Old-time baseball makes comeback

HINGHAM -- It was out with the new and in with the old, as players adorned in baggy pinstripe uniforms and swinging ash bats brought 19th century baseball back to the South Shore. Two teams, the Derbys and the Coopers, took to the field Sunday at Derby Academy for a six-inning game that the Derbys won, 6-2. The Hingham Historical Society sponsored the vintage game, which it hopes will become an annual tradition.
As they did decades ago, fans sat on blankets Sunday rather than bleachers. The event featured a barbecue, proper 19th century cheers (``hip, hip -- huzzah!''), free crank noisemakers and a gift table with 19th century-style baseballs. During intervals in the action, umpire Michael Achille, 74, of Martha's Vineyard explained how old rules differed from the new.
Achille, who spent 30 years as a teacher, school administrator, and coach in Nanuet, N.Y., was well-seasoned for the job.

The two teams had a good-natured warm-up session for an hour before the game. South Shore Men of Harmony sang the national anthem at the opening, and Michael Studley of the Hingham Historical Society threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Then the teams took the field, while about 150 people cheered from a hillside. Sen. Robert Hedlund of Weymouth, a Derbys team player, was elevated to ``governor for the day.'' Hedland got a hit on his first at-bat. Paperboys -- like Noah Sneath, 12, of Hingham, a student at Hingham Middle School -- were selling $2 vintage-style programs filled with baseball trivia and history. The game was dedicated to the memory of Frank Howland Studley, father and grandfather of historical society members Michael and Tom Studley. He was a member of the Hingham High School baseball team around 1903-1904.
Suzanne Buchanan, the historical society's executive director, said that baseball was once played in many small towns and big cities across the country by people who did it for a love for the sport.
Buchanan said the town had three teams -- the Hingham Base Ball Club, the Hingham Center Team and Porter's Players -- from 1880 to 1900.

Category:

Sports

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• gsvid
• ghsnevid
• patriot
• ledger
• quincy
• hingham
• historical
• society
• vintage
• old
• time
• baseball

[patriotledger]

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[swp2012]

2:13 nickname CRAZY LEG HEDLUND

[jpschubbs]

This is awesome.

[InflatableConan2]

If you love old baseball you gotta see my Conan O'Brien 1864 segment! It's the most hilarious segment you'll ever see in your life!

[mikematij2]

haha terrible video, you guys poorly portrayed the game of baseball... it was more revolved around this bored town having an excuse to hold some event. anyway, you guys had a bunch people who didnt know what they were doing. the baseball gods frowned upon this day.

[Crazy4Sk8in]

pringles guy at the begginning

[MJ1341]

Yeah "Baseball" was good. I enjoyed reading "Total baseball'", and "Bill James Abstract.", "The baseball Timeline."

I play OOTP Baseball simulation game and i always like starting in 1871. You start learning more about players like Ross Barnes, Ned Williamson, Tommy Bond. There were more great players besides just Cap Anson.

Plus the rules were different. For a while, batters could call the pitch.

Just great to see the way the game evolved over time.

[MykeFoo]

someone watched Ken Burns' "Baseball" huh??

[MJ1341]

I'll have to disagree with the umpires being treated with respect. The 19th century saw some of the worst outright cheating ever in baseball. With the cheating peaking in the 1890's. King Kelly would go from 1st to 3rd without touching 2nd when the Ump was turned. Ballplayers would hold the runner on the bag for a sec or 2 after the ball was hit.

[dgard20]

very neat. Thanks

[soccerhotty4316]

the paper boy was in my band class too