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Fort Campbell community enjoys vintage baseball game, history lesson




Members of the Tennessee Association of Vintage Baseball played the 1864 version of baseball Aug. 13 at Perez Field.

Spectators from the Fort Campbell community spent the day watching the Stone River Scouts take on the Ragtags, an all-star team, and learned about the evolution of baseball.

Knickerbocker Rules

Vintage baseball is played using rules from the mid-1800s, said Jon Price, a Stones River Scouts player and member of the Tennessee Association of Vintage Baseball. Price, whose nickname is Commodore, is a catcher.

“I hope to share some education with our spectators about how the game really started because this is based off of the Knickerbocker Rules, which is part of the modern game,” Price said. “Hopefully people watching can gain understanding of how the game progressed from the beginning to where it is today.”

The Knickerbocker Rules are a set of baseball rules formalized by William R. Wheaton and William H. Tucker of the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club in 1845 and include some rules still used today such as the tag-out rule, the 90-degree territory defining fair hits, and the three-out inning.

Price said he is grateful Fort Campbell was open to allowing the team to demonstrate their passion for baseball and share it with the community.

“Being from the National Guard and coming up here a few weekends, I figured this was the best way to get back to post and let people see that there’s more to the U.S. Army than fighting,” he said. “The spread of the popularity of baseball and the U.S. Army go hand in hand.”

Fun for everyone

A unique aspect of vintage baseball spectators noticed is the age range at the players varies.

The oldest player in the league is 81-year-old Gary Bridges, whose nickname is Eagle.

Bridges, originally from Nashville, discovered vintage baseball a year ago while on Facebook. He decided to reach out to the team, a decision he’s glad he made.

“I’m 81 years old, so I’m past my prime,” Bridges said laughing. “I actually went to spring training with the Dodgers in 1960. So, I’ve loved baseball my whole life and I really enjoy this.”

He picked up the sport because it keeps him active, and his Family gets to see him have fun doing something he loves.

“I’ve got grandkids and great-grandkids who live in Nashville so that keeps me kind of busy,” Bridges said. “They come see me play sometimes.”

He plays catcher for the team and hopes the experience will keep the origins of baseball alive.

Some spectators were surprised when they arrived to learn the baseball game they were watching wasn’t going to be like ones they’d seen before.

Shania Reil, military spouse, said she came to watch her husband in the honor guard and was confused when she saw the 1860s uniforms.

“I didn’t know this was going to be vintage baseball,” Reil said. “I was confused and asked why the uniforms are the way they are, and I saw that they are playing without gloves as well and the outfits really stuck out to me.”

She quickly realized this was something new and found it entertaining, so she decided to watch.

“I’m excited to see how they play and learn how it was played in the 1800s,” Reil said. “It’s nice to see a piece of history recreated.”

Austin Javes has been watching vintage baseball for four years and came to watch a specific player.

“My neighbor is out here playing today,” Javes said, adding that once he saw a few vintage baseball games he started to enjoy it more than he does traditional baseball.

“I like this form of baseball more because it moves faster and it’s more interactive and fun. I also like that it incorporates history,” he said.

Lesson in history

Before the game, Samantha Shaw, museum technician with the Don F. Pratt Memorial Museum, shared a few facts about baseball and Camp Campbell, and Col. Andrew Q. Jordan, garrison commander, welcomed spectators to the game.

“I think this is a really good opportunity because of the history of baseball and the Army, and the military in general, as part of American culture,” Jordan said. “Our Soldiers have carried baseball gloves to combat for generations to have something that makes them feel like they’re at home regardless of where they’re serving.”

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