Gettysburg Vintage Base Ball Festival

Getty150

Corporal
Joined
Oct 14, 2012
Location
Pennsylvania
Play Ball!

"It's old school gloves-off fun on a field in Gettysburg for the free fourth annual Gettysburg Vintage Base Ball Festival, which features 17 teams playing the 19th century version of baseball in which all catching is done by bare hands.

"Among the number is a central Pennsylvania team."

http://www.pennlive.com/entertainme...se_ball_club_of_har.html#incart_river_default

"The organizers are getting ready for the 4th Annual Gettysburg 19th Century Base Ball Festival which will take place July 20 and 21 at the Schroeder Family Farm which is located at 965 Pumping Station Road. Located in the heart of battlefield land, if you are near the Peach Orchard, just turn on to Millerstown Road off of Rt 15 and follow it until it becomes Pumping Station Road. The Festival is on the right hand side.

"Some of the best clubs in the country will be competing as well as some of the most famous names in 19th century base ball. Clubs like the Athletic Base Ball Club from Philadelphia, the New York Mutuals, Providence Grays, New York Gothams, Brooklyn Atlantics, Cleveland Blues and Columbus Capitals will be playing. The two time champion Saginaw Old Golds from Michigan will once again be in town as will the Bay City Independents from the same state. The local favorite, the Harrisburg Keystones will once again be in attendance as well.

"Its a completely free event, but fans are welcome to give donations to the Gettysburg Little League who will help them with parking and the Festival itself once you get in. You can dress in modern clothing or feel free to dress the part of a townsperson from 1864 and even make a donation of what 1864 ticket prices would have been! (50 cents for men, 25 cents for kids and seniors 45 and up, and 10 cents for the ladies!). Bring your own chairs and blankets and even your shade tents if you would like. You can bring in your own food and drink or purchase items from the concessions that will be there on site.

"You will see games of base ball played the same way it was played in its formative years in Adams County. Stop and ask any player between games or even between innings any questions you may have. There will also be players walking around the crowd as well to answer anything you may want to know. Some come on out on Saturday starting at 9am and lasting until the early evening or Sunday starting at 8:30 until the mid afternoon and see baseball the way it was played before million dollar contracts, televisions, cars,…and gloves!"

http://gettysburgbaseballfestival.com/

http://gettysburgbaseballfestival.com/directions/

Schroders Farm-
965 Pumping Station Rd
Gettysburg, PA
(Formerly the Yingling Farm, this site was where the movie Gettysburg was filmed. The farm changed hands 3 times during the battle and was where Pickett gathered his men before his famous charge)



Dave
 
Getty, thanks for making me aware of this. I'm into baseball history.

One of the things that always strikes me most was the fielding/catching done (both 19th & early 20th century style). Bare hands had to be brutal (and initially no catcher's masks)..
even in the first quarter of the 20th Century, those gloves looked like sparse protection. I know those first basemen cringed when a ball was comin' there way out of a shortstop's hand.. those cats were brave..
 
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