Vintage base ball to return to Fort Oglethorpe this season
Vintage Base Ball is back from COVID restrictions and returns to action on the polo field at the 6th Calvary Museum in Fort Oglethorpe on May 1 for a single match between the two local teams, the Lightfoot Club of Chattanooga and the Mountain City Club of Chattanooga, at 2 p.m.
Thrill to the original sport played with no gloves, no strike zone and lots of fun, while enjoying the outdoor beauty of Barnhardt Circle’s historic grounds.
“The season-opener is always exciting, and this year we’re excited to bring base ball back to Fort Oglethorpe. It will be Free Museum Saturday for everyone who visits and you’ll get to see our newest exhibit “The Triple Victory of the 6888th”,” said Chris McKeever, director of the 6th Cavalry Museum. “You’ll get to watch vintage base ball, tour the museum and take a step back in time to learn about Fort Oglethorpe’s unique military history, and the best part, it’s all absolutely free.”
In addition to vintage base ball, the Fort Oglethorpe Historic Preservation Commission will also be at the museum to kick off May as National Historic Preservation Month from 11 a.m.2 p.m. to meet the public and scan local historic photos.
Of particular interest are photos from the Army Post era (1902-1947), the beginning of the city (1949) and “lost places and events” in Fort Oglethorpe, such as St. Gerard Elementary School, the city’s first businesses, parades, opening of city hall and other events that tell the city’s history through photos.
For those not familiar with vintage base ball, this is base ball played by rules, equipment, uniforms and culture of the mid-1860’s. Think of it as living history through base ball.
Players are all volunteers, who incorporate the early history of base ball. The game, called a match, is played with wooden bats and no gloves. The arbiter, who today is known as the umpire, explains the rules and differences to the crowd and for contested calls, may ask the crowd to make the ruling. The players play for the sheer joy of playing and it shows.
Admission to the match and the museum are free, as is parking. Bring a lawn chair or blanket as there is no bleacher seating.
The base ball schedule for the 2021 season will also include the following dates and times: May 15 (11 a.m. and 2 p.m.), June 5 (11 a.m. and 2 p.m.), June 26 (2 p.m.), July 10 (11 a.m. and 2 p.m.), Aug. 21 (11 a.m. and 2 p.m.), Aug. 28 (2 p.m.) and Sept. 11 (2 p.m.).
For more information about this event visit 6thcalvarymuseum.org or tennesseevintagebaseball.com.