Vintage Base Ball 2018: Member Clubs and Links

VINTAGE BASE BALL ASSOCIATION

2018

MID ATLANTIC 

VINTAGE BASE BALL LEAGUE

EMPIRE CONFERENCE

• Atlantic Base Ball Club of Brooklyn
• Gotham Base Ball Club of New York
• Mutual BBC of New York
• Flemington Neshanock BBC 
• Providence Grays
• Hoboken Nine BBC 
• Elizabeth Resolutes

CAPITOL CONFERENCE

• Chesapeake Nine of Baltimore
• Excelsior BBC of Arundel
• Carroll County BBC
• Potomac Nine of Washington
• Old Dominion BBC of Northern Virginia      

FEDERAL CONFERENCE

• Cecil Club of Chesapeake City
• Diamond State Base Ball Club, Delaware
• Elkton Eclipse Base Ball Club, Maryland
• Lewes Base Ball Club
• Mechanicsburg Nine
• Athletic Base Ball Club of Philadelphia
• Mohican BBC of Kennett Square
• Atlas BBC of Delaware City
• Brandywine BBC of West Chester
• Talbot Fair Play Base Ball Club, Easton
• Rising Sun BBC
• Minerva BBC of Bridgeton

Other Known Active Clubs

• Dirigo Base Ball Club, Maine
• Keystone BBC of Harrisburg 
• Monmouth Furnace BBC 
• Mountain Athletic Club 
• New Brunswick Liberty BBC 
• Wethersfield Red Onion BBC 
• United BBC of Trenton

Vintage Base Ball 2017: 

Atlantic BBC of Brooklyn Reclaim the High Ground

Member Club Archive:

• Brooklyn Eckford Base Ball Club
• Brooklyn Stars BBC
• Cincinnati Red Stockings
• Cleveland Blues Base Ball Club
• Columbus Capitals Base Ball Club, Ohio
• Essex Base Ball Organization, MA
• Fair Play Base Ball Club, Easton
• Frosty Son's of Thunder, Western PA.
• Hancock Nine Base Ball Club
• Havre de Grace Dauntless Base Ball Club, MD
• Hingham Derbies and Hingham Coopers, MA
• Indianapolis Blues Base Ball Club
• Jersey City Skeeters Base Ball Club
• Lyme Taverners BBC, CT
• Melrose Pondfeilders BBC, MA
• Mudville Base Ball Club, MA
• Newark Eureka Base Ball Club
• New London Thames BBC, CT
• Newtown Sandy Hook Baseball Club, CT
• Olneyville Cadets Base Ball Club, R.I.
• Pittsburgh Franklin Base Ball Club
• Roxbury Nine Base Ball Club
• Saginaw Old Golds, Michigan
• Springfield Long Nine Base Ball Club, IL

Vintage Base Ball At The Old Stone House: Gothams Take Two From Flemington

First, welcome back to the Borough of Kings gentlemen, and thank you for another fine display.  It was good seeing you all once again, healthy and spry.  And thank you Kim, for your efforts in  making the day possible yet again.

*     *     *     *

 

 

Gotham Base Ball Club of New York: Ghosts of 1864 Come Back To Brooklyn; Sweep Pair From Flemington Neshanock Base Ball Club.

The ghosts of 19th Century Base Ball returned to the Old Stone House in Brooklyn today.  New York City's own Gotham Base Ball Club hosted the Flemington Neshanock Base Ball Club Saturday for two matches at the adjoining historic Washington Park ball field.

The Gothams entered their final series of the 2013 season looking to improve upon their (20-20) .500 record, while Flemington's season winds down later this month.  In speaking with Mr. "Brooklyn" Shaw of the Neshanocks before the day's action, he gleamed over the team's 22-19 record this season, as they've struggled in recent years to stay above the .500 mark.  Always the gentleman, he had nothing but complimentary words for his noticeably younger opponents.

Unfortunately for the visitors from New Jersey, and to the delight of Gotham, the home team did not disappoint, taking both contests from the Neshanock club.  The day's first match was a markedly one-sided affair, while the second session was a far closer matter.

 

THUMBS (l.) of Flemington and BUGS (r.) of the Gothams

commence the day's activities with the pre-match Bat-Toss.

 

 

 

The Flemington Neshanock scorebook is an exact (and fascinating) replica of Henry Chadwick's original ledger, reproduced with permission of course.  Mr. Chadwick is considered to be one of the "Fathers of Baseball" - a sportswriter, baseball's first historian, first statistician, creator of the boxscore and first scoring system.  He rests in Brooklyn's landmark Green Wood Cemetery.  His head stone is a pillar artfully decorated with base ball equipment of the period, while the plot itself outlines a base ball diamond, replete with stone bases.

 

 

 

Flemington Neshanock Baseball Club

 

 

 

Bugs (top) was today's pitcher for New York.  After taking his warm-ups, Peaches (bottom left) of the Neshanock was the first striker to oppose him.  Peaches leaves his bat at the feet of Brooklyn and Gotham catcher Scratch (bottom right), as they admire his handy work.

 

 

 

The Gothams jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.  Their shortstop, Lightning, had himself a rather exceptional afternoon, pacing the Gothams throughout.  Pictured below, he led-off New York's first at-bat with a well struck base hit to left.  He went on to thieve both second and third base.

 

 

Scratch (below left) then stepped in,

and delivered Lightning (below right) from third with the afternoon's first run.

 

 

The Gothams went on to win the first contest by a lopsided 14-5 final score.

 

In between games, Lightning and Brooklyn shared time

discussing the myth of Abner Doubleday.

 

The second match was a more tightly contested affair, although, it did not pass without controversy.  However, not enough so that both teams could not come together and discuss matters like gentlemen.

 

 

 

Flemington tried mounting one last comeback against the Gothams, however, Bugs was especially sharp this day, hurling a 4-0 white washing of the visitors.  He turned in a manly effort, pitching in excess of fifteen innings over the two matches.

 

 

 

The Neshanock Base Ball Club still gets to leave town, albeit only one game over the .500 mark.  Even Brooklyn admitted, when the Gothams have the skilled Scratch, and the youthful Collector, Lightning, and few others on the field, they're pretty hard to beat.

 

Speaking of which, Wickets was a glaring Gothams no-show this afternoon.  Word is New York's regular shortstop caught a case of the flu - as in he flew to the Dominican Republic!  Very poor!  Otherwise, his whereabouts are somewhat unknown.  Attempts to call him have failed - just like he failed his team today.  It is wildly being suspected he's either in cahoots with Charlie Sheen to take over the world, or he malingered himself into an early vacation.  If and when Wickets returns, he will definitely have a lot of 'splaining to do!  Or maybe, he should stay there, as the team's kangaroo court could very well crash down upon him like the Spanish Inquisition.

 

Circling back to Flemington, their next contest will be played down in Maryland against the Elkton Eclipse.  They will then wrap up their season in New Jersey against the Hoboken Nine. 

 

With today's sweep, the Gothams improved their record, and end their regular season with a 22-20 mark..., or so they think.  After all, this is 1860's record keeping we're talking about.   All things considered, Bugs believes the 2013 season was a very positive campaign.  He also expressed hope the club can continue playing home games on Governor's Island, and travel out to Gettysburg next season.

 

 

The final

Huzzah!  Huzzah!  Huzzah!

 

 

 

 

*    *    *    *

 

 

 

Did You Know?

Before the modern era of concussions, there was what they call Catcher's Head.

Numerous catchers ended up in mental asylums after being struck in the head by too many bats, baseballs, and the like.  Eventually, more observant minds started making the correlation regarding head injuries.  Obviously, catchers were the first players to use gloves.  The standard catchers mask, shin guards and chest protector would soon follow.

 

 

 

Gotham Base Ball Club of New York

 

2013

 

 

 

 

 

Mike.BTB

Vintage Base Ball: Gothams Base Ball Club of New York

GOTHAMS BASE BALL CLUB of NEW YORK

 

 

 

 

Home Field:

GOVERNORS ISLAND PARADE GROUNDS

 

 

 

 

GOTHAMS BASE BALL CLUB of NEW YORK

Meet Up - Gothams Base Ball Club of New York

 

 

 

 

 

POSTS:

August 2012 - New York Gothams And Brooklyn Atlantics Split Twin Bill

August 2012 - Vintage Base Ball On Historic Governors Island

August 2012 - VBBA: Game Today ~ Gothams Versus Atlantics

May 2012 - Vintage Base Ball At The Old Stone House

April 2012 - Vintage Base Ball Returns To Brooklyn

April 2012 - Gothams: NYC's Vintage Vintage Team Opens With A Pair Of Wins

April 2012 - Vintage Baseball - 1864 Rules The Day

March 2012 - Vintage Base Ball 2012: Keepers Of Our Pastime

May 2011 - Vintage Base Ball 2011 Season

 

October 2010 - Giants of the City; Kings of Baseball

September 2010 - Three Hands Down; Vintage Base Ball Returns To Brooklyn

February 2010 - What's At Third Avenue And Third Street? - A Trolley Ride

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike.BTB 

Vintage Base Ball: Atlantics Base Ball Club of Brooklyn

ATLANTICS BASE BALL CLUB of BROOKLYN

 

Smithtown Historical Society Grounds
239 Middle Country Road;  RT-25
Smithtown, New York

 

 

 

 

ATLANTICS BASE BALL CLUB of BROOKLYN

 

 

 

 

POSTS:

 

2012 OPENING DAY

Atlantic Base Ball Club: Vintage Era Rebels

 

 

August 2012 - New York Gothams And Brooklyn Atlantics Split Twin Bill

August 2012 - Vintage Base Ball On Historic Governors Island

August 2012 - VBBA: Game Today ~ Gothams Versus Atlantics

May 2012 - Vintage Base Ball At The Old Stone House

April 2012 - Vintage Base Ball Returns To Brooklyn

April 2012 - Gothams: NYC's Vintage Vintage Team Opens With A Pair Of Wins

April 2012 - Vintage Baseball - 1864 Rules The Day

March 2012 - Vintage Base Ball 2012: Keepers Of Our Pastime

 

May 2011 - Vintage Base Ball 2011 Season

 

September 2010 - Brooklyn Atlantics Past And Present

February 2010 - What's At Third Avenue And Third Street? - A Trolley Ride

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike.BTB 

Vintage Base Ball: New York Gothams and Brooklyn Atlantics Split Twin Bill

From the deskk of:   BEND IT LIKE CREIGHTON

Vintage Base Ball Association:

 

 

 

AS OF:  SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 2012

 

BROOKLYN ATLANTICS

BASE BALL CLUB

vs.

GOTHAMS BASE BALL CLUB

OF NEW YORK

FROM

GOVERNORS ISLAND

NYC

 

 

 

VBBA - Vintage Base Ball On Historic Governors Island

 

After too much time away from the game, I was finally able to catch up with the keepers of our pastime again this last weekend.  On this occasion, I sailed the waters of New York Harbor and arrived on Governors Island to witness a twin bill between the Brooklyn Atlantics and Gothams Base Ball Club of New York.  The Gothams, New York City's only Vintage Base Ball representatives, began calling Governors Island home with the start of the 2012 season.


The last time I observed the Brooklyn Atlantics Base Ball Club in action came when I travelled to Bethpage, Long Island, for the Opening of the 2012 local Vintage Base Ball season.  Since then, they have gone on to do what they do best, win base ball games.  Forty matches into their season, the ABBC sport a 32-8 record.  They sputtered through their first four scheduled matches.  The Boys  from Bethpage then reeled-off sixteen consecutive victories before falling on June 24th to the Providence Grays.  It was only their third loss in twenty-one matches.


However, the Atlantics were not without their problems.  By their standards, they struggled of late.  Since losing to Providence back in June, the ABBC has limped(?) to a 14-5 record.  Injuries started taking their toll.  And for the first time all season, they lost two matches in a row during the Gettysburg Tourney in July.  Third baseman Shakespeare and center fielder Toothpick, have missed substantial time this season.  However, the team will offer no excuses.  Nor should they.  They still field a very formidable squad.

 

 

 

 

ABBC Scorecard and

"Take Me Out to the Ball" Game Sheet Music

I learned two more things about the Brooklyn Atlantics Base Ball Club this past Saturday.  First, in addition to their superlative defense, they have tremendous depth.  In Shakespeare's absence, I watched Wild Horse make numerous diving plays at third base.  His overall effort was just stellar, not to mention dirty.  And in Toothpick's place, Black Jack patrolled center field like he owned it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Secondly, you may add crafty to the list of Brooklyn's epithets.  By no stretch are they the base ball diamond version of the Harlem Globetrotters.  Instead, the Atlantics are defiantly savvy at most appropriate times.  In game one, Brooklyn put an end to Gotham when they successfully pulled off the ol' hidden ball trick.  The play secured the final out of a 10-7 victory.  Atlantics pitcher, Hammy, and first baseman Flash, conspired together and flawlessly executed the ancient ritual.  While Hammy stood outside the pitcher's box and tied his shoe, Flash applied a tag upon the runner wandering off first base.

In the late match, ABBC shortstop, Dream Bucket, demonstrated Brooklyn's proficiency in the field and supreme knowledge of 1864 era rules once again.  In the third frame, the Gothams struck three consecutive hits to load the bases.  With no hands down, New York had the middle portion of their order due up against Brooklyn's hurler, Pigtail.  The next Gothams batter hit a can of corn Dream Bucket's way.  The shortstop smartly dropped the ball, recovered, then stepped on second base for out number one; tagged the runner standing at second for out number two; then threw to third base, where Wild Horse caught the lead Gotham runner off the bag, and likewise tagged him for out number three.  A triple play!  As the late great Mel Allen would say, "How about that?!"  On the play, credit Dream Bucket with a put-out and an assist, and a put-out for Wild Horse.  Memo to runners on base: there was no infield fly rule back then.

Overall, I felt Wild Horse, and TC in particular, were two of the more intense ABBC competitors of the day, and perhaps Brooklyn's most vocal too.  At one point, TC could be heard admonishing his mates regarding poor communication with runners on base.  Otherwise, I saw much of the same from this team.  Meaning, I become more impressed with Flash's sure, bare, hands at first base the more I see him play.  And the Dream remains smooth as silk at short.


As the host team proudly showing off their new digs, the New York Gothams will hear none of this Atlantics stuff.  And why should they?  After three matches against the Brooklyn Atlantics this season, the Gothams have won twice.  And the Gothams have injuries too.  Scratch, the former Spanish League professional, was not in action Saturday.  So the Gothams have little empathy for Brooklyn's recent struggles.


As a matter of fact, this isn't even the same team that defeated Brooklyn back in April.  Scratch aside, this group is an upgrade.  Quite literally, the Gothams have added Lightning to their team.  Offsetting Brooklyn's Dream Bucket, Lightning played an equally smooth shortstop Saturday.  The Gothams new lead-off striker also opened the day's second match with a triple.  His team rode the early  momentum to a big first inning, and eventually closed out a late afternoon victory by an 8-5 final score.  Bugs was tasked with pitching detail.  He admitted early on, he had trouble finding the plate.  Before long however, he was in a grove, and pitched the Gothams to a late day victory.

 

 

Closing Ceremonies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pigtail of the Atlantics and Wickets of the Gothams

Mike.BTB

VBBA: Vintage Base Ball On Historic Governors Island

Dedicated to the glory that is the game of Baseball and the fine men who preserve and masterfully recreate its history.  This also goes out to New York City, the American way of life, and to our men and women still in harms way defending it.

GOVERNORS ISLAND:

 

HOME of the

GOTHAM BASE BALL CLUB of NEW YORK

 

 

 

 

The modern day vessel ferrying passengers from Brooklyn to Governors Island is more like a time machine.  The wait while everyone boards seems longer than the mini voyage through New York Harbor itself.  But once ferried to your destination, stepping foot on Governors Island is akin to walking into 19th Century America.  Back then, this country was still a young burgeoning but troubled Nation, delving in and out of war.

 

A century earlier, General George Washington traversed these very waters, successfully ferrying his entire army out of Brooklyn in full retreat of British troops.  Today, Governors Island is a National Monument standing as a quiet, and relatively unexplored testament to America's earliest military endeavours towards achieving and securing independence.  Governors Island continued serving when called upon to help reaffirm the Nation's principles during a time when brother took arms against brother, and beyond.

 

A turbulent nineteenth century America leading up to, and through the Civil War served as a backdrop while the pastoral and more importantly, amateur, games of Rounders, Old Cat, Goal Ball, the New England Game, the New York Game, and other variations of Base evolved.  The final offshoots were  then codified into the game of Base Ball.  That in turn, laid the foundation for the game of Baseball we know today.  Comparatively speaking, the way the game is played has changed little in over 160 years.  Although, everything surrounding the game has.

 

The story of the New York Knickerbockers credited with being the first official social organization of amateur base ball players formed in the 1840's is well known by now.  One-hundred and sixty-five years ago, this gentleman's social club from Manhattan also ferried across these very waters to play their famous first match in Base Ball history on the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey.  Then over the next twenty years, Brooklyn effectively became the center of the Baseball universe.  It was in the Borough of Kings where Base Ball became great, and where the art and practice of documenting and preserving Base Ball history was born.  Only then did Base Ball spread throughout the land, and go on to become the National Pastime.  But some of the earliest road trips in Base Ball were not road trips at all.  Prior to the game's westward march into a Nation, metropolitan area teams from Brooklyn, Manhattan, and New Jersey, ferried across the waters of New York Harbor.

 

 

Today, Governors Island serves as a floating monument to New York City, and Gotham's role in all of this.  Retired from military service long ago, the island is being transformed into a destination for civilians, and more suited for the recreational interests of the people.  There is an old saying in the Army: Blood makes the grass grow.  Ponder that for a second.  Our country fought for its right to be free and exist as an independent Nation.  Appropriately, it was originally in the spirit of a Nation's newly found freedom and resulting recreational time that the genesis of Base Ball was inspired.

 

Even though Governors Island floats center mass between the Statue of Liberty, the lower tip of Manhattan Island, and Brooklyn's remaining shipping and container industry, for too long, the island has gone ignored and unspoken, until recently.  New York City purchased the island from the government some years ago and eventually welcomed the public to venture in.  And Brooklyn's redeveloping East River waterfront is now taking them there.  After laying in ruins for so long, the pier where the time machine picks up and discharges passengers exists because of a major effort to rescue, and revive the downtown shoreline.  Brooklyn's waterfront reached its zenith as a glorious shipping and industrial power well over a half century ago.  Today, as part of the greater Brooklyn Bridge Park project, Brooklyn's old dilapidated waterfront, like Governors Island, is being recovered in the name of recreational spaces.

 

If you're like most native New Yorkers, you've never been to the Statue of Liberty, much less Governors Island.  Many Noo Yawkuz even claim to have never visited the Empire State Building.  The thinking is it's there and we can go any time.  To most, Governors Island is that curious little inconsequential plot of land they see when crossing either the Brooklyn or Manhattan Bridges on their way to and from work.  Or it might be that place commuters glance over while driving in traffic on the BQE.  Others just look at it curiously while strolling along the Promenade above the expressway.

 

 

 

There is now Base Ball being played on Governors Island.  No, not Baseball, I meant Base Ball.  In time for the 2012 regular season, and exactly one hundred sixty years after their forefathers took to playing on a base ball field, the modern day Gothams Base Ball Club of New York began calling Governors Island home. They are New York City's only vintage base ball team, and represent the New York Gothams Club established circa 1852, in Manhattan.  And when the home team is scheduled to play, you can visit the island via the free ferry service, and take in a match played between skilled competitors who adhere to authentic 1864 era rules.  The member teams wear authentic style uniforms, use era style bats and balls.  And in their most realistic representation, they do not use gloves.  These gentlemen play Base Ball quite literally the way it was originally designed.  I speak about all the playing members of the Vintage Base Ball Association.

 

 

 

 

 

As was the case in the 19th Century, their modern rivals are the Brooklyn Atlantics Base Ball Club who represent an organization established circa 1855, in the Bedford-Stuyvesant/Williamsburg sections of Brooklyn.  However, today's Atlantic club plays their home games in Bethpage, Long Island.  This past Saturday, the Gothams hosted a pair of matches against the Atlantics.  I, along with the Brooklyn Atlantics, were making our first ever visit to the island.  By day's end, both teams had the satisfaction of at least winning a game each.  And I had the benefit of going back in time.

 

 

Find out how the games went in my next post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike.BTB