Bay City hands off the game ball to 2011 World Tournament of Historic Base Ball Champions, the Saginaw Old Golds.

She's ready for historic base ball, rain or shine.

We had our first taste of historic base ball last weekend, and I can say, in all honesty, we’re hooked.

We made it to Greenfield Village in time to check out some of the skills competitions and watch the final championship game in which the Bay City Independents and the Saginaw Old Golds competed for the glory and the greenbacks. $300, to be exact. The same amount awarded in 1867 at the first World Tournament of Base Ball in Detroit. (The results of all tournament games are at the bottom of the this post.)

The cloudy and at times leaky sky seemed to sprinkle just enough to keep spectators’ umbrellas up and the ball players cool. It was almost like a fall post-season game in Major League Baseball, appropriate for the World Tournament of Historic Base Ball. And, from what I understand, a relief from some balmy weather of years past. So, it was pretty decent baseball weather, albeit slightly muddy.

A striker for the winning Saginaw Old Golds clobbers the ball.

I can’t give you a play-by-play in any way shape or form. But I won’t leave you in suspense: the Saginaw Old Golds took home the trophy. The final score was 13-5. And even though the Old Golds were on top after Bay City finished the first half of the ninth, the Old Golds still got to bat the bottom of the inning. That’s part of the rules of 1867. Spectators got their money’s worth, and teams played the whole nine innings.

While watching, we were doing our best to recognize the rules we had studied before the game. We chuckled when we heard terms like a fair foul, and when the ump gave a warning to the pitcher to get the “ball to the bat.” This meant that his pitches were not hittable by the striker (batter). After the warning, unhittable pitches were called balls, three of which allowed for the striker to take a base (or walk). The same rule went for the striker. He received a warning that he wasn’t swinging at good pitches. Any after that were called strikes. It wasn’t until after the ump’s notice, three strikes made an out.

Keeping dry while watching the game.

I will say that we marveled at the skill of the players. This was some serious ball playing. The underhand pitches were thrown to be hit. And boy, could some of those players hit. We couldn’t get over the distance those strikers were getting. The sound of the bat hitting the ball became almost like music. (And, by the way, there was some really great music provided by a well-appointed brass band that was on hand to add period flavor and fun to the events.)

We were also quite amazed at the barehanded catches. May I say … ouch? Some really fast and furious fielding made for an exciting (and occasionally confusing) game.

Five-year-old Lillian set up a little umbrella camp and completely got into the spirit of the game. Nine-year-old Henry enjoyed the action on the field as well as playing catch with other boys watching the game. My husband spent the majority of the game chasing our little guy, Clifford, up the hill behind the Cotswold Cottage and then letting him roll down, only to chase him back up again. Although Cliff did take some breaks to watch the action and enjoy a hot dog (what else?).

A hip, hip, huzzah to passengers on the train.

As much as we enjoyed watching the game being played, it was equally fun watching the players wholeheartedly participate in the spirit of 1867 base ball. They behaved like gentlemen, although many had some pretty funny nicknames like the Lumberjack, the Hustler, Twinkletoes, and the Butterfly, to name a few. I especially liked how the players shook their teammates’ hands throughout the game in congratulations and encouragement between innings, at bats, etc. I also took a shine to how both teams would stop and raise their hats with a “hip, hip, huzzah” in greeting to those passing by on the Weiser Railroad around the village.

The post-game awards added to the afternoon’s entertainment. Players were acknowledged for their superior skills in categories including most accurate thrower, fastest runner, and farthest thrower. Awards were also given for the team traveling the farthest distance to the tournament and for the best looking uniform. That honor actually went to the tournament-winning team, the Saginaw Old Golds. The bag of peanuts, awarded to the team with the least wins in the tournament was actually split by two teams that tied for that distinct honor. At least they didn’t go hungry on the way home.

Bay City Independents offer congratulations to winning team.

Now, if you’re hankering to get a glimpse of some of this fun, the good news is that you don’t have to wait for the next World Tournament to catch historic base ball at Greenfield Village. The Lah-De-Dahs host two more home games this season, coming up this weekend Aug. 20 and 21 at 1:30.  And of course, there’s always next Spring, when a whole new season kicks off again. So, if you like baseball or just want to enjoy a fun afternoon of fine sportsmanship, consider getting out to root, root, root for the home team and that very old ball game.

2011 Championship Bracket