Ken Goodwin, a retired sales manager, led a group of owners with the franchise in Trenton, and the team would feature former Major League Baseball players Curt Blefary, Danny Napoleon and Joe Pepitone.
[9][10] New Jersey struggled out of the gate in the inaugural 1977 professional softball season, finishing the year 16-38 (.296), 4th in the Eastern Division, 17.5 games back of the Baltimore Monuments.
[2][11] Major League Baseball alumni Curt Blefary, coach, second-base and pitcher, and Danny Napoleon, catcher, were with the Statesmen in 1977.
[12][13][14][15] The team changed names for 1978, Curt Blefary took over as manager, and the now Trenton Statesmen improved to a 28-36 (.438) record, 9 games back of the New England Pilgrims and again out of the APSPL playoffs.
[19] The Statesmen also featured former New York Yankee Joe Pepitone (110-225, .489, 14 HRs, 61 RBIs) showed himself to be a competent softballer, and in 1978, Trenton turned down an offer of $30,000 from Detroit to purchase his contract.