Photo of men dressed in vintage baseball outfits. One man is running to the home base and the other is getting ready to catch the baseball causing the runner to be out. The text says Vintage Baseball by rosevinecottagegirls.com

Vintage Baseball Game

Tennessee, Travel / By

Vintage Baseball Game

 
Photo of four men facing away from the camera in outfits from the 1800s. They are on a Vintage baseball team and are all in white long sleeve dress shirts, dark blue vests and light blue pants. They are watching the game and waiting their turn to bat. The article is Vintage Baseball and talks about the history of the game. By rosevinecottagegirls.com

 

Today we are sharing our trip to The Sam Davis Home for a vintage baseball game.

 

Man in profile. He is dressed in clothing from the 1800s and he has on a white dress shirt, dark blue vest and light blue pants with an old bowler hat on his head. He holds a baseball bat on one shoulder and is ready to swing the bat when the pitcher throws the ball. He is in a beautiful field with large trees. The article is about vintage baseball by RosevineCottageGirls.com

 

When we were visiting the old home site we heard that they were advertising these vintage baseball games and that it was a great event.  We were not sure what to expect at first but thought we would give the experience a try. We had such a great time and can’t wait to go back!

Photo of two men dressed in vintage clothing from the 1800s. They are playing vintage baseball. There is a baseball in mid air and they are trying to catch the ball and strike the batter out. The article is Vintage Baseball by rosevinecottagegirls.com

 

Vintage baseball is the perfect family-friendly game- with no cussing and no fighting. You don’t have to worry about what your kids are going to hear while there, and you learn about the history of this fun sport.

 

Two men in a field dressed in 1800s baseball uniforms. They have on red slacks and gray long sleeved button down shirts with a P on the front. They are wearing red and blue baseball caps. They are standing in a field both bent foreward with their palms resting on their legs as they watch the pitcher (off camera) pitch the ball to the batter and wait to see where the ball goes so they can catch it. The article is Vintage Baseball by rosevinecottagegirls.com
 

It is delightful family fun.  We took a picnic but they had vendors there selling food and ice cream (which if I may say was delicious!) as well. If you go be sure to bring fold-out lawn chairs or a blanket to sit on.

Man in a grassy field dressed in an 1800s baseball uniform. He is wearing red slacks, a gray button down dress shirt with long sleeves and has some letter on the front in red. He is wearing a baseball cap in red and blue bill. The article is Vintage baseball by rosevinecottagegirls.com

 

The games are shorter and only last a few hours which is great if you have small children or just don’t want to sit in the sun all day- this was the first game I didn’t read a book through, I loved it!

 

Two men in vintage 1800s baseball uniforms with a small boy in an old outfit in the back keeping watch over the bats. The man in front is a pitcher and he is wearing red slacks, a gray long sleeve button down dress shirt with a letter "P" in red on the breast. He is wearing a red baseball hat with blue bill and his arm is up and behind him as he readies to pitch the ball to the batter. The article is vintage baseball by rosevinecottagegirls.com

 

The team members are all volunteers that love the history of the sport. They brought their families and everyone gathered around to enjoy the fun. Little ones played quietly along the sides of the field enjoying the bright sunshine.

 

Man dressed in 1860s baseball outfit. He has on red slacks, gray shirt with the letter "P" on the breast. He has a red baseball hat. He is pitching the ball to the batter. All you can see of him is the back of his head wearing an old bowler hat. There is another player in red beyond the pitcher. The article is Vintage Baseball by rosevineCottagegirls.com

 

What is vintage baseball you ask? It is a look back at how baseball was at an earlier time.

 

Photo of a man wearing 1860s baseball attire. He has light blue slacks, white long sleeve button down shirt and a dark blue vest and a bowler hat on his head. He is in a field surrounded with big trees around it. He is crouching down and watching as the batter bats the ball. The article is Vintage Baseball by rosevinecottagegirls.com
 
  • The ball was different in the beginning. It was called a lemon- peel and was made out of a single piece of leather and was heavier and less tightly wound than our current baseballs.

 

Men wearing vintage baseball attire playing ball in a green field. The umpire watches the game. There is a little boy dressed in the outfit of the blue team on his knees closest the camera watching the game with interest. Article is vintage baseball by rosevinecottagegirls.com
 

 

  • The ball was different in the beginning. It was called a lemon- peel and was made out of a single piece of leather and was heavier and less tightly wound than our current baseballs.

 

Three men playing Vintage Baseball. One man in the blue uniform who has just hit the ball and is running to base. Two men in red uniforms trying to get the ball. The article is Vintage Baseball by the rosevinecottagegirls.com
 
  • There was once no restriction on the size of the baseball bat. It needed to be a 2 1/2″ diameter but there are different styles of bat that was used since the latter part of the 1800s
Little boy watching a vintage baseball game. Article Vintage baseball by rosevinecottagegirls.com
 
 
  • In vintage baseball the pitcher will throw the ball. He is standing 45′ away and they deliver a hittable ball. The term balls and strikes were introduced in the 1860s in order to increase the speed of the game.

 

Photo of men playing a baseball game dressed in uniforms from the 1860s. The article is Vintage baseball by rosevinecottagegirls.com
 
  • No catching glove is used but the balls are caught with the bare hand. Catching the ball with two hands is often the method used to catch the ball.
Man in a grassy field running. He is wearing a baseball uniform from the 1860s and his baseball cap has fallen off his head and is flying behind him as he runs. His hair is flying behind him. He is wearing a red and white uniform. A man from the blue team is seen down field coming toward him. The article is Vintage Baseball by rosevinecottagegirls.com
 
  • You didn’t see the use of gloves or mitts in baseball until the 1870s 

 

Two men along the side of a baseball game dressed in vintage 1860s uniforms. They are wearing light blue slacks and white button down dress shirts with a darker blue vest. They are crouching and kneeling along the side of the field to watch the game. People watching the game are on the other side of the field sitting in chairs in the shade of the large trees. The article is Vintage Baseball by rosevinecottagegirls.com
 
  • A hit ball that bounces on the ground would make the batter out.

 

Two men in a grassy field playing outfield in a vintage baseball game. They are wearing red slacks and gray shirts with red baseball hats. The baseball is in mid air and they are trying to catch the ball. The man on the left is lunging for the ball and about to fall. The article is vintage baseball by rosevinecottagegirls.com
 
  • You could not overrun base. If you were off the base you were considered a baserunner.

 

Men in a grassy field surrounded by large trees. They are playing baseball and are wearing vintage uniforms from the 1860s. The man in the blue uniform is running and almost to the base. Two of the men in the red uniforms are running for the ball. The man on that base is watching the ball and waiting for them to throw it to him. The article is vintage baseball by rosevinecottagegirls.com
 
  • The home team does not always bat in the bottom of an inning.

 

Man in a grassy field. There are large dark green trees behind him. He is dressed in a vintage baseball uniform with light blue slacks, white collared dress shirt and dark blue vest. He has a black bowler hat on his head and a stick in his mouth. He is watching the next batter go to bat and paying attention to the baseball, ready to catch it. The article is Vintage Baseball by RosevineCottageGirls.com
 
 
  • The field in vintage baseball is the same as the modern game.

 

Player (a Man) sitting on the sidelines of the Vintage Baseball game waiting for his turn to bat. He is sitting on the grass and there are spectators across the field sitting on blankets and chairs. The article is Vintage Baseball by Rosevine Cottage Girls
 

 

  • The bases in vintage baseball are 12″ square

 

Vintage baseball players in 1860s uniforms running across a field. by rosevinecottagegirls.com
 
 
  • The batter hit by the ball is not awarded any base.

 

Man dressed in a vintage 1860s baseball uniform getting ready to pitch the ball to the batter. He is wearing red slacks, a gray long sleeve shirt and red baseball cap. There is a large letter "P" on the breast. There are spectators on the other side of the field. Article is Vintage Baseball by rosevinecottagegirls.com
 
 
  • There is no infield fly rule

 

Man playing baseball in a vintage 1860s uniform. The baseball is starting to descend and he is posed to catch the ball double handed. He is wearing red pants, a gray shirt with large "P" on the breast of the shirt with a red baseball cap. The field is surrounded by large trees. The article is Vintage Baseball by rosevinecottagegirls.com
 
  • In the early years of baseball, base-stealing was common, but sliding in the modern sense was not.

 

Photo of a man throwing a baseball. He is in a vintage uniform. The article is about Vintage Baseball teams by rosevinecottagegirls.com
 
  • Ungentlemanly behavior, such as spitting or cursing, was subject to a fine by the umpire.

 

Men in vintage uniforms from the 1860 style playing baseball. Article is Vintage Baseball by rosevinecottagegirls.com
 
Things you may need to go to a Vintage Baseball Game:

 

Men in 1860s uniforms sit watching a Vintage Baseball game. article about vintage baseball games by rosevinecottagegirls.com
 
 
The team members are all volunteers that love the history of the sport. They brought their families and everyone gathered around to enjoy the fun. Little ones played quietly along the sides of the field enjoying the bright sunshine.

 

Photo of a team of baseball players in a field surrounded with tall trees. They are dressed in vintage baseball uniforms from the 1860s. The article is by rosevinecottagegirls.com

 

 

 

 

There is much more to learn about Vintage baseball.  To learn more about Tennessee Vintage Baseball check out their website.

 

 

Step back in time and enjoy an afternoon of history, fun and baseball!

Baseball players standing in a field and cheering at a Vintage baseball game. The article Vintage Baseball is by rosevinecottagegirls.com

 

Coffee and Conversation button

Check out our other articles before you go:

 

About The Author

The Rosevine Cottage Girls are a mother and twin-daughter team. We intercede into the lives of men and women to speak truth into their lives and remind them of their worthwhile inspiring them to try new things and embrace the mess and turn it into their message. We’ve heard so many times from people in our life that they struggled with recognizing their worth. We’re here to tell you that you are priceless, even on your messiest day, and remind you that you have an impact on the world around you.

Related Posts

Scroll to Top