advertisement

Historic baseball players needed

If you've ever wondered what it was like to play baseball in 1860, here is your opportunity to find out.

The McHenry County Historical Society's "club nine," the McHenry County "Independants," will play three games this season. The first game will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 4, against the Eagle Diamonds Base Ball Club at Old World Wisconsin in Eagle, Wis., north of Elkhorn, off Route 67.

A home-and-home series begins at 2 p.m. June 5, against the Grayslake Athletics. The first is at Prairie Grove's Village Hall park, off Ames and Barreville roads, just east of Route 31. The second is at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at Central Park in Grayslake. Prospective players must be fit enough to run the bases, even slowly, and commit to playing in at least two of the games. Both events are free.

This type of Civil War-era baseball, or "base ball" as it was called, differed radically from today's rules. Players did not use gloves. A ball caught on the first bounce was considered an out and a ball was considered fair or foul based solely on where it first touched the ground.

Those interested in playing should email historical society administrator Kurt Begalka at kurt@mchenrycountyhistory.org. Please include a phone number where you can be reached.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.