Baseball the Old-Fashioned Way

Baseball went back in time on Sunday at The Grange in Sayville with a double header of vintage baseball that gave spectators a glimpse of baseball in 1864.

The Brooklyn Atlantics played two  games against the New York Mutuals. Both teams are part of the Vintage Baseball Association and Mid-Atlantic Baseball League. The men in this league play 55 games a year traveling around the Northeast from April to October.

In this vintage league they play according to the 1864 rules of baseball. Although the game is recognizable as baseball, it varies a great deal from the modern-day game. One the biggest difference is that there's no equipment other then balls and bats. They pitch, catch and stop fly balls with bare hands.

At the field there were three poster-sized signs with all the rules of 1864 baseball listed on them. Some interesting facts: home base is a flat circular white plate; there is no infield fly rule and players may be called out if they overrun first base.  

The game, which was sponsored by the   are entertaining and everyone involved really plays the part by bantering back and forth. The players have nicknames that constantly get yelled out, like Rich "Tree," Nick "The Butcher" and Tom "Big Bat."   The players, managers and umpire all wear period uniforms that are a bit uncomfortable to be wearing on a hot summer's day in August.

Kevin "Flash" Harrison from the Atlantics became involved with the vintage baseball after his dad told him about it. Flash loves baseball and history, so playing in this league was the perfect combination of the two for him, he said.

Shelley Lopiccolo traveled from Nassau County to take her three grandsons to watch this old time baseball game.  She said that it is interesting to compare today's baseball to years gone by. Her grandsons are baseball enthusiasts and it's exciting for them to "enjoy the history of it."

During the games, the historic buildings on the Grange were open for exploring.  Antique fire trucks that were in used by the Sayville Fire Department were also on hand. There was a display of handmade baseballs and bats from these old time games and in the gazebo, Maria Fairchild and Jack Dillon played traditional folk music on a fiddle and banjo to go along with the vintage theme of the day.