Enjoy a Game of Vintage Base Ball at Mackinac Island
Andrew Norton
The Fort Mackinac Never Sweats will battle the Rochester Grangers in a match (vintage term for a game) of vintage base ball (yes, base ball is not one word when you are talking about vintage base ball) tomorrow, July 22, at 7 p.m. The two club nines (that is vintage speak for teams) will play at the old Scout Ballfield behind Fort Mackinac. Tickets are $15 for families, $5 for adults, and $3 for youth (ages 6-17), children under 6 are free. Vintage base ball is played under rules from when the game was in its infancy. Rules from the mid 1800s are used as well as uniforms from that earlier period. Forget using gloves and don't worry if a sky ball (flyball) hits the ground because according to the vintage base ball rules it is okay to catch the onion (ball) on a bound (bounce) and still record a dead (out).
Here are some more vintage base ball terms matched up with current baseball terms -
- Cranks = Fans (how appropriate considering some fans behavior)
- Baller = Player
- Bowler = Pitcher
- Daisy Cutter = Sharp Grounder
- Striker = Hitter
If you can't make it to Mackinac island for the game, the Ludington Mariners will pit their nine against the Fallasburg Cubs from Lowell this Saturday at 1 p.m. The match will be played at Historic White Pine Village in Ludington. Admission to Historic White Pine village is $7 for adults, $5 for youth ages 6-17, and children under 6 are free.
P.S. The World Tournament of Historic Base Ball will be held August 4-6 at Greenfield Village. Check out the details here.