Vintage Base Ball Plays Aug. 13 In Fort Oglethorpe
Thursday, August 4, 2022
Lightfoot third baseman Rob "Bear" Baehr shows his hitting skills while arbiter (umpire) Jeff "Skeeter" Wells calls the plays
The Polo Field at the Historic Army Post on Barnhardt Circle in Fort Oglethorpe will once again welcome the sounds of Vintage Base Ball matches on Saturday, Aug. 13. The local Lightfoot Club is looking to improve their 4-4 record taking on the undefeated Emmett Machinists of Knoxville with a 7-0 record. The game plays at noon. The second game finds the Mountain City Club playing the Cumberland Club of Nashville at 2 p.m.
The season is winding down with just one more game to be played at the polo field on Aug.
27 at 1 p.m. between the two local clubs. The Sulphur Dell Tournament will be played starting Sept. 12 at Rippaville Plantation in Spring Hill, Tn.
For those not familiar with vintage base ball, this is base ball played by rules, equipment, uniform and culture of the 1860s. Think of it as living history through base ball. Players are all volunteers. The game, called a match, is played with wooden bats and no gloves. The players, called ballists, play for the sheer joy of playing, and it shows.
Admission to the base ball match and the 6th Cavalry Museum are free, as is parking. For more information about this event, visit www.6thcavalrymuseum.org or www.tennesseevintagebaseball.com.