Vintage Dexter Baseball Team Seeks Members for New League

A new twist on the game of baseball is coming to Dexter this summer.

The Dexter Area Historical Society (DAHS) is forming a vintage baseball team based on how the sport was played prior to the U.S. Civil War.

"We've been working on all the details for the last several months and now we're ready to start recruiting interested folks to play for Dexter," Donovan Hill, the team's co-founder said.

Hill said he saw the Chelsea Monitors vintage ball team play a game at Gordon Hall during Dexter's event last summer, which inspired him to start a local team.

"Watching the guys play in period uniforms and catch balls without mitts really peaked my interest," he said.

Unlike modern baseball, Hill said vintage baseball follows an entirely different set of rules and jargon.

"We're looking for people who have some talent with baseball, but it's almost like you have to unlearn what you know," Hill said.

While there are still nine innings and nine players on the field, Hill said some noticeable differences include pitchers (hurlers) throwing a hand-stitched ball underhand to a batter (striker) instead of overhand pitching used in modern games.

“Pitchers in vintage baseball were more concerned about putting the ball where the batter wanted. As time went on and the game evolved, the pitcher became more of a strategic player," Jon Van Hoek, a member of the Chelsea Monitors said. "It’s a little different from what people are used to."

Another strikingly different approach to the game is the lack of umpires and players' gloves to catch the ball.

“We don’t use gloves, so if you don’t catch the ball just right, it does sting a bit,” he said.

Van Hoek said most vintage teams abide by gentlemen’s rules, which include no swearing and eliminate much of the umpire’s responsibilities.

“The teams police themselves, and close plays are decided on the player’s honor,” Van Hoek said.

Other rules, such as tagging a player out if a player on the opposing team catches the ball after its first bounce, promise to keep audiences entertained, Van Hoek said.

Hill said the hosting team is also responsible for providing a meal for both teams after each game.

Hill said DAHS records show that Dexter had a baseball team in the 1860s called the Wahoos. Unfortunately, that name has since been absorbed by another team, so Dexter will play under the name The Dexter Union Base Ball Team.

"There's about 24 vintage clubs in Michigan, with the bulk of them in southeast Michigan," Hill said. "We currently have 10 games scheduled for the summer."

Hill said he is looking for 18 volunteers, ages 21 and up, to join the team. A $200 membership fee will cover the cost of uniforms and equipment.

"Everyone who signs up for the team will get to play," Hill said. "This isn't a matter of picking our nine best guys. If you can hit a ball and run bases, you are welcome to sign up."

Hill said the DAHS has thrown their full support behind the effort to start a Dexter team.

"They are extremely interested in seeing Dexter have a vintage baseball team," he said. "The society is letting us play games on the Gordon Hall property and will be supplying meals after the games. It's mutually beneficial for us and for the Dexter community to have a team."

An informational meeting will take place at the at 2 p.m. Jan. 14. For more information, e-mail unionbbc@gmail.com or visit http://facebook.com/unionbbc.