Before mega contracts, state-of-the-art ballparks, and mass media, baseball was a far simpler game played in a simpler time. Now players around the country are recapturing the essence of our National Pastime and reconnecting to its pastoral roots through Vintage Base Ball. This is Base Ball (yes, it was spelled two words prior to the 1880s) played by the rules and customs of the nineteenth century.
Usually played at open-air museums or municipal parks, vintage base ball feels like something out of a time machine. With players wearing period reproduction uniforms and playing by the rules of the late 1800s, the game attracts some of most interesting and colorful personalities in sports. Some of these "ballists" (19th century slang for players) are like Terry Deitz of
Survivor fame -- competitive athletes who play for the sport of it. Others vintage enthusiasts, like former big leaguer Jim Bouton, love reliving history most. But as you'll see from watching
Vintage Base Ball, every player shares a passion for a ballgame that is both old and new again.
