text:
T HE B ASE B ALL P LAYER ' S C HRONICLE Newsletter of the V INTAGE B ASE B ALL A SSOCIATION V OLUME 11. N O . 2 A UGUST 2011 R EMEMBERING S COTT "C URLY " M URPHY , C APTAIN OF THE F AIR P LAYS VBBA B OARD OF D IRECTORS The Fair Plays of Talbot County, Maryland, have been fortunate to Scott Westgate, President have one of the best Captains in Vin- Paul Salomone, Vice President tage Base Ball. Scott Murphy joined the Fair Plays in the middle of our Chris Burton, Secretary first season. Nicknamed "Curly" because he is completely bald, Scott Rich Arpi, Treasurer became an integral part of the team. He was elected team captain in our Eric Miklich, Historian third year. Dave Brooks, Trustee Sunday, July 9, we were playing Jay Demagall, Trustee against the Brooklyn Atlantics. The game was tied at the end of the 9th Marcus Dickson, Trustee inning, and we started a 10th. Curly took himself out of the game and sat everyone have fun. It is because of his spirit that the Glenn Drinkwater, Trustee down complaining of dizziness and Fair Plays are the team that they are. trouble catching his breath. A few Greg Powell, Trustee As one of our players said: "if we needed more words of minutes later he collapsed. One of encouragement, or if there was a questionable call, one Dennis Wiegmann, Trustee the team members is an EMS and would hear words of wisdom and 'brush it off,' 'no started to work on him. The ambu- sweat we'll get it back.' Curly's passing is certainly a lance arrived and took him to the hospital. But our beloved Curly difficult call to deal with and I find myself hearing his IN THIS I SSUE words of encouragement." died. They think it was a heart at- VBBA C LUB ' S A CROSS C ONTINENT 2 –8 tack. He was only 44 years old. The Fair Plays wish to thank all the other teams who His spirit made the team what it is have sent words of condolence, and who even made the today. No one can remember him drive to attend the service. V ISIONS OF THE P AST , R ICH A PRI 9 ever berating a player. If an error C INCINNATI R ED S TOCKINGS F IRST 10 So in the spirit of the 19th century game, we offer three was made, he would shout "good L OSS , E QUIPMENT F ORMUM cheers for Curly: try." He made sure everyone who showed up for a game got to play. Of Huzzah, Huzzah, Huzzah. S UMMER F ESTIVAL & T OURNAMENT 11, 12 course he wanted to win, but he thought it was more important that Beth Hansen, Curator, Historical Society of Talbot County MEMBERSHIP FORM 13 RULES AND CUSTOMS CHANGES 1845 14 O NE OF B ASE B ALL ' S E ARLY S TARS H URT BY R ULE C HANGE OR I NJURIES ? -1870 Base Ball is a game which relies on and star shortstop—he batted .430, which was 100 VBBA CLUB PROFILE, BOOK REVIEW 15 statistics to judge a player's value. points higher than anyone on the club. The Red Stock- Judging a player's worth often de- ings would go on to capture the League Championship UPCOMING EVENTS, NEWS & NOTES, 16 pends on the era that they played in that year, again in 1873, in 1874 and in 1875. CONTACT INFORMATION and comparing their success to their contemporaries. Ross Barnes was a But as writer Bill James notes, once the fair foul rule was abolished following the 1876 season, Barnes, then In fact, over the course of his 9 year career, star second sacker who played for the Barnes led the league in batting three times, Boston Red Stockings for the Nation- just 26 years of age was unable to hit over .275 over his next three seasons, and battling injuries, was out of the hits four times, along with doubles, runs al Association in the early 1870's and scored, triples, and various other categories later with the Chicago White Stockings in the National league by age 31. several times. He finished his career with a .360 League. Today there still is debate whether Barnes belongs in batting average yet garnered only 3.8% of Hall His 5'8 and 145 lb. slight frame made him fast and agile the Hall of Fame. Even James, who doesn't support his of Fame support in 1936, probably due to the in the field. But what was perhaps more impressive was Hall of Fame candidacy or rate Barnes as a top 100 short length of his career. his ability to bunt ―fair foul‖ and finish with batting second baseman, states ―he was the best player in base- Whether or not Barnes was affected more by averages over .400 in his first three years of profession- ball‖ during the National League's inaugural 1876 cam- injuries or the rule change is debatable. I sus- al play. In his second year of play, on an 1872 club that paign. That year he led his new club, the White Stock- pect it was mostly due to injuries. Either way, featured Hall of Fame players Harry Wright, Al Spal- ings, to another League Championship by batting .429, leading the league in hits, runs, doubles and triples. he certainly was not the same player following ding, and George Wright—Harry's younger brother the 1876 season.—JD. BE ON THE LOOK-OUT FOR THE VBBA'S EQUIPMENT REBATE PROGRAM COMING SHORTLY V INTAGE B ASE B ALL C LUBS ACROSS N ORTH A MERICA OFFER I NSIGHT Since the Vintage Base Ball Association was founded fifteen years ago, clubs have sprouted up from coast to coast in small towns and in big cities. No doubt the popularity of playing the American pas- time as it was originally played has an appeal that is hard to put into words. The game gives us a glimpse into the past and portrays the admirable qualities of ―sportsmanship, gentlemanly behavior, cour- tesy, and respect for others‖ as stated in the Vintage Base Ball Asso- ciation's mission statement. With the full knowledge that each club operates independently, playing by the rules of different distinct eras, scheduling their own matches, and creating their own club structure as they see fit, I re- cently sent a poll to vintage clubs across the United States and Cana- da. In no way are the following responses to these questions meant C LUBS FROM THE A BOVE S TATES P ARTICIPATED to set up a structure which clubs should follow. I am just sending IN THE S URVEY AS W ELL AS T WO C LUBS F ROM along the information received more for informational purposes. OUR C ANADIAN C OUSINS IN O NTARIO , C ANADA . As a reminder, for newer clubs, the VBBA website is an excellent source to find information on how to get started. Special thanks to the many respondents, many who included their names. I am only including those who explicitly included their name in the responses. Those individuals are Paul Salomone, Captain of the Elizabeth Resolutes; Harlan"General" Worden of the Rochester Grangers; Gary ―The Professor‖ Schiappacasse of the Chicago Salmon; Bruce Leith, President of the Eclipse Base Ball Club of Elkton; Dennis 'Pops' Wiegmann , Vice President/Scheduler of the Huntington Champion Hill Toppers BBC; John "Choo- Choo" Shannahan of the Mudville BBC; Bob "Do Nothing" Kurek, Umpire for the Elk Grove Bucks; John "Stacks" Hyslop of the Great Black Swamp Frogs; Mike "Ace" Adrian, founder of the Somonauk Blue Stockings; Tom"Wheels"Ford of the Mansfield Inde- pendents; ―Sawdust‖ of the Wahoo BBC of Royal Oak; ―Hurricane‖ of the Early Riser BBC; Eric "Red" Laudenbacher of the Greens- boro Patriots BBC; Karl Krueger, Treasurer of the Regular BBC of Mt. Clemens, MI; Dan "Hammer" Hagen of the Northfield (Minnesota) Silver Stars BBC and everyone else who contributed. Thanks so much! - Jon ―Boxcar‖ Demagall Vintage Base Ball Association August 2011 Club Survey Is there anything you would like to How is your season What advice would you give a first Club Name Location share about your club with the going so far? year vintage club? newsletter? Make sure you have the numbers and the dedi- cation. 9 guys can quickly become less than that Good. We are 5-5-1 with a mix- come game time. We had a few years of fielding ture of "league" games, tourna- 7 or 8 and having to borrow players which can Melrose Pond- ments, open invitationals and Melrose, MA be frustrating. Also, make sure people are avail- feilders exhibitions. able and willing to give up their Satur- Sundays/weekends and be willing to travel. Only one rain out this year. Most of all have fun, this game is not about money or trophies. We haven't won a game this Not sure. We are pretty new to this. We have year but folks still come out to We hope to continually improve our knowledge great clubs in the area that help with advice Whiskey Island see us play. We have had diffi- of the game, our play in the field, and our ability Cleveland, OH including the Akron Blackstockings, the Forest Shamrocks culties getting 9 players to to recruit but most importantly we want to have Citys BBC and the Cleveland Blues and that matches but we are usually fun and put on a great show for the cranks. helps a lot. Ask for advice. close. Vintage Base Ball Association August 2011 Club Survey Is there anything you would like to How is your season What advice would you give a first Club Name Location share about your club with the going so far? year vintage club? newsletter? We are the Young Canadians of Hamilton origi- It isn't. We did not get enough nally formed in 1854. We will play local teams to play this year. However, we Yes! PLEASE !! : ) including Young Canadians Hamilton, Ontario are stil recruiting and hope to Start early and develop media relationships. the London Tecumsehs, Woodstock Actives and be able to put our Nine together Advertise to death if you can. Innerkip Quarrymen. We hope to also make the for the 2012 season! odd trip to the states to play against our american cousins ! Our team isn't made up of players who were picked out during any kind of tryouts. We're all from the Ipswich Ale Brewery and few, if any, Make certain the players are committed to a have ever played ball in the past. We are easily Brewers of Ips- season of play. Many don't realize how difficult Ipswich, MA It's been a great season. defeated by most teams, but we have such a wich BBC it is to get a minimum of 9 people to show up at great time playing and interacting with other every scheduled game. players and fans, that we don't mind losing. And we're definitely improving at play! If we can do it and have fun, anyone can. Keep recruiting. For every 50 guys you ask to come on the club you'll get 2 or 3. It's a difficult task, but soon your existing members will start Our season's going very well. The Elizabeth Resolutes are in their twelfth year bringing their own friends around. Don't worry We've got most of our members of vintage play. We have brought the 1870 and about winning yet. Learn how to adapt your showing up consistently. We've 1873 rules games to the field of play, as those frame of mind to the nineteenth century game. Elizabeth Reso- picked up a couple of new play- years are significant to the Resolutes' history. Elizabeth, NJ You're playing bare-handed, with heavier bats, lutes ers and we're playing proficiently Our research continues in the techniques and different fielding and hitting techniques, and of most of the time. Our schedule applications of nineteenth century base ball, in course many different rules from the modern should wind up with between 25 order to play in the most historically accurate game. and 30 games played. manner possible. Make the adaptations feel natural; as close as possible to never having known the game any other way. It's a great test for your imagination. Play as many matches as you can. Catching a ball without a glove will take getting used to. Play both the bound rule and the no-bound rule. Attempt to catch all fly balls in the air. On Rochester We are currently 9 Wins & 0 For more about the Grangers, look at our web- Grangers Rochester, MI. the fields we play on there is no such thing as a Losses site: www.rochestergrangers.com. true bound. Play the best teams you can find and the ones exhibiting the gentlemanly charac- teristics of Vintage Base Ball. Above all do not be afraid to ask help from the established clubs. Only 3 wins so far, but having Munster Centen- Centennial Park, nials Munster, IN lots of fun and meeting some Don't know, it's our first year in the VBBA. great players and cranks Tecumsehs Vin- Great! This is a young team tage Base Ball London, Ontario It takes about 5 years to get established Club and is looking for more games. Vintage Base Ball Association August 2011 Club Survey Is there anything you would like to How is your season What advice would you give a first Club Name Location share about your club with the going so far? year vintage club? newsletter? The priorities of a new club should be to be as historically authentic as possible in their uni- forms, equipment, and attention to the customs, Our club is in its 15th season. We have added a We are having a good time and rules of the game: 1858, 1860, etc. Build team troubadour to sing to the cranks a song We are a playing for the love of the game. your team from the players, their families, and that introduces the personalities of our players "barnstorming" Unfortunately we have lost more friends. Focus on building a comradarie among to the cranks. We do all that we do with a very Chicago Salmon team. We do not matches than we have won. Of the players. Our team uses "road trips" with limited budget. The players supply their own have an official course we are hoping to do back to back games to help do this. Everyone pants and shoes. Our Boss Lady, Ellie Carlson, home field. better over the rest of the sea- helps with the equipment, food, etc. As much as supplies the shirts and caps found at second at son. is possible. Finally although the game is im- second hand stores and modifies them to fit the portant remember to give a good show, histori- historical era we play: 1858. cally accurate for the "cranks" (fans), and play the game as gentlemen. Outstanding! We just finished up hosting a 9 team tournament in Gettysburg with clubs from Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsyl- vania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Recruit 20-25 guys to get a team of 9-11 guys to We have a new home field in the Terrapin Sta- and Colorado. In addition we show up for a game. Recruit teachers, at soft- tion Winery where we got a retired MLB helped get a club started and ball leagues, churches, and get stories out about groundskeeper to help us lay it out and with will be fully up and going for your club no matter what stage you are in. The great cooperation by the winery, we'll have 2012 in Northern Virginia. We more publicity you get, the more someone is some very nice outbuildings and accom- played a very successful festival going to know someone who knows someone piaments to the field. In Gettysburg, a local in Loudoun County, Virginia who wants to play (that's why getting the word restaurant has built us a first class club house which got the interest going and out to churches is so good!). Research the past called "The Eclipse Dining Room" with some Eclipse Base Ball brought over 800 people to it. history of your club so you can get the public great vintage base ball pictures in the room. We Elkton, Maryland Club of Elkton We had a very well attended interested in your organization. Give everyone have helped to strengthen clubs in Philadelphia match in Carroll County, Mary- on your club a "front office job" whether its cut- and Delaware, start a second team within our land against the Mechanicsburg ting the field, writing press releases, ordering club (The Cecil Club of Chesapeake City) and Nine that drew over 600 people. uniforms, keeping your books, etc. and make are really enjoying some great success in the Gettysburg drew over 1,200 sure you take a team field trip to your historic Mid Atlantic area with the growth of the 1864 over the 2 days. A match in society to learn about the origins of your team. game in this region. On the field we are current- Cape May that generally draws (Give every player a month to research). Learn ly 15-3 and in a tie for first place in the eastern 400-500 only drew about 150 us much as you can from established teams and division of the MAVBBL and are in 2nd place because of the heat but none don't be afraid to ask questions or ask for help. overall in the MAVBBL. the less it was very successful. We've also played in great events in Delaware and Mary- land as well. I would suggest that new teams read the rules each year from 1845 up to the year they plan to I hope everybody playing vintage base ball Cincinnati Red The season is going great, since Stockings Cincinnati, OH play. You can get a great appreciation and un- enjoys it as much as we do, and has made as we got past the early rainouts derstanding of the evolution of the game that many good friends as we have. way. Our season is going well. Like Advice for a first year club would be to listen to always we play the game for the the veteran clubs. They will definitely help you enjoyment and comaraderie. along the way. Don't be afraid to take construc- We have had the opportunity to Huntington Cham- tive criticism if there are teams that believe that Huntington, IN play at Mackinac Island, Cincin- pion Hill Toppers you need to work on some things. Finally, learn atti and Gettysburg. In the from every experience. Also, don't be afraid to coming months we will be play- contact an officer from the VBBA if you have ing in the Cream City Festival questions. They have a wealth of knowledge. and play in Cleveland. Vintage Base Ball Association August 2011 Club Survey Is there anything you would like to How is your season What advice would you give a first Club Name Location share about your club with the going so far? year vintage club? newsletter? This season we have been dealing with a numbers problem and had to cancel one appear- ance at the last minute. Since Our organization dates back to 1992 and we then, we have been getting a have seen a number of clubs come and go. better response from our play- There are many ―keys‖ for new clubs but per- ers. We don't keep official track haps the most important is recruit the right kind of won/loss records and have of players. This is not a competitive game and Rock Springs not for some years, preferring to Decatur, Illinois players who focus on winning at all times even- Ground Squirrels focus on enjoying the game and tually become a problem to their own team and the many friends we have on others as well. You need one, two, or three other teams. As a general rule, strong, dedicated people to keep things running. sometimes we play very well Everyone wants to play, few want to do the work and sometimes not but always that makes the games possible. Have fun. endeavor to have a good time, ensure that others do, and rep- resent the game's ideals to the best of our abilities. Try to be historically accurate, don't take compe- tition to seriously, always interact with your Ohio Village Couldn't be better! Muffins Columbus, Ohio audience, comport yourself so other clubs will Big Bat is enjoying his return to the Muffins. view you as new friends to enjoy playing vintage base ball with. Our season is going great. We hosted a tournament early in the year and were delighted to have our good friends the Saginaw Old Golds come half way across I would suggest they be realistic in terms of the Mudville Base Ball the country to see us. We just degree of committment they require from their Nothing to share that's newsworthy right Holliston, MA Club got back a week ago from the players. Not everyone wants to play every now....but will for next edition. Gettysburg Tournament where week. we saw a number of old friends, and we look forward to a visit from the Cincinnati Red Stock- ings in a few weeks. La Crescent 1-5, but breaking in several new Start with a long roster of men who are willing to Apple Jacks La Crescent, MN Nothing at this time. players commit to playing and traveling to games. Pittsburgh Frank- Good - scale from 1-10, proba- make sure you have enough players to fill in Pittsburgh, PA lins bly an 8 when people can't make it. Make sure you have at least two key guys on Average vintage ball club player age is not com- the club to keep the club organized and pointed monly known. The Northville Eclipse BBC We have surprised ourselves in the right direction. The demands for schedul- seems to be a more mature club amongst those and have a 13-3 record through Northville Eclipse Northville, Michi- ing, coordinating post-game meals, drumming we play, with an average age of 51 and a medi- July 31 (no match this week- BBC gan up community support and managing the num- an of 53. One 26-year-old skews our numbers end); however, there are tough bers of players who participate (both too few lower. We are curious to know whether we are clubs looming ahead and too many) are very challenging and should of a typical age vs.other VBBA clubs across the not be on the shoulders of one player. country. We are winless in three games. Many of our players are "brand" Our club is sponsored by the Bloomingdale Park new to the game and are learn- District and the Bloomingdale Historical Society. ing as we go. We had one team One of our players is the pastor of one of the Advice would be to have a back-up plan for Bloomingdale, cancel on us, and we had to local churches, another works for an undertaker, Elk Grove Bucks games when emergencies pop up, such as the Illinois cancel out on one game in Mil- one does Revolutionary War reenactments and flood. waukee due to massive flooding another is a member of the Sons of Union Vet- in the Chicago area which took erans of the Civil War. We have quite a collec- out some of our players base- tion of characters. ments. Vintage Base Ball Association August 2011 Club Survey Is there anything you would like to How is your season What advice would you give a first Club Name Location share about your club with the going so far? year vintage club? newsletter? Find out how much time each member wants to The club is having fun, but field- invest during the season. Consult the members' The Great Black ing a full squad for matches is spouses/significant others as well. Schedule Sylvania, Ohio Swamp Frogs frequently a problem this sea- accordingly. Club members are more likely to son. stay active if their families are supportive and involved. The season is going well. We're winning and that makes a world Patience. The Gotham BBC started off with a Gotham Base Ball New York City, of difference. We're having fun. core group of guys. They dropped off, but oth- The Gotham BBC of NY has its best record ever Club NY We're consistently getting 9 ers showed up. People enjoy playing the 19th players. Our competition has century base ball and they will come and play. been good. Usually in a first year, there are many losses, and it is sometimes hard to keep a team togeth- er, no on likes losing even though that's not what it's about, but we've all been there, and Atlantic Base Ball with time it starts to come together. Also, very The Atlantics are playing in their 15th season, Long Island, NY. We are doing fine, 17-6, playing Club, oft referred big, is the task of doing the research and learn- enjoy playing all teams available, and look for- to as the Brooklyn Our home field is mostly against many of the in Smithtown, NY ing to get things historically correct, from the ward each season to reaching out to play teams Atlantics better clubs. uniforms to the equipment to the rules. The they haven't as yet met. worst thing a team can do is play in front of a crowd wearing the wrong uniform (knickers in the 1860's), using modern wood bats, and play- ing by inaccurate made-up rules. Watch other clubs play and ask questions of their players. Determine what makes your club Our season is going well. We Our home matches are played in the back yard unique (reenacting a 19th century club, a unique Spiegel Grove now have 18 active members in behind the historic Hayes Home on the grounds Fremont, Ohio home field, etc.) and capitalize on that. Try to Squires our club, as well as a Talleyman of Spiegel Grove, home of our 19th United develop local support from your town or village and Umpire. States President in Fremont, Ohio. and develop a loyal following of cranks that regularly attend home matches. This is by far the best year ever. We have a perfect blend of We are located in Somonauk, Ill. about 62 miles young (16-23), middle (we have west and a little south of Chicago. We tend to three 40-something rookies ) play 1858-1861 rules. We play in an area from and a couple of us well over 60 Chicago west to Rockford, north into Wisconsin While this year hasn't been a problem, most ( my cousin is 77). What struck and yearly play a game in a minor league stadi- years there is a problem getting enough people Somonauk Blue Somonauk, me during a game early on is um in Davenport, IA. Although we play a num- to travel. I've held off going into Indiana for just Stockings Illinois that as I looked out at our de- ber of games against other vintage teams we're that reason. With the group we now have I'm fense 6 of the 9 positions were seeing that we're playing "townspeople" in his- hoping it becomes less of a concern. held by young guys who had torical society sponsored events more and started little league with me more. These are a lot of fun as the novelty when they were 8 yrs old; and draws people and allows us to educate as well there we were, still playing ball as entertain. together. Our 7th Annual Milwaukee Cream Citys Base Talk with established clubs and don't schedule Ball Festival is upcoming, August 21-22 in Big Milwaukee Cream Going great, plenty of games Citys BBC Milwaukee, WI too many games the first year out, build slowly. Bend, WI. The Champion Hill Toppers, Spring- and good spirited clubs. field Long Nine and Greenbush Dead Citys will be joining the Cream Citys this year. Vintage Base Ball Association August 2011 Club Survey Is there anything you would like to How is your season What advice would you give a first Club Name Location share about your club with the going so far? year vintage club? newsletter? As many clubs experience, we had too much in- Don't succumb to special interests. Some play- fighting. The yournger guys wanted to be more Lorain County We officially folded the team this ers want to be extremely competitive, some competitive and force out the older guys, but Buckeyes year enjoy the historical aspect and some just want to they didn't show up. We had to fold the team enjoy and participate. because we could not field a full team. We will miss you all and the comraderie. Huzzah! Try not to schedule too many matches in your Mansfield Re- Playing just a little above 500 Mansfield Inde- 1st couple of years. Talk to as many clubs as formatory, Mans- have played about 15 matches pendents field,Ohio you can, go to the VBBA Convention in March, a so far great wealth of knowledge. Advice to 1st year club. Have a mission state- The Wahoos play by the rules of 1860 and have Our season is going splendid. ment. Make it know to all prospective club a wide range of skills and age in our ballists. We struggled to field enough Royal Oak Wa- members what you are and the expectations We are committed to being all inclusive to our Royal Oak MI players for several games in hoos you have. A clear set of rules of conduct, dress, membership. We find that playing by the rules June. Weddings and gradua- and play will cut off disputes as to how the club of 1860 allows all our players to have fun and tions were heavy this year. should take the field. play competitively. We've only played one game. We went through a bit of a lead- ership change and unfortunately Dirigo Vintage Be open to new ideas and don't forget to have We are the only vintage base ball club in Maine Base Ball Club Augusta, ME by the time the new leadership fun. and we are looking forward to next year!!! was in place most other teams had their schedules already made. Our season (our third) is going Try and spell out everything you can think of fairly well. It seems every match while forming the club. I think it's definitely im- this year has had significant portant to have some kind of a workable struc- obstacles to overcome—venue ture (to spell out who's in charge of what) as well changes (because of everything as some processes (make sure that everyone from changes in city policy to involved in the club is at least close to being on storm damage), flooded fields, the same page at the beginning, but also have a half the players out of town on process to address when something's not work- Despite what has been in the news regarding the same weekend, club funds ing and how to change it). Everything from field the city of Detroit and the Historic Fort Wayne getting stolen during a home rules to who buys the stuff for the post-game site recently, the Fort is not in any current dan- Early Riser BBC Detroit, MI invasion, and so on. But, we picnic will be important to clarify. A well-thought- ger of closing and the Historic Fort Wayne Coa- have overcome them and have out player expectations list might be very help- lition (of which our ball club is a part) has a great played our entire schedule so ful. It can be difficult to change things after ex- working relationship with the city. far except for two matches (one pectations have been established (for instance, of which was rained out). We our first year we didn't have regular practices, have had some very nice games but we realized that we really needed them. this season, and it has been They were poorly attended because it wasn't rewarding to see our club show something that players initially committed to). some improvement on the field. Having a mentor from an established club is Our ―patience of hope‖ is begin- EXTREMELY helpful. ning to show. Not well, we had high expecta- tions for this year. Our first Don't start a club in your area/state unless you games were a doubleheader in have a good group of people ready to commit. With this being the 5th and final season for the April for a local childrens' chari- Make sure you have a solid core of players. I Greensboro Patriots, my wife Michele and I ty, with a low turnout of players suggest a minimum of 15 to 18 that you know would like to thank all of the friends that we Greensboro and cranks. We have not Greensboro, NC you can count on and that are willing to help out have met over the past 20 years of vintage Patriots played since, but we do have in any way. This is especially helpful at events. baseball. We are planning on travelling around scheduled matches in Sept., Also, make sure your team is willing to travel to next year and visiting other vintage clubs and Oct., and November. A total of other states to play other teams. maybe become a revolver as well. 14 games in 4 weekends. As of this point, I have low commit- ment from our players. Vintage Base Ball Association August 2011 Club Survey Is there anything you would like to How is your season What advice would you give a first Club Name Location share about your club with the going so far? year vintage club? newsletter? 1) Elect officers, Prez, V.P. treasurer, secretary etc. 2) Have a constitution that spells out the objective (history, competition, etc.) 3) If not The Regular BBC is not affiliated with any mu- affiliated with a museum or other facility get a seum, living farm etc. We are supported entirely Very well, so far. No major tax ID and a checking account. 4) Have a regu- by dues and monies recieved for playing at Regular BBC Mt. Clemens, MI problems lar pre-season and post season business meet- festivals and museums. Because of this we ing for discussion of objectives, election of offic- must be businesslike in locating fields and ers, scheduling, etc. 5) Schedule like minded scheduling games. clubs.5) have fun, including a post season ban- quet. Base ball has had a stronghold in HdG since the 1860's. We are the birthplace of Cal Ripken Jr. Havre de Grace Havre de Grace, Ironically Havre de Grace is at the end of the A bit rough! Keep recruiting constantly! Dauntless MD Susquehanna River and Coopertown is at the beginning. Cal has made a momentous trip up that river Very well, we have a full sched- Yes, we organized our C&P club structure this ule of games with several Civil year with election of officers and a formal sub- War and historic site exhibitions mission for non-profit status. We have ordered under way. I continue to give new uniforms that are period correct, durable Chesapeake and Maryland, Wash- 19th Century baseball talks at Establish a roster of at least 18 members, order and comfortable to wear. We are expanding this Potomac Base ington, DC and the Sports Legends Museum at uniforms that are comfortable to play in and year with a new team in Northern Virginia called Ball Club Northern Virginia Camden Yards in Baltimore, MD contact local media to help spread the word. the Old Dominion. We expect to have them in that generates a lot of interest in uniforms and on the field to play a full schedule our sport. We have a significant in 2012. This will bring our C&P club affiliation to increase in press coverage this three members: Chesapeake Nine, Potomac season. Attached is an example. Nine and Old Dominion. Get the history of your area down. The base We are .500. The food has been The clodbusters are always ready to help other Clodbuster Base ball rules are the same but the local history is Dayton, Ohio great and the base ball has clubs and are always ready to play. Let play Ball Club not. That is what will make you different than been outstanding. two!! other clubs. We have been a very cross-generational team Most importantly, have FUN! Try to be as his- with teen-agers to 75-year-olds playing for us. Northfield torically accurate as possible. Get to know your 3-2, two games remaining on This is our 8th season, and we continue to learn (Minnesota) Silver opponents and learn from them. Try to recruit a Stars BBC the schedule from the more established nines. We can com- rookie for each game. Entertain and educate pete with them, and can even beat them on a the cranks as you play the game. good day. First, roster. Be sure to have at least 10 people committed to the first year of the club. No play- ers-no games. Also, you may want to think about delegating duties: field set up, water cool- er, whose bringing equipment, etc. This way the burden doesn't fall to one person. I personally play for the St. Louis Brown Stock- I know each team struggles to Second, cost. Think about uniforms. balls, bats, ings but I am President of the Greater St. Louis get consistent players for games bases, etc. The initial cost for the Brown Stock- Base Ball Historical Society. The organization and at times, barely having 9 ings to start last year was about $3000. Most of consists of 3 teams: Brown Stockings, Lafayette St. Louis Brown players to play. They especially Kirkwood, MO it went to uniforms and balls! Square Cyclones, and the St. Louis Perfectos. Stockings have a very hard time with travel Third, authenticity. Stay true to the vintage base and Sunday games. But I know ball game. Scout around for a grass field, a The Brown Sox play at Emmenegger Park in each team is enjoying their modern dirt field takes away from the overall Kirkwood, MO and the Cyclones and Perfectos season- win or lose, hot or cool! feeling of the game. Decide which rules you are play at Lafayette Square in St. Louis City. using- it was a toss up before 1875! Set up arbiters, and advertise! Four, after all that- have fun! Try not to put too much competition into it. After all, it's really a game to love! VISIONS OF THE PAST Baseball Artifacts of the 19th Century By Richard ―Pastime‖ D'Ambrisi This batsman is a scarce baseball figural statue by N. Muller, New York c.1868. One of the most desirable 19th century baseball statues by the most prolific baseball related figural artist of the period. Constructed of white metal, the statue re- tains a fine percentage of its original bronze wash, which has patinated nicely to a deep brown finish. Signed by Muller in raised lettering on the top of base and underneath with No. "533". 10" tall with a well uniformed batsman awaiting a pitch. This pitcher is also signed by Muller in raised lettering on the top of base, ôK/Muller & J.Deacon, Pat. 1868" and marked under- neath the base, "N.Muller, NY No. 539 Patent 1868". 10" tall with a well uniformed pitcher preparing to throw the ball in 19th centu- ry underhand form. **** RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP **** Treasurer, Rich Arpi has mailed out renewal forms to all member clubs. If you have misplaced yours, a renewal form is included in this newsletter. If you are not currently a member of the VBBA, you can join now. Com- plete the form and mail it to Rich Arpi with your check made out to ―Vintage Base Ball Association‖ Thanks for supporting the VBBA. CHESAPEAKE VINTAGE BASE BALL TEAM For Immediate Release July 2011 Chesapeake Nine Plays Vintage Base Ball 1864 Rules at Jerusalem Mill Team Seeks Additional Members to Participate in 19th Century Games Club Historian Kingsville, MD – The Chesapeake Vintage Base Ball Team plays a regular schedule of games in and around the greater Balti- Richard ―Pastime‖ D'Ambrisi more, MD and Washington, DC area. Our home field is Jerusalem Mill Village located at the intersection of Jerusalem and Jericho 5 Silent Meadow Court Roads in Harford County, Maryland, amid the pristine scenery of the Gunpowder Falls State Park. Throughout the year, the village is the site of an amazing range of events and activities that bring history to life. Cockeysville, MD 21030 email@example.com The goal of the Chesapeake Nine is to interpret the sport of baseball as it was played during the American Civil War era. Our vintage base ball living history program offers the opportunity for hands on displays of authentically reproduced uniforms, equip- 410-666-9291 ment, rules and sportsmanship by participating in base ball games played according to the customs of the 1864 time period. Captain We are seeking additional members of all ages, genders and skills to take on various roles including players, score keeper and Joe ―Commodore‖ Stanik umpire, equipment manager and side line associates in period attire. We are an all volunteer organization that provides complete 516 Bay Hills Dr training and support to get started in an exciting and growing sport. Visit our website and contact us today for more information Arnold, MD 21012 about joining our team or simply attending one of our games. We welcome your inquiries about vintage base ball, spelled as two words in the 19th Century! email@example.com 410-757-5572 E QUIPMENT FORUM —B ASE B ALL G LOVES Can you name the vintage One of the first players believed to use a base ball glove was Doug Allison, a player pic- catcher for the Cincinnati Red Stockings, in 1870, due to an injured left hand. The first confirmed glove use was by Charles Waitt, a St. Louis outfielder/first tured? baseman who in 1875 donned a pair of flesh-colored gloves. Glove use slowly This man in the Hall of caught on as more and more players began using different forms of gloves...By Fame as a Right Fielder the mid 1890s, it was the norm for players to wear gloves in the field.— for the Detroit Wol- www.wikipedia.org verines and the Phila- delphia Phillies. He In 1885, Providence Grays shortstop Arthur Irwin, while attempting to protect two played from 1885 to broken fingers, added "padding" to a buckskin glove. This may be the first in- 1898 and then briefly came out of retirement at stance of a player introducing noticeable padding to a glove.— age 46 to play 8 games for the Detroit Tigers. He www.19cbaseball.com led the league in HRs twice and RBI three times. ―Big Sam‖ was known as a ―sober, cheerful man, Buying vintage equipment, uniforms, bats, bases, chalkboards, tables, benches, banners, etc. can cer- popular with fans and a leader among players‖ - tainly add up for any new or existing club. Contact vendors personally by phone or email to figure out Bill James. Do you know who he is? what is best option for your club before purchasing. Answer: Sam Thompson C INCINNATI R ED S TOCKINGS ' F IRST F RAN CHISE L OSS TO B ROOKLYN A TLANTICS I recently found a website documenting an auction sale from six years ago. The item sold was an original scorecard from an 1870 base ball match between the Cincinnati Red Stockings and the Brooklyn Atlantics and it sold for nearly $14,000. What makes this particular scorecard unique is not just the rarity and the age of the item but also because this scorecard documented the first time the Cincinnati club had lost a match to an opponent – ever. Prior to their June 14th match to the Reds, the Reds won 24 games that season and 57 (with one draw) the year before. They developed a huge national following as they travelled the country, besting any and all who opposed them. After their 8-7 11th inning defeat at the hands of the Atlantics, attend- ance dropped off, and after the season the club disbanded. Some of the players went Get Your VBBA on to be founding members of the Boston Red Stockings. Though the club folded, the 1869 season was special in that it helped spread the popularity of the sport to T-Shirts here folks on the west coast.—JD S UMMER 2011 T OURNAMENT & F ESTIVAL U PDATES LINKS OF INTEREST: Two great Vintage Base Ball articles to check out include one from MSN on July 22, 2011 "Boys of Sum- mer" and one from the Washingtontimes.com ―Take Me Out to the Ballgame—Civil War Style‖ M INNESOTA ' S R OOSTER V INTAGE B ASE B ALL F ESTIVAL Northfield Silver Stars improve to 3-2 Shane Kitzman, firstname.lastname@example.com The Northfield Silver Stars Base Ball Club is now 3-2 on the season after winning and losing a game on Saturday at the six-team Rooster Vintage Base Ball Festival in Rochester. With just nine players in uniform — no bench to battle the heat and humidity — Northfield lost 7-4 to the Quicksteps, even though the Silver Stars got a ―four-baser‖ from Doug ―Admiral‖ Morris. Northfield's offense came alive in the second game in a 14-6 win over the Rochester Roosters. Highlighted by Kevin Hagen's ―four-baser‖ into the bean field, the Silver Stars won handily. T HE 14 TH A NNUAL A KRON C UP A S UCCESS The Akron Black Stockings hosted their 14th annual Akron Cup on the picturesque grounds of Stan Hywett Hall & Gardens this past Sunday. Ten teams participated in the event, in- cluding some of the area's finest clubs: The Columbus Capitals, Dover Red Legs, Hoover Sweepers, Canal Fulton Mules, Alliance Crossing Rails, Pittsburgh Franklins, Dayton Clod- busters, the Blues and our hosts the Akron Black Stockings. The Tournament's format allowed for each team to play three matches against random opponents. The Blues drew a tough schedule against our good friends the Alliance Crossing Rails and Pittsburgh Franklins. Our third match was against one of our mentor clubs, the Dayton Clodbusers. Our first match against the Crossing Rails, their first of the season, was ruled by fine de- fensive plays on both sides. Alliance's rover, Mr. Barnes made several amazing plays, while our Blues' Woody and Meal Ticket made fine plays in the garden and Stumpy and Goliath held the line. The Blues prevailed 2-1. Our second match of the day pitted Cleveland versus Pittsburgh in a match that would be high scoring with great de- fense. The Franklins, led by skipper Jason Ramaley, are always a formidable opponent, and full of fine ball players and gentlemen. The nine inning match was close through seven frames, when the Blues sleeping willows finally awoke. Led by the striking of Stoney, Constable and Meal Ticket, as well as a timely muckle shot by Chopper, the Blues es- caped with a victory. Our final match was against one of the clubs that helped start the Blues, the Clodbusters of Dayton. These gentlemen have a long history of being a premier vintage club in the region by their play on the field, and their gentlemanly man- ner. The match proved to be an exciting game for the kranks, as both clubs played hard, and with great skill. The Clodbusters left scout, Weasel, shut down left field for the Blues, which made our club rely heavily upon our left handed strikers, and the large tree in right field. The Blues took advantage of this nuance, as Chopper, Stumpy, Furbelly and Constable exploited the large maple tree to our advantage. The Clod's hurler, Mule, pitched a fine game, and the Blues were able to overcome the hard muckle shots of Tomahawk (of the Clodbusters), Polecat and Cricket. The final was 6-5 in nine, in favor of the Clevelands. After the match, the Clodbuster's captain paid the Blues a high compliment, stating the Blues reminded him of the Clodbusters when they started out in vintage base ball. It was a great compliment indeed, and we were honored to play such a fine club. The Akron Cup is not a tournament in which a winner is declared. It is simply a meeting of area clubs for good competition and fun. And that it was. Jay Demagall S UMMER 2011 T OURNAMENT & F ESTIVAL U PDATES T EN C LUBS C OMPETE AT G ETTYSBURG , PA IN 19 TH C ENTURY B ASE B ALL T OURNAMENT A's Society Goes Back in Time On July 16th the A's Society set up display tables at the 2nd annual ―19th Century Base Ball Tournament‖ in Gettysburg, PA. The two-day tournament featured players wearing the uniforms, using the equipment and following the rules of baseball as the game was played in the 1860s. Ten clubs harkening from Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Mas- sachusetts, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Colorado took place in the round-robin contest hoping to become the tour- nament champion. While it's not hard to recognize the 19th century version of the game as baseball, there are sharp differences between how the game was played back then compared to how it is conducted today. For example, in the 1860s, none of the players wore gloves and the catcher had no special protective equipment; the bats were made of thick wood, and only one ball was used for the entire game; the pitcher—called a ―hurler‖ in the 19th century—delivered the ball underhand, and batters—called ―strikers‖ in the 1860s—were out if the balls they hit were caught on the first bounce, whether it be in fair or foul territory. The players performing in the tournament obviously enjoyed turning the clock back to play baseball as it was done 150 years ago. The competition was in earnest, and although it was a bit hot, the mild humidity assisted the participants in giving it their all on the field. The A's Society occupied four tables, showing a mixture of artifacts for display and merchandise for sale. Many of the artifacts pertained to Eddie Plank, who was born in Gettysburg and largely earned his Hall of Fame credentials while playing for the Athletics. Gettysburg Eddie's Restaurant, one of the tournament sponsors, is named in honor of the legendary pitcher. Numerous people—players and fans—stopped by the A's Society's tables to look at the displays and talk about Phila- delphia's baseball history. The day turned out splendidly for all who were there, and the A's Society is grateful to tournament organizers for inviting it to participate in the event. The tourna- ment is becoming a permanent feature of Gettysburg's summer schedule, and plans already are underway to hold it again next year during the third weekend in July. C LUBS & C RANKS B RAVE 110 D EGREE H EAT IN M ANASSAS , V IRGINIA Old Town Manassas, VA commemorated the Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War and the Battle of First Manassas (Bull Run) July 21-24 with living history demonstrations, speakers, art, music, and Civil War base ball. Members of the Chesapeake and Potomac Base Ball Club and the Excelsior Base Ball Club of Arundel braved the conditions July 23-24, playing vintage (Civil War) base ball in a wonderful environment organized by Historical Manassas. Playing nearby a Civil War encampment, the Clubs played their finest in front of dozens of cranks who really enjoyed watching vintage base ball, despite the 110 degree heat index. The first game between the Potomac Nine of Washington DC and the Arundel Excelsiors was a close one through the last out. After spotting Potomac two early runs, Arundel clamped down on defense and pushed across 6 runs in the second and third innings through timely hitting and solid base running. Potomac's Erik ―Cannon‖ Christensen cleared the center field fence in the eighth inning with a mammoth 2-run home run that cut Arundel's lead to 3, but that was as close as Potomac would get. Arundel's Fred ―Bones‖ Fontz made two spectacular throws from behind to nail base runners at third and Tim ―Shakespeare‖ Grieb's timely hits solidified the 8-5 win for Arundel. The second game featured the Old Dominions of Northern Virginia taking the field for the first time versus the Arundel Excelsiors. With 7 Northern Virginians in the line-up, including 4 players playing for the first time, the Old Dominions scored 7 runs in the top of the first and never looked back, winning 11-6 in their inaugu- ral game. Jerry ―Ranger‖ Sparks crushed two 2-run doubles in his first two career at-bats, while Tommy ―Scout‖ Carlyle, Nathan ―Smokey‖ Sparks, and Matthew Davilia had tremendous at-bats and showed great hands in the field in their first game. The future looks good for the Old Dominions, who will formally join the MAVBBL for the start of the 2012 season. Overall, it was a tremendous weekend of base ball in Old Town Manassas. Despite the heat, players and cranks had a great time and demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship. Many thanks to Kenny Loveless and Historic Manassas for organizing the special Civil War base ball event. Check out the article in Inside Nova: http://www2.insidenova.com/news/2011/jul/24/old-time-base-ball-makes-pitch-ar-1194064/?referer=http://www.facebook.com/ l/5AQDmNm5wAQD3JN09kJ7AxAJriA0nOKwDFo2DmxUBwZq61Q/insidenova.c Vintage Base Ball Association Membership The VBBA offers three different annual memberships as described below for each calendar year, with dues to be paid by December 1st. With your membership, you will receive our newsletter and invitation to the annual conference. Full Club members are also entitled to two votes on association issues. Be sure to check out the website www.vbba.org for more valuable information as well as links to Full Club and Associate Club member's websites. Phone Name: : Mailing Address: State Postal City: : Code: Email Address: Club Affiliation: Club Website: $50 Full Club Membership: for clubs who play at least 6 matches per year. $35 Associate Club Membership: for clubs who are not interested in a full membership or do not play 6 matches per year. $10 Individual Membership: For individual ballists, civilian interpreters, base ball historians, fans, etc., who wish to support the organization. Make checks payable to the Vintage Base Ball Association. Mail payment to: Rich Arpi VBBA Treasurer 2445 Londin Lane East, Unit 410 Maplewood, Minnesota 55119 Thank you in advance for supporting the Vintage Base Ball Association. B ASE B ALL R ULE & C USTOM C HANGES 1845-1870 As I read a variety of websites, articles and books, I have noted when certain base ball customs and rules changed since it's official inception in 1845. I note that the origins of base ball are much deeper than this and come from a variety of games that were played in some instances centuries prior to 1845. Such games resembling base ball are town ball, base, cricket, and they came from a variety of places—American and abroad. But that is for a historian to write about. Of course, aside from codified base ball rule changes, many of the following changes of customs were often slow to take place and varied region by region. Though I try my best to be accurate, this list is by no means complete. I have included what I consider inter- esting changes that took place. I used many sources to find the following information including: the VBBA website, 19c base ball.com, The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, Baseball: More than 150 Years by David Nemec and Saul Wisnia, the Official Encylopedia of Baseball by Hy Turkin and S.C. Thompson, and other various sites.- JD 1845— Alexander Joy Cartwright establishes the New York Knickerbocker game spread in both northern and southern camps, helping to hasten its rise Base Ball Club and codifies the first rules of base ball, which can be found in popularity following 1865. here. 1862—professional Base Ball's first home run fence was built at Brooklyn's 1846—the New York Nine club, a team composed mostly of Cricket players Union grounds. plays the Knickerbockers in the first interclub match in base ball history. 1862—fielders could no longer record an out on balls caught on one bound. The Nine prevail 23-1 1863—Henry Chadwick's box score became an official part of professional 1857— Due to rising popularity and the formation of a number of clubs, the base ball. Knickerbockers call for the first Base Ball convention, where, due partially 1864—Philadelphia's infielder Al Reach is the first admittedly paid player. to the efforts of Base Ball enthusiast and writer, Henry This was no great shock as amateurism, the practice of not Chadwick, the rule that matches ended when one club paying players as was originally intended by Alexander Cart- tallied 21 aces was changed to the current 9 inning for- wright, had for several years been in question; many players mat. were quietly paid for their services by their respective clubs. 1858—25 clubs met at the 2nd Base Ball convention and Mid-1860's—Hurler Candy Cummings (Hall of formed the first league, the National Association of Base Fame plaque pictured) begins to experiment with the Ball Players. curve ball. At this point pitchers are still hurling underhand 1858—the first All Star game is played between players (though some are starting to throw in a slightly side-armed from Brooklyn and players from New York. An admis- motion.) Strikers are still able to call for high pitches or low sion rate of 50 cents was charged for admission to the pitches. 1,500 cranks who came out. 1869—Knickers are first worn by a few clubs replacing the long pants worn 1859—the tradition of clubs hosting banquets following base ball matches was previously. Other clubs quickly adopt the uniform change and by the mid- legislated out of the game at the 1859 national convention. 1870's knickers are a regular uniform fixture. 1860– the Excelsiors of Brooklyn embark on base ball's first tour as they visit 1869—the Cincinnati Red Stockings create the first all-professional club. The and defeat several clubs in western New York. club hired stars like Harry and George Wright on a payroll of nearly 1861—The American Civil War begins in the Spring. The war would last 4 $10,000, traveling nearly 12,000 miles as far as California playing any years, tear the country apart and result in the death of around 620,000 prominent club. They win 65 matches and draw one, when the club they soldiers. Club membership dropped in New York during the war but the were playing left the field in the sixth inning over a dispute. Two years later, the first professional base ball league is founded. N EW C LUB ? - P LEASE LET US KNOW If you are a new vintage club or know of a vintage club, please email me at email@example.com to let me know. I will enter that information for future newsletters. I can search the internet and find out about new clubs by word of mouth at matches and events but it's much easier if you email me. Feel free to send me articles, club information, etc. Generally speaking we are looking to promote the game's past, vintage base ball today and you, the current VBBA club members. It seems as though many prospective clubs are posting to the VBBA facebook page, looking for players. V BBA C LUB P ROFILE T HE E LKTON B ASE B ALL C LUB OF E LKTON , M ARYLAND The Eclipse Base Ball Club of Elkton started out in November of 2005 as a new twist on programming at a historic site in Cecil County, Maryland. To get started we were mentored by Brad Shaw and the Flemington Neshanock for which we will always be eternally grateful. The first thing he taught us was to be as historically accurate as possible. To do that, the originators of the new club spent a night at the local Historical Society. We found that a club called the Eclipse Base Ball Club out of Elkton, Maryland was the first base ball club to be established in the county and really in the region in the Summer of 1866. With help from Marty Payne and the local SABR chapter, we found out how base ball spread in the countryside in Maryland. Most clubs in the state out- side of the metropolitan areas started in 1867 when the Baltimore Base Ball Emporium, owned by George Gratton sent 4 salesmen out to show every town in Maryland the new game of base ball. One salesman who had the entire Maryland Eastern Shore is responsible for bringing base ball to most of the village and small towns up and down the Chesapeake Bay. He would go in to towns and start games with the local townsmen. When baseball fever hit each town they naturally purchased their equipment from the Baltimore Base Ball Emporium. The Eclipse, though started in 1866, which we found was odd, but we at least started with knowing the number of players on the original club, what the club colors were, where they played and when they played. With this information we were able to tell our fans what base ball was like in 1860s in Cecil County. In the Winter of 2010, we as a club bonding night, returned to the Historical Society to see what else we could find. What we found out really put a face on the club. It turns out the original club was started in the Spring of 1866 and was made up of 40 men- 27 Union veterans, 11, Confederate veterans, and 2 who did not participate in the War. We further were able to research the starting 9 when they played their first game against another club on July 17, 1866 against the St George BBC of Delaware. (Which Elkton won 62-47). Before that, they played against each other every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday night on the grounds where the current railroad goes through. (Part of the original clubhouse still stands and is a work- shop for a construction company). Of the starting 9, we were able to look up the biographies of 6 of those men. 5 of the 6 turned out to be surgeons for the Union in the War that were stationed in Philadelphia and Washington DC. Most went to medical school at the University of Pennsylvania and 3 went first to the Elkton Academy and then the Baltimore Academy before going to Penn. While at Penn they volun- teered to help the cause and helped the wounded at Fredericksburg and Manassas among other sites. It was while in Philadelphia that they learned base ball and brought it back to Elkton. Though the original club was not nearly as good nor organized (according to scathing newspaper reports of the day) as the current Eclipse, they did give a club from Philadelphia, the Bachelor BBC (a first class club from the City of Brotherly Love) quite a scare. Apparently the boys from Elkton could hit Philadelphia's swift pitching too well so the Bachelor captain had to switch pitchers to a more modest thrower and the Eclipse could no longer hit as far as they once did. The Philadelphias pulled out a 5 run win in the 9th inning but got quite a scare. The game was the biggest attended base ball game in the history of Elkton (to this day!) with thousands attending (Cecil County has less than 90,000 people in it). Today, the Eclipse honor those who played at the Rail Road Grounds of Mr. Howard back in the years just after the war. The currently play between 30 and 35 matches per year against clubs in the mid atlantic area at the Terrapin Station Winery. If any clubs from around the nation are interested in visiting the "Land of Pleasant Living" at the top of the Chesapeake Bay, we will make sure you have a warm and hospitable stay and will return any trips that you'll make . The club is made up of men from 21 to 67 and come from all walks of life. They enjoy their fellowship with each other and have played with each other for the last 6 years. —Submitted by Bruce "Early" Leith, President, Eclipse Base Ball Club of Elkton. Though the updated edition is now ten years old, The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract is a book that still offers B OOK R EVIEW timeless insight into baseball of all eras. Bill James has been writing about baseball for decades, is a prominent member of SABR, and is currently a Senior Advisor to the Boston Red Sox. I have read a few of his other books but it my opinion that his 2001 updated Abstract is his best and is a great read for any baseball fan, be it a casual fan, a researcher, or vintage enthusi- asts. James' breaks down each decade starting in the 1870s through the 1990s. Though he does not cover the formative years of baseball (pre-1870), he does recommend books that cover these topics. For vintage enthusiasts, what the book does do is provide insight into uniforms, customs, attitudes, rule changes, how the game was played, where it was played, new equipment, which cities had the highest attendance per decade, etc. between 1870 and 1900. He also includes some humorous categories like ugliest player or a better man than a ballplayer award. In the second part, James ranks the 100 greatest players at each position and provides small capsules of information about each person, many pre-1900 professional ball players are included in this section. These capsules can be two paragraphs long, as is the case for Cupid Childs, or, in the case of Hal Chase, 6 pages long. Each capsule gives you insight into a players personality, flaws, oddities of hitting or fielding style, etc. On the downside, the book is 10 years old so his player ratings are outdated and players like Jim Thome are not listed as a top 100 first baseman. But his rankings are not what makes the book, it's the information. James can be opinionated, and you will no doubt disagree with many of his assertions but he backs his opinions with decades worth of research and knowledge. You can read this book slowly—bit by bit—over a period of months and lose none of the enjoyment. I highly recommend the book and I am not alone. On www.amazon.com, 94 people reviewed the book and 62 people gave James's Abstract 5 stars, 19 gave it 4 stars. I recently bought a used hardcover copy (I lost my last copy) in great condition for $7.92. With shipping costs, it was under $15.00. –JD FROM THE HISTORY CORNER Base Ball, a bi-yearly publication from McFarland, has in- cluded in its July 1st release, three articles from VBBA mem- bers. Historian Eric Miklich (Eckford BBC) writes about the 1857 Base Ball Convention, Bob Tholkes (Quicksteps BBC) summarizes the 1860 season via the Sunday Mercury and David Dyte (Gotham BBC) explains why he feels baseball in Brooklyn was extraordinary from 1845 – 1870. The publica- tion contains 31 other essays on early base ball by promi- nent writers. The book can be purchased from McFarland at http://mcfarlandpub.com/baseball.html On September 1st, David Nemec, 19th century author and historian, will release his latest book on 19th century base ball. He and nine other writers including VBBA Historian Eric Miklich (Eckford BBC) wrote biographies on 1,800 players, managers, umpires and executives for this two volume set. The book can be purchased from Amazon at http:// www.amazon.com/Major-League-Baseball-Profiles-1871- 1900/dp/080323533X/ref=sr_1_38? s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312851423&sr=1-38 Nemec and Miklich signed books on Saturday August 13 th at the East Hampton Public Library on Long Island. Base Ball in 1870, New York NOTE: It's always best to check your local papers for when and where local events are held. U PCOMING E VENTS Most clubs have websites or facebook pages as well. Here are match and tournament list- A UG , S EPT , O CT 2011 ings posted on event calendar at the VBBA website as some found on the internet. Saturday, August 13 & Sunday, August 14, 2011 World Tournament of Historic Base Ball in Dearborn, Michigan The Greenbush Dead Citys vs. Milwaukee Grays in Greenbush, Wisconsin (Sunday) Saturday, August 20 & Sunday, August 21, 2011 Basket Factory Vintage Base Ball Festival in Douglas Michigan Mid Atlantic Vintage Base Ball League's Open Tournament in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Franklin's Epoch Base Ball Tournament (PA Classic) in Murrysville, Pennsylvania Saturday, September 3 & Sunday, September 4, 2011 Ohio Cup Vintage Base Ball Festival in Columbus, Ohio Saturday, September 10 & Sunday, September, 11, 2011 The Athletic BBC of Philadelphia vs. the Cecil Club of Chesapeake City @ 1:00 PM @ Memorial Field, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. (Saturday) The New York Mutuals vs. The New York Gothams @ 11:00 AM @ Old Bethel Village Restoration (Saturday) Saturday, September 17 & Sunday, September 18, 2011 Whiskey Island Shamrocks, Wood County Inmates & the Early Risers @ Ned Skeldon Stadium in Toledo, OH Saturday, September 24 & Sunday, September 25, 2011 5th Annual Northern Illinois Vintage Base Ball Tournament in Sheridan, Illinois (Saturday Only) Tippecanoe Base Ball Cup in Tipp City, Ohio Saturday, October 1, 2011 & Sunday, October 2, 2011 The Mid Atlantic Vintage Base Ball Championship Tournament Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Sunday Only) The Missouri Cup hosted by the St. Louis Brownstockings (Saturday Only) Saturday, October 8 & October, 9, 2011 3rd Annual Kansas State Vintage Base Ball Tournament in Wichita, Kansas Saturday, October, 15 & October, 16, 2011 Townball Match with the Pittsburgh Franklins in Frog Hollow, Pennsylvania (Saturday Only) Check the VBBA website to see a listing ofVintage Base Ball Clubs in or around your state. Also, check the VBBA Events Calendar as more events are updated throughout the season. sites are an excellent way to promote the N EWS & N OTES game and get the cranks out to the field. While looking over club websites for schedule and match A few that I noticed that were well con- information, I noticed the excellent quality and layout . I structed include: the Atlantics BBC of Phila- play for the Whiskey Island Shamrocks, a newer club, delphia, PA; the Pittsburgh Franklins; the with a poor match record (we have yet to win this sea- Great Black Swamp Frogs BBC son) but for some reason, cranks and family members (pictured) of Sylvania, OH and many oth- still come out to see us do our best. I have talked with ers. For the most part, their websites were people and asked where they heard about us. Many say easy to navigate, informative, included pic- they checked our website or the website of the club we tures and a 2011 schedule with locations and were playing. The tough thing is, schedules change and times. There are many other great websites, matches can be cancelled for a variety of reasons. But too many to list here, but these were a few aside from team newsletters and word of mouth, web- that stuck out.—JD. C ONTACT I NFORMATION You can email your text files to this editor, Jon Demagall at firstname.lastname@example.com and I will put it into the future issues of the Base Ball Player's Chronicle. If you feel like sending me a hard copy of your articles, you can do that as well. Send me an email and I can provide a mailing address. If you do not want to write an article, let me know what topic you are interested in learning about and I will find a willing writer. T HE N EXT I SSUE of the Base Ball Player's Chronicle will be available in November 2011
Pages to are hidden for
"THE BASE BALL PLAYER'S CHRONICLE"Please download to view full document


text:
growing climate florida vs. hawaii - cacao
hello hawaii,
i am trying to figure out how it is that cacao seems to grow so easily in your climate and why florida gardeners here are having to give it such special treatment just to keep its leaves from burning even in the shade. i am awaiting the arrival of my 2 trees i just ordered.
our elevation and humidity and rainfall are similar to waialua where i see dole has their cacao orchard. everyone here gives their trees almost complete shade where dole only shades them from morning and late afternoon sun. that just doesnt make sense to me.
does anyone have any thoughts on how our growing conditions might differ?
Average data can be so misleading.
In the maritime tropics like Hawaii & the Caribbean islands, the temperature varies very little during the year. The highest recorded temps. ever on N.Oahu was probably in the mid 90's, and the lowest recorded temps. ever in the mid 50's, with a average swing of 30 or so degs. F.
In the sub-tropics like central FL, you've probably experienced several consecutive days of high 90's or even the occasional 100+ furnace in summer, and then there is the citrus freeze in winter.
So while on average, both places look as if the summer temp is somewhere in the 80's, there is a greater extreme in the sub-tropics.
Also, since tropical trees live outside all year in the tropics, they have 6 months to warm up and 6 months to cool down over the 30 deg annual temp swing. In FL you'll need to move your Theobroma in/out as the weather demands, and being gardners we're impatient, so the poor trees will have much less time to get used to these temp changes. STRESS.
au natural,
thank you for the enlightenment. I had not thought of the points you bring up. I will be happy to move (although grudgingly) my cacaos inside for cold temps, however, I would love to let them get some sun (since the hurricanes took away all my shade trees). they have arrived and are presently on my front porch under the roof. do you have any suggestions. our summer sun is definitely brutal but we have yet to reach anything higher than 95 degrees.
Aloha Michelle,
From what I remember, young cacao trees grow in the shade of the adult trees so the young ones need protection from the sun while the adult trees like full sun. Maybe you could grow something fast growing like bananas to provide shade while the cacao trees are young?
A friend of mine harvested some cacao pods and did whatever was necessary to make chocolate. She said it turned out pretty well, but was a bit of work. Her use of the term "a bit of work" is a bit scarey considering she has been known to grow wheat to make bread and doesn't consider that to be much work at all. Next time I see her maybe I'll be able to talk her out of a seedling or two since she said some were sprouting under her tree.
A hui hou,
thank you cathy,
I do have 3 banana trees and they seem to be growing ever so slowly. I was aware this would be a "labor of love" but I am vegan and so for me food has not been easy or convenient in so so long. I would love to hear what your wheat-growing friend has to say about the process.
thanks and aloha,
Aloha Michelle,
Perhaps you could put your cacao trees in big pots under the banana trees and then cover the whole thing with mulch and compost and then add lots of water. The bananas at least should then grow like crazy.
I forgot to ask about the cacao the last time I saw my friend, I'll try to remember next time.
A hui hou,
Only Miami and vicinity anything like lowland Hawaii. I see you have put 9b for your USDA zone, you are comparing it with something like USDA 10 or 11.
Most parts of mainland get real cold at some point, even northern Florida has had -35F within period of records being kept. In the East there are no tall mountains to keep the most aggressive Arctic fronts from penetrating all the way to the Gulf.
in zone 9b Florida we are definitely not Hawaii. You must understand that when Port St. Lucie, Vero Beach, Cocoa, etc get down to 40 degrees (and lower) to a zone 10/11 plant like Cacao that IS freezing! Hawaii's climate is much more moderated (and yes I know that parts of the Big Island are covered in snow--Mauna Kea for example)than our Florida weather. We have a definite cool season and then the sauna season with 100 degrees. And then during our cool season the humidity drops way low.
Just because we are all in Florida and we think the winter is so mild just remember that most of our landscape plants come from even more southern locations than our state--try South America!
I had a client in Vero Beach who has a coffee shop on A1A and they barely were able to keep their cacao plants living...we're just not right for it.
Be prepared to give it lots of TLC, protect from temperatures below 50 degrees, and give it nice, high shade.
I think the record low in Honolulu is 55 and it is freezing cold since nobody has any heaters in their houses.
We just got back from a trip to Florida at Christmastime and it was sort of similar to Hawaii yet different. There is no dirt in Florida. It is all sand and it doesn't seem like the soil would be very acidic. Do hydrangeas grow in Florida? Are they pink or blue? I'd bet they are bright pink there whereas in Hawaii they are bright blue (unless soil conditioners have been added).
I suspect the cacao likes semi-shade and loads of humidity while growing although I've heard once they get grown they are more tolerant.
There is no comparison. Hawaii is tropical and can grow the tropical vegetation. Florida is not tropical and that is why it can't . North Florida is not even a trasitional area. . It is the Temperate Zone just like the rest of the mainland.
Accept your area as is and stop trying to be tropical when you are not.
I noted on the weather yesterday (June 11) that the average high was 87 degrees and the record high was only 2 degrees higher - 89. Not many places in the world with weather THAT little variation.
One thing to note is that you not only need to keep cacao in the shade, but also out of high wind when small.
We're trying to get cacao production going here on the Garden Isle....

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Latest Nonbenzodiazepine Stories
Even moderate use of sleeping pills carries potential long-term risks. Dr.
Tokyo, Apr 17, 2012 - (JCN Newswire) - Eisai Co., Ltd.
Tokyo, Jan 18, 2012 - (JCN Newswire) - Eisai Co.
When sleep doesn't come easily, some people turn to what they think is an easy solution – sleeping pills. B
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALXA) announced today that it has selected AZ-007 (Staccato zaleplon) for the treatment of insomnia as the next product candidate to move forward into active development.
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan.
Need the help of a pill to catch some zzz's? According to a new study you're not alone; the use of prescription sleep aids nearly tripled among young adults between 1998 and 2006.
LEXINGTON, Mass., Sept. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has signed a development, license and commercialization agreement with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. for the exclusive, worldwide rights to pagoclone.
NovaDel Pharma Inc. (AMEX: NVD) today announced that the U.S.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a counseling method that emphasizes the role of thinking and behavior modification, is more effective than zopiclone for the short- and long-term treatment of chronic insomnia in older adults, according to a new report. In fact, the study found that zopiclone was no more effect for insomnia than placebo was (a sugar pill.)
- To play, gamble.
- To impose upon; delude; trick; humbug; also, to joke; chaff.
- A deceitful game or trick; trickery; humbug; nonsense.


text:
Dishes on Top Rack Not getting Clean
We have a Whirlpool DW (model #DU1055XTSS2)that is not cleaning the upper rack. I think I have discovered that the upper arm is not spinning. I am currently running a cycle with vinegar to see if that cleans out any gunk that might be clogging the water holes. The dishwasher is about 4 years old. If it is indeed the upper arm -is this something that I can fix myself or is it a mechanic type repair?
I'd rather get it fixed vs getting a new machine as we are going to be putting the house on the market soon.
Other possibilities:
1) The fill valve may be clogged with debris/sediment from the household water supply. Fill is timed, so if the incoming water flow is weak the water level won't be sufficient in the allotted time to keep the pump pumping strong. Not an unusual situation. The valve can be disassembled for cleaning the sediment screen. I did that for a friend several months ago.
2) There is a screen in the pump that's part of the food chopper assembly that can get clogged with stray material such as fibrous food residue, paper jar labels, bits of bone or other debris, even glass fragments if there has been a breakage ... which will impede water flow into the pump and cause weak spray from the arms. There are videos on YouTube showing how to access and clean the area.
3) Tablet detergents and gelpaks can sometimes cause excess sudsing/foaming which impedes water flow through the pump and spray arms.
When this has happened to me in the past with my KA (made by Whirlpool), it has been #2. You will need a Torx driver to remove the screws. I forget which size.
BTW: when the machine is running, you should stop it and open the door and check the water level. It should be caressing the heating element.
I'm going to assume the water level is OK and pump is OK because you didn't say the lower rack isn't getting cleaned. I'd be surprised if they weren't OK, but I'm not at all discounting advice above. I'd also be surprised if the spray-arm itself was clogged but that, too, is a possibility. I suspect the cause may be simpler.
I suspect the upper spray arm isn't being pressurized. Why would it not be pressurized? Usual causes are 1) it's supply tube is not engaging and sealing with the hole in back that supplies it and/or 2) the little rinse-spinner up on the ceiling of the interior has broken off and its supply-hole is gushing thereby bleeding off pressure that would normally go to the spray-arm. Both are quite easy to check.
When ours had this issue, we found that the plastic piping that supplies the water to the upper spray arm had somehow come unsnapped from it's support & as a result it was not coming into contact with the water supply line at the back interior dishwasher wall. Take a look at your plastic pipe that is attached to your upper spray arm and follow it to the back of the upper rack--is it dangling a little low or is it attached to the bottom of the upper rack by a support? If it's dangling, just put it back in it's support
(which should be attached to the upper rack) and you are good to go.
Thanks for all your help!! My husband seems to have fixed it while I was out last night (he told me the bill is in the mail :)) He cleaned out the disposal/filter area. We've run one load and it seems to be 100% back to normal.
You guys were far more helpful than the Whirlpool online help desk -they were useless! I swear they use robots! My husband showed me his conversation with them. He asked them if there could be some sort of filter that might be clogged and all they said was "I'm sorry. I'm not a technician. You can call one of our technicians out to come look at it." And they said it several more times. Worthless! I have honestly not been super excited with our WP products (our fridge has the ice maker in the door-HUGE design flaw) Unfortunately, DH's brother works for WP (executive) so we're probably stuck with their products for now :(
Thanks again!
"....we're probably stuck with their products for now...."
"He cleaned out the disposal/filter area.....it seems to be 100% back to normal."
To be fair, I don't think it's reasonable to blame the product/mfgr if the cause of your problem was a filter that hadn't been maintained. Would have/could have happened with any machine.
Got me. Should have looked it up before responding. Tee'd off on OP's mention of "filter".
Owned one of these whirlpool designs for almost ten years without a problem, though. (In the end a relay on the main board failed.) Still have one running like new after 13 years at another location.
Anyway, glad the problem's solved....and glad to learn it didn't require hired tech.
sorry for the confusion -I probably misused the word "filter". My husband took apart the bottom arm and cleaned out the area where the disposal is.
And I'm not blaming the mfgr for the problem, my complaint is with how useless their online support is. Maybe they're not allowed to answer any "tech" questions?


text:
Oh, I had the BEST time!!!!
So, I'm back from vacation, just today, trying to wind down from 8 hours of driving and 450 miles, all by my lonesome. There was an accident at the base of the Cajon pass, and had traffic backed up for HOURS, took me over 1 1/2 to make 15 miles.... sigh. So, I am looking for ways to wind down!
I got to MEET Larry & Jenlynn (not at all sure of her spelling, forgive me, Jenlynn, if I got it kerwhangled!) What gracious hosts, and such a beautiful home! I did not get to stay long, but I very much enjoyed my visit, thank you so much for having me!
For some crazy reason, I did not take many pictures. Sure wish I would quit doing this. The morning I left the clouds were low, and around the mountain tops, but the sun was shining and decorating the world... I suspected I had packed my camera someplace stupid, instead of the totally intelligent place I really packed it. I could have taken so many really lovely pictures. Sigh. Flight of the Cena Gooney Bird, once again. I did take nice pictures of Green Iguanas, and chickens... So, in a day or two.
Neat new things I did/bought/brought home.
I ground 24 cups of ingredients (that is a LOT for those of you who don't can) and made 15 pints of Sweet Pepper Relish, got to bring home 11, and one pint of Asian Apple Pear Butter made with Splenda by my sweet mommy (who also helped me can my relish).
I am now the proud owner of four banty hens, also provided by my mommy. They traveled very well, surprisingly, over 900 miles, in a guinea pig pen, which will be their home for a few days. The bird hunter cat is not sure what they are, Scary or Food! The biggest reason I wanted hens, is because I have SOOOOOO many insects in my yard, mainly slugs, pincher bugs, and 'C' grubs. And my compost heap should so benefit from these new additions. Not to mention, they are adult hens, who do lay eggs, even without a rooster. Since I live within city limits, I may get complaints just from the hens, but certainly could NOT have a rooster also. They should be quiet, well mannered girls, but, I have a few prize neighbors. Can't be ANY noisier than my neighbors new, several pairs of love birds.
I also brought home two 18 packs of farm eggs, new garden tools in a handy carrier which includes a small saw, and a luscious purple pair of Ariat 'Fatbaby' boots. I had seen these advertised this year, had no intention of getting any, then tried them on... THEY WERE SO COMFORTABLE!!!! And much better looking than the turquoise green pair. I didn't like the rhinestone boots, so purple it was!
I got to raid: my grandmothers gymnocalycium cactus for pups, spread the wealth. my mothers glass collection for antiques that I have been coveting for years. my dad's professional steel from his chef days which is over 40 years old. and a lovely antique store which had some nice Anchor Hocking Forrest Green glass, my collector color.
So, I made new friends, met some 'friends' I'd had for a while, spent time with my family, ate well, rested, gossiped for hours, attended a new, wonderful church, visited both my grams, and had a most successful and nice trip.
I think I also broke my nose. How do you know if its broke??? Besides that AWEFUL crunch sound? It swelled a bit, it hurts to the touch, but did not turn colors or bleed. It did help to keep me awake on the way home. Nodding a bit? just touch that nose!
Hi Cena,
I am glad you had a stafe drive home. Four banty hens. How fun! My sister had a Banty hen as a pet for years. It lived in an old rabbit hutch. My sister would take it for walks around the backyard all the time and that hen would follow her around like a puppy. Everyday we got one little egg. They were pretty small but they were consistant. So we knew what it was like to have fresh eggs. It was basically a two to one ratio to real eggs if one was using a recipe.
I had a real good time meeting with you. I really enjoyed the visit. Cena came down to Denver around lunchtime so I ordered out for Chinese and we had lunch together. We just talked the whole time. She brought pictures of her plants and we looked at all her cactus and succulents. While she was here Jenlyn came home from a doctor's appointment and got to meet Cena too. I then got a chance to show her all of my plants and the rest of the house. Talking about the camera, I can't believe I didn't take some pictures while you were here. I am so bad about taking pictures of events. Oh, well.
Cena it sounds like you had a spectacular time! What fun! (except for the nose, ouch!).
Banty hens are so nice, they have such good garden manners, not bad at all about digging up the flower beds and yes - you get all the bug eating benefits, four hens will make a huge difference just in the snail and slug population.
A new pair of Ariats? I am not familiar with fatboys but my general experience with Ariats is happy feet! Antiques, new cactus and lots of down time with the family,,, sounds really nice. Good for you.
Is your nose feeling better?
Nikki, you are so funny! 'new pets to boot' :^)
I really did have the Best Time.
My nose is much, much better. I picked up a bug there, and managed to stave it off until I got home. Now, I have a runny nose, and blowing it is Not Fun. But, the nose never bruised, and just looks more like my moms now. I am being careful to watch out for it, as I suspect the least little incident could relocate it on my face. I'm pretty sure I just cracked the cartalidge/bone joining. That is where it is still most tender.
Did I forget to mention Mom and I did some canning while I was there? The Farm Stands were moving the last of their produce, only one was still operating. They had AWESOME peppers and onions, so I made a whole batch of Sweet Pepper relish. My mom only helped with the water bath and jar prep. All 15 pints sealed within 15 mintues!