Vintage Base Ball

Getting to your 50s was no breeze back then either.

 

I covered a couple of games like that in my TV days and there is a team in the small, resort town where my mom lives and I went to one of their games a couple years ago.
I geek out of ancient history of all sports so it's right in my wheelhouse. Now if only we could get some vintage basketball going. Peach baskets and cages for all!
(As for vintage football, given the mortality rate pre-1905, let's not)

 

Correction: It was William Edward White, in 1879.

http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2013/04/william_edward_white_was_a_little_known_19th_century_man_the_first_black.html

 

To be clear, 1865 America sucked, as did its baseball.

 

I have played some vintage ball and it's a blast ... as long as you don't break any fingers catching barehanded.

It's beer-league softball with funky uniforms. And you might learn a little something about 19th-century baseball while you're at it. Pretty fun.

 

Least surprising post on this thread.

 

Also, the aforementioned risk of broken fingers. And that's if you're lucky enough not to play catcher.

 

There's a few of these teams in the Cleveland area. I watched a game. Looks fun. There was even a girl playing.

 

I played in a game a few years ago. Got to pitch a couple innings. Saw the real players making some pretty good running catches barehanded.

 

She must have been a whore. In 1865, only whores exercised, and especially only whores consorted with men outside the home.

 

I wish I knew Photoshop. Someone could have some fun with this post, and the "fat shaming" poster.

 

Outing alert: LTL runs the Old Hoss Radbourn Twitter account.