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Vintage baseball takes Barrington back in time

Barrington's sesquicentennial festivities resumed Sunday with a form of the American pastime that predates the dawn of the village's existence.

The front lawn of Barrington High School served as the stage for a vintage baseball contest in honor of the village's 150th birthday. The game pitted the Chicago Salmon against the Creston Regulators, a team based in a town 30 miles south of Rockford.

Playing at the high school was part of a strategy to draw casual fans who might be passing along nearby Main Street. The strategy worked, with a decent crowd viewing the proceedings from lawn chairs or comfortable spots on the grass.

The two teams had met the week before for a decidedly lopsided contest, with Creston winning 29-3. Sunday's rematch was much more competitive, ending in a 5-5 tie.

Salmon Coach Gary "The Professor" Schiappacasse was pleased with the outcome.

"Now we're playing our game," he said.

Not that the score was the contest's raison d'ĂȘtre - the emphasis was on fun.

During a pregame pickup contest, that fun was evident as pitcher John Russell "Moonglow" Ghrist hoisted an underhand pitch that sent his cap, as well as the ball, arcing toward home plate.

Ghrist, who lives in Rockford and plays 12-inch softball in Elgin, said, "This is like playing ball on 'Little House on the Prairie.' It's a game just for fun."

Shaded by a lacy parasol and wearing a period dress, Salmon Manager Elizabeth "Boss Lady" Carlson followed the action. Carlson has owned the Salmon for its nearly 20 years.

"I'm a first-person interpreter, and I got hired to do a Civil War encampment in Mount Prospect in 1996. And they wanted a vintage baseball team, so I formed the Salmon as a one-off and, 20 years later, we're still doing it. It started out as a joke, and then we got serious, and now we're a serious joke."

Among the first players to take the field for the first Salmon team was its current captain, Bob "Zeus" Rzeszutko of Mount Prospect.

"It kind of goes back to the times when we played just amongst our friends in the neighborhood," Rzeszutko said.

"Kids didn't have much money, and you went to the store to buy - I think they were 15 (cents) or a quarter - a rubber baseball that we used to play with."

Authenticity was the goal of Sunday's contest, with each score tallied on a chalk board and marked by the ringing of a bell. The game was played under 1858 rules, which meant underhand pitches and no gloves.

The 1858 rules can work in favor or against, depending on your talent level.

For one, the batter is called out on a batted ball that is caught on one hop - a rather rude reward for mighty clouts that go just beyond the reach of outfielders, only to be snagged on the first bounce.

Also, balls that land in fair territory and skitter into foul are still considered fair.

To Carlson, whose duties include washing and ironing the shirts every week, vintage baseball is the way the game was meant to be played.

"That foolishness up on Addison and that nonsense down south, that's not really baseball," she said of Chicago's pro teams. "This is really baseball."

  Members of the Chicago Salmon watch the action, as does the team's manager, Elizabeth "Boss Lady" Carlson, carrying the parasol. The vintage baseball game was played as part of Barrington's sesquicentennial. Steve Zalusky/szalusky@dailyherald.com
  Bob "Zeus" Rzeszutko of the Chicago Salmon heads toward home plate during a vintage baseball game played Sunday as part of Barrington's sesquicentennial. Steve Zalusky/szalusky@dailyherald.com
  Pitcher John Russell "Moonglow" Ghrist tosses the ball - and his cap - during a sandlot pickup game on Sunday, before the contest between the Chicago Salmon and the Creston Regulators. The vintage baseball game was played as part of Barrington's sesquicentennial. Steve Zalusky/szalusky@dailyherald.com
  The Chicago Salmon strives for period authenticity, beginning at the top with its manager, Elizabeth "Boss Lady" Carlson. The team played a vintage baseball game as part of Barrington's sesquicentennial. Steve Zalusky/szalusky@dailyherald.com
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