Barehanded fielding, underhand pitching, and a full day of classic cars are heading to Milford next month, as Miami Meadows Park hosts a vintage baseball tournament and veterans appreciation car show on September 12. The event brings together the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame & Museum's 1869 Red Stockings, the Miami Township Goats, and a City of Milford squad for a day of 19th-century ball alongside a car show, food trucks, and free admission for all activities.
The tournament and car show, first reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer, will unfold at Miami Meadows Park, located at 1546 Ohio 131 in Milford, according to the paper's report. The car show runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with vintage and classic vehicle owners able to register in advance or on-site. Vehicle show registration questions can be directed to Jim at 513-462-3410, per the Enquirer's account.
Three Teams, Authentic 1869 Rules
The baseball action features three teams squaring off across the day: the City of Milford takes on the 1869 Red Stockings at noon, the Miami Township Goats face Milford at roughly 1:30 p.m., and the Red Stockings close things out against the Goats at approximately 3 p.m., the Enquirer reports. Cincinnati Reds mascots are expected to be available for photos around 1:30 p.m. as well, according to the event announcement cited in the same report.
Under the authentic 1869 rules the vintage squad follows, pitchers must throw underhanded and fielders make plays barehanded, without gloves, according to the Northern Kentucky Tribune. That old-school style stands in stark contrast to the padded gloves and overhand pitching mechanics baseball fans see in the modern game. The original 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings hold a singular place in the sport's history: they were the first openly professional, all-salaried team in baseball, and they went a perfect 57-0 on a national tour while popularizing knicker-style pants and their namesake red socks, per MLB.com.
The modern incarnation of the Red Stockings keeps that legacy alive through a busy regional schedule. MLB.com's Reds Hall of Fame page lists barnstorming stops across Ohio and Indiana in 2026, including Loveland, Oxford, Harrison, Cincinnati, Fishers, Milford, and Batesville, running from June through October. Milford isn't unfamiliar territory for this brand of living history, either — the Loveland Beacon reported that Miami Meadows Park hosted the Red Stockings back in July 2024, when the vintage team played a Miami Township municipal squad ahead of an outdoor concert by former Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo.
Season Finale for Miami Township's Second Saturday Series
September 12 marks the final installment of Miami Township Recreation Department's 2026 Second Saturday series, following a July 11 Elvis Presley tribute concert and an August 8 '80s music night, both held at Community Park. Sponsors backing the day include Stitch & Style Alterations, Evans Funeral Home, and Leroy Ellington Productions LLC, whose support has helped the township keep admission free across the entire summer series. The Milford Miami Township Chamber of Commerce will sell alcohol at the September event, and food trucks will be on-site throughout the day.
Miami Meadows Park itself spans roughly 200 acres and functions as Miami Township's primary green space, featuring athletic fields, walking trails, a 2-acre fenced dog park, and a catch-and-release lake with a wheelchair-accessible fishing dock, according to Miami Township. The township is Clermont County's second most populous, with an estimated 2026 population of 46,321 spread across 33.4 square miles, per World Population Review figures. Anyone wanting more details on the event can reach out to the Miami Township Recreation Department directly.
Car Show Ties Into Broader Veteran Support Efforts
The veterans appreciation angle of the car show fits into a wider pattern of regional support for veterans across Clermont County. In nearby Batavia Township, the Clermont County Veterans Village — a supportive housing development for homeless veterans — broke ground on June 30, according to the Clermont Metropolitan Housing Authority. Classic car culture also runs deep locally: the annual Pumpkin Run Nationals, Southwest Ohio's largest fall car event, draws more than 2,500 pre-1974 vehicles each autumn and raises funds for veterans' and children's charities, according to Discover Clermont County.
Vintage baseball has been drawing crowds elsewhere in Ohio this summer, too — Grove City's Century Village recently hosted its own free olde-time fair built around 19th-century rules, as Hoodline previously reported. For Milford and Miami Township residents, though, the September 12 gathering offers a free, close-to-home chance to watch baseball played the way it was in 1869 — no gloves, underhand pitches, and all — while wrapping up a summer of community events with cars, food trucks, and live history on the same afternoon.
