One hundred fifty years ago, the sport we now know as baseball was starting out in America with underhand pitching, one-bounce catch-outs, and other rules that are vastly different from today’s game.

Dirigo Vintage Base Ball Club — based out of Augusta, Maine — is keeping those origins alive by looking and dressing the part and playing by the rules of 1861, as adopted by the National Association of Base Ball Players.

Allenstown’s Historical Society hosted their second vintage “base ball” game between Dirigo and the makeshift Sunrise Club team at Pine Haven Boys Center in front of a small crowd of baseball aficionados and other members of the community on Sunday. The Allenstown Fire Department grilled burgers and hot dogs for a fundraiser.

As an unassuming sports journalist, I was eager to observe the showcase without the pressure of a highly competitive high school sports event. As I approached the teams before the game, Jake Newcomb, the captain of the Sunrise Club, asked me how I felt about doing some “gonzo journalism.”

The Sunrise Club was short some players due to last-minute conflicts and needed a center fielder, and what better way to learn about how baseball was played in the early 1860s than to play it. So, I put on the heavy, baggy, wool shirts and a vintage cap, and played ball.

The game started traditionally, with the singing of the National Anthem and a flip of a coin to determine which team batted or pitched first.

“The most obvious rule, if you catch the ball on the bounce, it’s an out. That’s probably the biggest difference. Some of the other things, the way they call balls and strikes is different,” said Sterling Paul, a member of the Dirigo Club, of Pittston, Maine. “It’s more of a gentleman pitch and hit game. So rarely does the umpire get involved to call balls and strikes. He lets the batter and the pitcher do it on their own.”

Very specific regulations also dictate the exact size and weight of the ball.

Article continues after...

Yesterday's Most Read Articles

‘There was no oversight’: NH child advocate has been a watchdog for children's care. Now, the office is on the chopping block

Volunteer group wants to help homeless clean up their camp

‘Less finger pointing, more communication’: Longtime Chichester residents share hopes before second town meeting

Casella Waste Systems’ landfill project in New Hampshire’s North Country denied permit

New Healthy Buffalo owner to build market in Chichester

‘It’s everything’: In largest rally yet, Trump protestors descend on Concord

Your Daily Puzzles

Cross|Word

Flipart

Typeshift

SpellTower

Really Bad Chess

“The ball must weigh not less than five and one-half, nor more than five and three-fourths ounces, avoirdupois. It must measure not less than nine and one-half, nor more than nine and three-fourths inches in circumference. It must be composed of India rubber and yarn, and covered with leather, and, in all match games, shall be furnished by the challenging club, and become the property of the winning club, as a trophy of victory,” read the rules on Dirigo Base Ball’s website.

In a lot of ways, vintage baseball resembles cricket. Baseball itself developed from cricket and was imported from England, where it began as a child’s game and was adopted by adults sometime in the 17th century.

Cricket is the second most popular game in the world today, but was unable to beat out the popularity of the newly established game of baseball in North America.

I had the chance to play cricket where I grew up, in Lima, Peru. I attended a British International school, although I am American, and was taught the game there. Eventually, I was given the opportunity to represent Peru in the South American U-16 Cricket tournament.

Similarly to how the ball is caught in cricket, 1860s baseball used no gloves and to get an out, players had to catch the ball in the air or off the first bounce with hands facing up. Outs were not even called outs then, they were called hands.

The Sunrise Club third baseman, Chuck Ciccarello, was able to trick a runner in the third inning with the old hidden ball in the pants pocket trick, and it’s a shame that’s not seen more often in today’s game. Later on, when Dirigo’s pitcher hit a striker (batter), he exclaimed, “You, Sir, are no gentleman!”

Pitches were thrown underhand and not from a mound, but rather a space between two lines that resembled the space from which cricket players bowl, and the “balk” still existed so once you started your motion you had to throw.

The slow looping balls were harder to hit compared to the direct cricket bowls and baseball pitches people are used to. If you have ever seen the 1993 movie, Rookie of the Year, you know what I mean.

Strikers (batters) and pitchers would both be issued warnings, not for unsportsmanlike conduct like in modern baseball, but for being in danger of striking out or walking the striker.

The showcase taught me a lot about the old-school game of baseball and how it became so popular in the 20th century. The sportsmanship, different rules, old wooden bats, and awesome replica uniforms tied it all together.

I had four at-bats and got on base three times. The one-bounce hands also made it risky to swing for the fences, and the longer distance of 90 feet between bases made players run hard just to get a base. You have to choose pitches carefully.

The Sunrise Club and I were unable to pull off a comeback and lost, 5-3, in a nine-inning competitive but lighthearted game.

“It’s a combination of my three favorite things: theater, history and baseball,” said Steve Castellani, a player on Sunrise.

Some other rules were different, such as foul balls. The umpire’s role was limited in the old days, but they did have authority over foul balls. However, if a ball bounced fair and then foul, it would still be called a live ball leading to infielders having to stay on their toes. Similarly, foul balls caught on one bounce by the catcher could still be an out.

Structurally, the game remains very similar. Nine innings with three “hands” put out the half-inning. Teams follow a batting order and play one pitcher, and nine fielders including a catcher.

“We attended historical Kennebunk Historical Society’s fundraiser and the vintage baseball game, and they walked up to some of the players and inquired, because they were really fascinated with it,” said Tracy Adams, Paul Adams’s wife, and the mother of Charlie and Colby from the Sunrise Club.

Armand Verville, president of Allenstown’s historical society, said that the idea came from a resident, Dennis Fowler, who attended a game in Portsmouth and thought it would be perfect to bring here. They hosted the first game three years ago. However, the past two have been called off — two years ago a scheduling issue confounded plans and last year it was rained out. They were happy to bring it back this year.

“We played a volunteer field. It was very successful. We expected 40-some-odd people. We got 150 plus. So this time wasn’t quite as big, but it was still a pretty good crowd,” said Fowler.

The vintage baseball clubs around New England such as Dirigo and Sunrise are always looking for more people to continue the tradition. Allenstown hopes to continue bringing these showcases.