Chicago Salmon VBBC Hosting April 15-17 Vintage Base Ball Association Conference
The Chicago Salmon Vintage Base Ball Club will host this year's national Vintage Base Ball Association Conference, Friday, April 15 through Sunday, April 17th.
http://www.chicagosalmon.org/vbba-2016-conference-april-15-17/
This is the twentieth anniversary, 1996, for both the Chicago Salmon an 1858 Chicago styled pre-civil war base ball club and the VBBA, Vintage Base Ball Association, the national support organization for over ninety vintage base ball clubs.
The conference will begin with a meet and greet between the players at the Tap House Grill in Des Plaines, Friday night.
Saturday's activities will take place during the day at the Historic Methodist Camp Grounds of Des Plaines.
The Des Plaines Methodist Camp Ground was the outcome of the Chicago area Methodist ministers plans, with the first temporary site founded in 1860 and then the current site purchased in 1865. The Chicago District Camp Ground Association was chartered in 1867. Billy Sunday who played for the Chicago White Stocking in 1883 later would preach at the Historic Methodist Camp Grounds of Des Plaines.
"William Ashley "Billy" Sunday was an American athlete who, after being a popular outfielder in baseball's Midwest National 1880s league, became the most celebrated and influential American evangelist in the early 20th Century. Mr. Sunday was often invited to be a guest speaker in the 1930s. (Sources: historicmethodistcampground.org, wickepedia)
First an 1858 style breakfast will be served to all of the participants. A "silent auction" VBBA fundraiser to help cover the conference costs will be held. Bill Rose will share his 50 Major League Base Ball Stadium Exhibit.
The focus of this year's workshops will center around the history of the 1800's.
•Ellie Carlson's talk will be "Cup Check Please: A Scholarly Talk on a "Jocular" Subject."
•John and Elaine Masciale will share "Midwest Clothing of the 19th Century."
•Dr. Bruce Craig, Ph.D, Professor Emeritus in History and Humanities at Roosevelt University, will talk about "Chicago Base Ball and Food in the 19th Century."
•John Freyer, of SABR, will share his knowledge of "1800's Chicago Base Ball."
•Dr. Robert Sampson, Ph.D, Adjunct Professor of History at Millikan will cover: "Illinois Base Ball Stories," from his research of Illinois newspaper stories of the middle 1800's.
•An 1800's Vintage Base Ball Veteran's Panel, of Jim Basala of the Deep River Ginders, Jim Knoblach of the Vermillion Voles, and Bob Sampson of the Rock Springs Ground Squirrels will share their experience running vintage base ball clubs in Illinois and Indiana the last twenty years.
•Craig Pierce will reenact the life of Christy Mathewson.
After the 1858 styled optional picnic lunch offered by Ellie Carlson's Sweet Symphonie Catering, Coach Mike Wittmann, a certified personal trainer, will offer a series of exercises to help the vintage ball players stay in shape this season.
The afternoon base ball exhibitions are open to the public.
Rebecca Tulloch's A League of Our Own Vintage Softball exhibition, an all girl vintage base ball league, will follow at 1:30 pm.
From 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm all of the vintage ball players are invited to play either an 1858 bound rule match of base ball or an 1867 no bound rule of base ball. The players will be dressed up in the colorful uniforms of their respective vintage base ball clubs.
The evening's banquet will follow at the Crowne Plaza Northbrook Hotel.
The silent auction will end at 6:30 pm. John and Elaine Masciale will lead the participants in a Virgina Reel dance. "The Virginia reel is a folk dance that dates from the 17th century. Though the reel may have its origins in Scottish country dance and the Highland reel, and perhaps have an even earlier influence from an Irish dance called the Rinnce Fada, it is generally considered to be an English country dance. The dance was most popular in America from 1830-1890." Wickepedia
During the banquet that will follow the keynote speaker, Michael Osacky: baseball memorabilia collector and appraiser, will share his collector stories.
Sunday morning will begin with an 1858 style breakfast served to all of the participants. It will be followed by a General Meeting of the Vintage Base Ball Association that will include the results of the 2016 VBBA Board Election.