July 9, 2008

Mackinac Island, Mich. - It has been 122 years in the making, and the outcome could be shocking. At 6:30 p.m. on July 19 at the large parade ground behind Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, the Fort Mackinac Never Sweats and the Mackinaw City Boys square up for a rematch during the historic game of vintage base ball.

These two teams last played in 1886, when the Never Sweats beat the Boys 23 to 14. Can history be rewritten or will the Never Sweats once again emerge victorious? The Never Sweats may have an edge with co-captions John Hiller, player on the 1968 World Champion Detroit Tigers and a standout reliever throughout the 1970s, and U.S. Representative Bart Stupak. But then again, the Boys have an advantage too. Scott Lusader, Detroit Tigers outfielder from 1987 to 1990, will be their pitcher. Either way, there's no predicting how the game may go. Vintage base ball is full of surprises ... especially when the rules are unlike anything you've seen before.

This vintage game - which is not a re-enactment but an actual, competitive sporting event - is "base ball" as it was played in the United States when it first became popular in the 1860s, after the Civil War. In fact, its rules date back to the 1840s. We've all seen the near-catch that turned into a double. But what happens when a ball caught on one bounce is still an out, just like a fly ball? What happens when there are no baseball gloves allowed? And no sliding? It's all played by gentlemen's rules, yet by players who are determined to win.

"We play a real game," said Phil Porter, Mackinac State Historic Parks director and Never Sweats shortstop. "We're competitive and we want to win, but most importantly we demonstrate the gentlemanly manner in which the game was first played."

That means no spitting, swearing or smoking on the field. If a player is caught doing this, according to Porter, he must apologize to the crowd and cannot play again until his apology is accepted and a fine is paid.

During the game, the "cranks" (fans) are coached on vintage terms by an umpire with a top hat and megaphone, who will also enforce the rules. Player positions are referred to as they were over 150 years ago. A "striker" is up to bat, waiting for the "hurler" to pitch the ball. As a crank, you'll learn 19th-century cheers and yell "huzzah" for your team! Even the players' uniforms are vintage.

The Northwind Brass Band will play during the event. In addition, a food cart will be on hand for traditional foods such as hot dogs and other refreshments.

Prices for the game are $15 for families, $5 for adults, $3 for youth (ages 5-17) and free for children four and under and for Mackinac Associates members Friend level and above.

The Fort Mackinac Never Sweats have a history spanning 123 years, when Lieutenant Edward Pratt of Fort Mackinac helped form the team in 1885. Fort Mackinac soldiers had played baseball, unofficially, since 1871 because service at Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, built by the British during 1779-1781, provided officers and enlisted men with liberal amounts of free time. "Base ball" (spelled as two words during that era) proved to be just what the soldiers needed. Lieutenant Pratt became the team captain and contributed the first four dollars to the club to fund two new bats and a baseball. By mid-summer, the team was playing base ball on the large parade ground behind the fort, a field which is still in use today. In fact, it may be Michigan's oldest, continuously played ball field. In the mid 1930s, a scout barracks was constructed near the ball field, and since that time Boy Scouts (and Girl Scouts beginning in 1974) have regularly used this ball field. Since 2003, the Fort Mackinac Never Sweats have hosted their annual vintage base ball game on this field as well, just like their predecessors many years before.

In the late 1880s, the original Never Sweats continued to flourish even after Lieutenant Pratt's service, when the 23rd Infantry was stationed at Fort Mackinac. Corporal Robert "Tug" Wilson became the team's official scorer and scheduled games with teams from cities around northern Michigan including Mackinaw City, Sault Ste. Marie, Harbor Springs, Petoskey and Reed City. Fort officers continued to support the team and even allowed the men to construct a grandstand capable of seating 500 cranks! The soldiers charged a 25-cent admission to their home games, with seating in the grandstand costing 10 cents extra.

When Fort Mackinac, then part of Mackinac National Park, became Mackinac Island State Park (Michigan's first state park), the soldiers departed. However, they didn't leave before instilling a tradition of vintage base ball into the fabric of the fort itself. Today, that tradition continues as the new Fort Mackinac Never Sweats defend a title that spans over a century. Can they do it again? Can they hold the title for another 100 years? Find out on July 19.

Contact Mackinac State Historic Parks at (906) 847-3328 for more information on the vintage base ball game.

Mackinac State Historic Parks, a pure Michigan family of living history museums and parks in northern Michigan's Straits of Mackinac, is an agency within the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries. Its sites - which are accredited by the American Association of Museums - include Fort Mackinac, Mackinac Island State Park and Historic Downtown on Mackinac Island, and Colonial Michilimackinac, Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse and Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park in Mackinaw City. Mackinac State Historic Parks is governed by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, established in 1895 to protect, preserve and present the parks' rich historic and natural resources for the education and recreation of future generations. Visitor information is available at (231) 436-4100 or on the Web at www.MackinacParks.com.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).