Vintage Base Ball (spelled two words in the early days) is a movement to return the game to its roots. Teams play a gentlemanly game according to 19th century rules wearing authentic period uniforms. The rules vary greatly depending upon the year of the baseball rule book that governs play. Teams strive to present base ball’s history to others by playing base ball as it was done in the past. The goal is to recreate the game as it was played in the 1800s as accurately as possible to share knowledge of this great game of base ball from an historic standpoint.
The Columbus Capital Base Ball Club plays by the rules and regulations of base ball as adopted by the National Association of Base-Ball Players on December 12th, 1866, when the team was founded.
The Gotham Base Ball Club of New York play games according to 1864 rules, when pitchers pitched underhanded, a foul ball was not a strike, a ball caught on one bounce was a put-out and the fielders wore no gloves. The team was founded c. 1853.
The Flemington Neshanock Base Ball Club plays by 19th century rules, uses authentic replicas of 19th century equipment and wears 19th century uniforms. As was the custom in the middle 19th century, all fielders play barehanded and do not wear gloves. The original Flemington Neshanock were established in July 1866 and comprised mainly of the town’s prominent constituents.
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