Portage, Michigan stepped into a time machine this weekend, as Ramona Park transformed into a 19th-century baseball mecca for the third annual Vintage Base Ball Festival - that's "base ball" with two words, just as they spelled it back in the 1860s. Players from 23 teams, including the Chicago Salmon Base Ball Club and the Bluegrass Barons, duked it out under historical rulesets from 1860, 1864, and 1867, all without the convenience, or hindrance, depending on who you ask, of modern baseball gloves. According to WOODTV, nostalgia was in no short supply as participants and onlookers alike indulged in the pastime of generations gone by.
Interestingly, although catching a ball 'on the bound' - off a single bounce, that is; was perfectly acceptable until rules changed in 1865, offering a glimpse into how the sport's rules have evolved, while Chris Fusciardi, captain of the Continental Base Ball Club of Kalamazoo and the festival's organizer, highlighted the pure joy of playing the game: “It takes practice and skill to get that down so you don’t break your fingers,” Fusciardi explained the nuances of gloveless play, per MLive.
The community response was overwhelmingly positive, as evidenced by the lined-up canopies and curious spectators peppering the fields with eager eyes and a barrage of questions about the peculiarities of the historic game, with some even expressing amazement at the athleticism displayed under archaic conditions. “We’ve seen a lot of good turnout from the community and a lot of people asking questions, saying 'Hey, that team is really amazing'," Fusciardi told WWMT.
