2016 1860s Base Ball Season Well Underway - Playing for the Enjoyment of the Game! (1 Viewer)

[Julie]

Some know I enjoy watching the local 1860s Base Ball team - the Rochester Roosters - based at the Olmsted County History center here. I have thought about starting a thread about their games and Captain Goose's commentary on the matches.

They do quite a bit within the community around here and in general have fun playing the game with old fashioned "gentleman's" rules. Lots of good-natured ribbing and interaction with the "cranks" who pay their 2 bits to watch
Just be certain to bring quarters as you can also be fined by the Umpire for being un-sportsman-like at the matches {eek3}

I have been away several weekends and missed most of the matches this year but am excited to make the July 4th matches in Historic Forestville State Park. Always a good time and the guys get to enjoy a pie-eating contest as well! Watching a bunch of bearded guys with pie all over their face? FUN!

Anyway, if you are interested there are plenty of teams out there playing Vintage Base Ball!



"A handful of Roosters spent some time with the youth baseball team we sponsor. The kids had a great time (most of them) and even the parents were quite interested in what we had to say. It was a great night, and thanks to those that helped with this event. It is great to get out into our community and be a part of it."

(this is a bit old as some of the current players are not featured and the pics are old)

Goose makes their base ball cards each year as well! Love the names the guys pick - some are given/earned and some are chosen - not hard to guess who falls into each category! Quite a few father/son combos sometimes on different teams!

https://www.facebook.com/brolson/vi...ideo_creator_product_type=0&app_id=6628568379
And as they all have a sense of humor there is the occasional stink ball as seen here ^&grin

I can only stand watching baseball in person and this is the best way in my opinion!!! Have a great weekend everyone!

Julie

 

[7th OVI]

Julie, what a great way to show the kids the origins of the game. We use to play ball at our reenactments and encampments at the Ohio Historical Society. Loved it. Chris

 

[Julie]

It is! They can have fun and learn the game and some history all at once!

Here are a few pics from the July 4th event - beautiful weather! For once the guys didn't melt in excessive heat as they have to wear long sleeves and pants (only kids and poor people wore shorts back in the day).
Sir Fines-A-Lot was in great form this year fining the 'gentlemen' who were rolling up their sleeves or unbuttoning their ties. ^&grin

Match ended with the Rochester Roosters tallying "Many Runs" and the Lanesboro Excelsiors tallying "Not So Many Runs".
The Excelsiors kept striking the ball straight for 'Fenway' (Left Field) and 'Dynamite' (Short Stop) and those 2 can catch (without mitts) very well on the fly or on the bounce! No balls were lost in right field (also known as the snake pit) this year. Always frowned upon by 'Goose' as he is the one making all the base balls they use!

Some of the players then moved on to the pie eating contest which was won by the Rooster's own Jeff 'Sauerkraut' Boehmer. Eric 'Cow Pie' Adams was defending champ but he couldn't get all the pie out of his beard this year to pull out the win.




Both Teams post-match


Goose leading three HURRAHS for the Excelsiors and a great match!


Pre-game batting and fielding practice with some of the kids - a few adults got in on the action as well!

Matches this weekend are on a real ball field so not as exciting -- next weekend (which I will be missing one of the days) is at the Living History Fair & Civil War Encampment at the Olmsted History Center at home on Schmitt Field.

 

[Julie]

I missed one day of this weekend's matches but Goose had a great re-cap which I am going to borrow!

"In typical Roosters vs Baltics fashion, this match was one for the ages. For the first 6 innings, this was one of the finest defensive matches played. Not a muff was made for the most part, for those 6 innings. At the end of 6, it was a 2-2 deadlock. Then, starting in the 7th, while the defense held steadfast for the most part, the bats of both teams came alive. For the final 3 innings, the runs were plentiful and that handmade base ball got a real workout from both clubs. Well struck base balls were flying about the green pastures and runners were exercising their legs scurrying about the bases. In the end, the 9th inning defense of the Roosters helped them hang on to a 9-7 victory over the gentlemen from Mankato.

At the conclusion of our match, another battle ensued, as right field became the site of the reenactment of the Battle of Antietam, The bloodiest one day battle of the Civil War, or so I was told. The canon blasts that made your chest bounce and your ear ring, rang out back and forth through the corn field.

All in all it was a great day.. Great base ball match. Great friends, Great civil war event... If you were there, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Thanks to those that came out !! Hurrah !"

I did make Day 2 match versus the Lanesboro Excelsiors! It was a hot one and I was tired so I may have pulled my baseball cap over my face for a bit and taken a nap during the Hens vs. Chicks match....but was awake for the guys!
It was a fun match even though Lanesboro was down a few men so 3 of the Roosters helped out and donned their shirts - Sauerkraut, Sparky and Mule helped them to their first ever win against the Roosters! Pops would have been proud of his team Goose was not amused his players were so successful at helping the opposition win!

There was some fun father & son interaction today as well! Click and his dad Stretch (of the Mankato Baltics) had a bet which dad lost and thus he had to play for the Roosters, Goose and Fenway were in fine form as usual with Mama Goose as the Tally Keeper (quite the family affair!) and Sauerkraut's son Bratwurst hung out on the bench with the guys.

"The Roosters fell to the mighty Lanesboro Excelsiors today 9 to 5. The Excelsiors took the lead in the 3rd inning and never looked back. The Roosters even flipped their caps to 'rally' with the white side out for the final 2 innings but could not score enough runs to overtake the Excelsiors.
Next up the Roosters travel to Highland Prairie church Sunday July 24 to face the Baltics of Mankato and the local Hayseeds of Highland Prairie."


Teams at end of match

Scene from the encampment

Scene from the encampment

A spectator!

Bratwurst & Sauerkraut - Rube is standing - Roosters are on the field

 

[Julie]

Well - I never got around to posting the recap from this past weekend's match at the "Days of Yesteryear" I will steal Goose's commentary next week It was the Rooster's Last Home Match and it was a good one! They are playing next weekend before a small group heads out to the Ohio Cup Labor Day Weekend!
And if you are in Iowa -- there is an event at the Field of Dreams field August 27th-28th!

But this has been making the rounds and it a total hoot!

I must say I miss the his show......