Community Magazine July 2016

R ed’s love for America’s favorite past time began as a young boy, when he was taken to Shea Stadium to see the Mets play the Dodgers. From 1965 to 1967, he and his brother Larry watched these two New York teams battle it out. “At the time, I thought those were the only teams that ever played, because those were the only games I ever saw,” Larry jokes. Fred Nesser, Red’s nephew, notes the way baseball – a gentleman’s game – carried over into his every day life. “He led by example,” Fred says of this consummate team player. “He was a walking ‘ pirkei avot ’ on and off the field. Respect came first, second, and third. On the field, no matter how bad of a play a person may have made, he never put his teammate down,” Fred said. “You might get that certain ‘Red look,’ but only if you weren’t giving it your all. Playing ‘the right way’ was everything to him.” Red’s behavior as a player was exemplary. He talked graciously to umpires and teammates alike and was always cordial to his opponents. “People talk about knowing how to lose,” Fred says of his uncle. “Perhaps more important than that, he knew how to win, never rubbing it in.” Jack Haddad was fifteen years old in 1976, when he first met Red. That year, the two of them played for the Red Devils. They won the championship together and cemented a bond that would last for 40 years. With faith in Jack’s talent, Red eventually set up a major league tryout for him. DAVE GORDON THE ULTIMATE TEAM PLAYER An icon in the Deal, N.J. softball league for decades, Robert Isaac “Red” Nesser, believed that sportsmanship and integrity went together like a ball and a glove. A TRIBUTE TO RED NESSER – Born February 11, 1948, Red Nesser, a celebrated athlete, professional driver and art gallery owner, grew up a sports fan. He rooted in particular for the Brooklyn Dodgers while pursuing passions that included wrestling, bowling, and softball. Wearing the number 6 jersey, Red played first base and was a dominant southpaw pitcher. Over forty years, he would come to earn eight championship trophies for teams such as Fiddler on the Goof, Red Devils, and Gemal’s Pals. (L-R) Red Nesser with ‘Old School’ teammate Jack Zalta in 2003. 28 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE