first base that inning (although adult coaches perform those duties now, formerly players were required to be near first and third bases to help guide their teammates) and I distinctly remember thinking that he didn’t have a chance after seeing those two swings, and I felt a sense of dread that we were going to lose the game.  And then, just when I thought all hope was lost, he connected on an opposite-field home run to put us up 7-6 and I’m pretty sure that was the purest, most unbridled joy I’ve ever experienced in my life.  Someone actually caught this moment on home video, and you can hear how crazy everyone went — especially the guy holding the camera and screaming ‘O’NEILL!!’ the whole time.”

Funny thing about Matt O’Neill was that he was the last one selected for the 14-player roster yet he blossomed into one of the stars of the All-Stars.

“Yes, I think I was the last selected for the team,” said O’Neill, currently a history teacher at Ithaca (NY) High School. “I think Mr. (Jerry) Conti said I was picked because I was fast and a good bunter.

“Hilarious that I was thought of as fast. I think it was more that I was tall for my age, so it just took me less steps to get from home to first.”

O’Neill had other key moments on a team led by star shortstop/pitcher Matt Wolski.

“When I think of the summer of ’92, my first memory is stepping off the bus when we arrived in Williamsport coming (directly) from the regional championship game in Bristol (Conn.). I’m pretty sure it was night by the time we got there but we could still see the field at the bottom of the giant hill. I’m pretty sure the whole team took off running to get a better look at the field and just being in awe of the size of the stands and the hill past the outfield fence.

“Another great memory is from the first World Series game against the South (South Lake Charles, La.).  It was late in the game, fourth or fifth inning. We were up and as I was up to bat the South made a pitching change. I went down to talk to Mr. Wolski (Matt’s father, also named Matt, who served as a coach of the NLL All-Stars).  As the pitcher warmed up, Mr. Wolski said ‘Hey, just keep doing what you’ve been doing.  Keep your hands back, your head down, look for a ball to drive.  Just need a base hit … but a home run sure would be pretty, wouldn’t it?’  A few pitches later I hit one over the right field fence.  Mr. Wolski was right, it was pretty.”

Nottingham defeated South Lake Charles, 5-0, in the first night game ever played at Lamade Stadium.  Long Beach, Calif., defeated Nottingham the next game 6-4 but the Hamilton Square contingent earned a chance to play in the U.S. Final with a 5-2 victory over South Holland, Ill.

Now a professor with Louisiana State University, Adam Famoso pitched the final game for Nottingham.  He was sharp on the mound, but Long Beach won 1-0 on a home run just inside the right field foul pole.

“I don’t have a specific top memory from that summer,” he said.  “I have many fond memories from those summers playing baseball.  I’m surprised with how much detail I remember some of the things, from games, practice or traveling for games.”

Famoso also acknowledges the impact it has made on his life.

“I appreciate the life lessons that are learned through youth sports,” he said. “Things like being prepared, working hard than your competition, moving forward after mistakes or losses, etc.  I look forward to using baseball as a mechanism to teach these things to my boys.”

With wife Anne, Famoso has two little boys – Theodore (almost 3 years old) and Henry (nearly 1).

Brandon Kivler, who moved from the township to live in Hopewell and now resides in Ardmore, Pa., would also like to share the father/son bond of sports with his two boys, ages 5 and 3.

“I love playing golf and played some softball for a few years,” said Kivler, who played high school and American Legion baseball for Hopewell. “I haven’t done any coaching yet but hope to as the boys get older.”

What Kivler cherishes from the summer of ’92 are a combination of on- and off-field situations.

“My top memory is all the fun we had off the field in between games or celebrating wins,” he said. “My favorite on-the-field moment was when we won the Eastern Regional and punched our ticket to Williamsport.”

Members of the 1992 Nottingham Little League All-Stars met for a 25th anniversary reunion Saturday at the Trenton Thunder. Some of the attendees are, from left, Mike Braender, Matt Slaiciunas, Matt Wolski, Mark Fisher, Brandon Kivler and Ray Procaccini. As John Tedder, one of the township’s historians noted many years ago, “this summer forever changed the way District 12 viewed Little League Baseball. No longer was Williamsport an impossible dream.”

An economic consultant, Kivler loves telling people that he played in the LLWS when he was 12 and uses it as a “fun fact.”

After playing baseball throughout school, including at Susquehanna University, Clay Nixon lives within walking distance of Camden Yards. An analyst for a marketing firm, Nixon is into weightlifting and powerlifting and says he will volunteer with one of the local Baltimore schools as a strength coach.

“(There are) too may great memories to single one out,” Nixon said of the Summer of ’92. “Thinking back, the entire Williamsport part of the summer is what sticks out most; playing on a national stage at 11 years old was an amazing experience (most of the players were 12 but there were some 11s on the all-star teams).

“The magnitude of what we were able to accomplish hits me every August when the LLWS starts.”

With Jerry Conti as the manager, and Matt Wolski as the coach, the following players were part of the magnitude:

Mike Braender, Brad Cannon, Chad Conti, Adam Famoso, Mark Fisher, Tony Frascella, Brandon Kivler, Scott Klisures, Clay Nixon, Matt O’Neill, Ray Procaccini, Matt Slaiciunas, Matt Wolski, and the late Jeff Vlasac.