Which is why it surprises me that I have never written a blog post about it. Perhaps I saw my first game before I started writing this blog in 2010. There is a picture of a game we passed in 2015 while on a family bike ride.
The Neshanook Base Ball Club of Flemington plays charity games against local teams, but with a twist: they play using 19th century rules and 19th century equipment.
The most obvious rule is no one wears a glove. To spare broken bones, balls caught after one bounce are considered out. Here is a comprehensive link to the rules as they did change. We were late because our Trenton Walks tour ran late. I thought I heard them say they were using 1864 rules -- think Civil War era. Stealing is allowed. Three balls for a walk, then everyone on base advances a base even if there is a gap. Batters cannot overrun first base. The umpire stands opposite the batter wearing a top hat and tails. Pitching is underhanded.
It takes awhile for everyone to adjust to the rules - players and fans. When possible, a member of the historic team describes what is happening so we can follow along.
In the end, the Neshanooks won by a score of 13-9. The Lawrenceville Maidenhead team tried hard, but when the away team broke the tie and scored five runs in the top of the ninth, the home team could not fully recover. The Lawrenceville Historical Society sponsored the event and formed the home team. I heard someone say some of the players were Little League coaches. I recognized Michael from the historic society.
It was great fun. Afterwards the local Little League teams joined the players and took batting practice using 19th century bats and balls. Speaking of balls, the same one was used for the entire game, much to the dismay of the little players who wanted a souvenir.
Many of the pictures below were taken from a Facebook post made by the Lawrence Historical Society.
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| Courtesy of the LHS |
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| Courtesy of the LHS |
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| Courtesy of the LHS |
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| Courtesy of the LHS |
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