Our trip up to Old Time Baseball started with a romp at the Oregon Zoo. In what is becoming a strangely consistent routine of going to the zoo on Baseball Road Trips, my girlfriend and I met up with her friend to see what the Oregon Zoo had to offer. We were certainly pleased after going through the dinosaur exhibits and seeing every conceivable animal that was there. Trying to pick out my favorites are tough because I love animals, but the crocodiles and polar bears stand out in my mind.
To top off our trip to the zoo, we decided to take a ride on the zoo's narrow-gauge railway. The Washington Park and Zoo Railway is a 30-inch gauge railway that takes visitors on a 35-minute 2-mile tour around the zoo and the adjoining Washington Park. It is, interestingly, the last passenger train in the country that still offers mail service. The train actually has it's own unique postage cancellation stamp that is still in use. Sitting behind a replica 1950's diesel locomotive, we paraded through the park on the train taking in the sights and beautiful scenery in Washington Park.
After our excursion, we met up with two more friends of ours to head up to Fort Vancouver. Sitting just north of the Columbia River, Fort Vancouver played a huge role in the settling of the Pacific Northwest. First used as a base for the Hudson's Bay Company, the Fort became a trading post, stop-over for Lewis and Clark on their expedition, an Army base, and now a national park. It is an expansive park that covers several hundred acres including the fort re-creation, barracks, parade ground and officers quarters.
After we parked, we made our way to the Parade Ground where the Old Time Baseball game was to take place. I was surprised to see quite a crowd gathering along the baselines. We threw down a blanket on the third base side and waited for the game to start.
The experience was put on by Fort Vancouver and the Pacific Northwest Vintage Baseball Club. The experience included all players in period uniforms, authentic equipment, a brass band playing tunes, and a howitzer cannon to signal the start of play.
I guess now is as good of time as any to explain the differences and similarities between the present-day game and the 1867 re-creation we were about to see. The bases are still ninety feet apart, there's three outs to an inning and nine innings to a game. The pitcher is referred to as the "hurler", the batter as the "striker" and the catcher as the "behind." The ball is pitched underhand by the hurler. The striker can request where he wants the ball in the strike zone. There are no walks or called strike threes, but you are out after three swings-and-misses. In addition to being put out via force out or fly out, outs can also be made by throwing the ball at the striker and hitting him before reaching the base. Outs can also occur if a fielder fields a batted ball after the first bounce off the ground.
I think that covers the main rules differences. Now on to equipment. Mitts were not yet invented, so fielders had to field with their bare hands. The ball was "dead" as the winding of yarn around the center was not as tight as today's ball making the ball squishy and pliable, almost like a T-Ball. This resulted in the ball not traveling as far as today's game. To compare, the farthest hits during the game went about as far as my hits for softball would go. There were no restrictions on bats, so the types of bats varied from three feet to over four feet and from a few ounces to sticks that weighed twice or three times as more as bats of today do.
Our place along the third base line allowed us to interact with the players in the game. With no stands to sit in, our place on the grass gave me a field level view of the game. I was able to ask questions throughout the game and converse with the participants. I learned so much and the entire operation fascinated me. This is a side of the game that I have never seen.
In the midst of all this, an actual game did take place. The goal was to recreate the rivalry between the Occidentals of Vancouver and the Portland Pioneer Baseball Club of the 1860's. While I didn't keep score, the game had to have at least 30 errors (makes you appreciate the leather A LOT more) and only two strikeouts. In the end, the Occidentals brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but the scoring threat ended as the tying-run was thrown out at third leaving the Occidentals defeated 15-14.
Putting this incredible experience into words is very difficult. I had so much fun just watching the game and being a part of something like this. The authenticity of it all made me feel like a "krank" in the 1860's. Seeing the game in it's purest most infant form was such a rush. My friends commented that I looked like a little kid watching the game. That's really how I felt. It almost was as if I were being a part of history. The pictures I see in baseball history books seemed to come to life, and I was a part of it. Baseball Road Trips aren't just about visiting new stadiums and tracking the games. They're much more than that, and this trip really showed me a side of this hobby that I hadn't yet explored. Again, I'm almost at a loss for words.
I'm still saving money, but baseball season is quickly coming to a close. If this is the last trip, then I am content with how things have transpired. If it isn't, then more adventures await. We'll see how finances shape up in the next month.
Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)
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