An Essex player slides into second as a Dirigo player makes the catch. (Carrie Reynolds photo) |
The Dirigo Vintage Base Ball Club will be taking on the New England All Stars in a re-playing of a Civil War era type baseball game this fall.
The Sept. 13 event is a fundraiser for the Midcoast Sports Hall of Fame, and will be held at the Dow’s Discount Store Field, located on Route 1 in Waldoboro.
The Dirigo Vintage Base Ball Club formed in 2005, and is the first of its type in Maine. The team wears vintage reproduction uniforms and uses equipment authentic to the period.
Dirigo played at the Cornish Historical Society on Saturday.
The score was kept on a chalkboard, just as it would have been over 150 years ago. There were no line-up cards or scorebooks. It was a gentlemen’s game and everything was on the honor system.
The umpire could not make it, so players made their own calls on foul balls, balls, strikes, and outs. As with any sand lot game, there was a little bit of friendly bickering and bantering going on.
According to the Dickson Baseball Dictionary, Maine’s key contribution to the game of baseball came in 1872 when the Boston Red Stockings played a game in Belfast. The official scorer from Boston announced batters in the traditional form, calling “Wright at bat, Leonard and Barnes next.”
The scorer from Belfast put a nautical twist to his announcements, calling, “Moody at bat, Boardmen on deck, and Dinsmore in the hold.” Later the term changed to in the hole.
The scorer from Boston liked the Maine way so much that he continued to use it and it spread across the country.
A Dirigo baserunner is out at third. (Carrie Reynolds photo) |
Rules of the 1860s era game include no over-running first base; a ball caught on one bounce is counted as an out, but runners do not have to tag up on such outs; a ball is only foul if it first lands in foul territory. A ball that lands in fair territory first is considered fair even if it rolls foul.
Pitchers throw underhand from 45 feet. Vulgar behavior and poor sportsmanship is not tolerated and fines can be issued on the field by the umpire. On close plays, the umpire may refer to the cranks (fans) for their opinion before making a final decision.
Some vintage base ball terminology includes cranks (fans), muffin (error), striker (batter), ace or tally (run), apple, pill, horsehide, or onion (the ball); artist (good player), baller or ballist (player), basetender (infielder), blind (no score), bowler, hurler, thrower, feeder (pitcher), bug bruiser or daisy cutter (sharp grounder), dead, hand dead, or hand down (putting batter out), dew drop (slow pitch), four baser (homerun), garden (outfield), leg it (run swiftly), muckle (power hitter), pluck (fine strike or play), rover (shortstop), scouts (outfielders), show a little ginger (play harder or smarter), stinger (hard hit ball), stir up stumps (run fast, hustle), talleykeeper (scorekeeper), three hands dead (three outs, side retired), whitewash (shutout), and willow (bat).
