Yesterday, we hopped in our buggies and made the trip to W. Lafayette, Indiana. We participated in the Heart of Base Ball, fundraiser event, hosted by the W. Lafayette Couriers. This is a great example of how the vintage base ball community works. The Couriers have a gentleman on their team that needs a heart transplant. Seven teams came together to help raise money for this ballist's medical bills.
Our first match was against an old friend, the Hoosiers Base Ball Club of Indianapolis. This is the first time that we have played the Hoosiers in three years. The best part of this match, was the fact that we were able to reacquaint ourselves with some old friends. The match was close, throughout, but the camaraderie was top notch. We look forward to playing the Hoosiers a few more times this year.
Our second match, we played the Munster Centennials, a new team to our club. The interactions were fantastic and the Centennial's are a great group of guys. The match was full of exciting plays and gentlemanly behavior. It was truly a great example of a well-played vintage base ball match.
Our final match of the day was against our friends the Deep River Grinders. Anyone that has ever played the Grinders, know that if you do not go away from the match, having a good time, it would be your own fault. The Grinders are one of those vintage clubs that bring excitement to the game. There is playful banter and gentlemanly behavior throughout the match. This is a constant anytime that you play the Grinders. We ended the day with a tie, and knew that there was no better way to end the day.
Today's matches reiterated the principles and ideals that I find fantastic about vintage base ball. This is the part of the game that I love, and again, the reason that I started this blog. The vintage base ball community is truly a fraternity of ballists that come together for many different reasons. Some come together to recreate the game as it was played after the National Association was created. This is a more competitive form of base ball, that not every ballist prefers to be a part of. Other ballists come together to play the gentleman's game and enjoy the comaraderie of playing a game that does not measure the skills of the ballists, and the wins or losses, but it measures the sportsmanship of the game.
I prefer the second of the two. Vintage base ball provides me with the opportunity to play a game that I love, at a level of non-competitiveness, that allows me to enjoy the game for what it is, a game. It does not matter if my club wins or losses, but how we represent ourselves on and off of the field.
Until next time,
The Vintage Ballist
No comments:
Post a Comment