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Vintage Base Ball
at the Village
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The Audra baseball team, 1908
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The Football season is over, March Madness is done, so what’s left? Vintage
Base Ball, of course! For the 2008 season schedule, CLICK HERE. |
Vintage Base Ball (spelled with two words in 1883) is the premier feature
of Buffalo Gap Historic Village’s Living History Interpretation Program.
By recreating the sights, sounds and smells of an 1880s-era base ball game,
interpreters and volunteers illustrate how baseball has changed between
1883 and the present. However, there is more to it than that.
When the two teams take the field on the third Sunday of every month, they
seek not only to “show a little ginger” on the cramped “cigar-box” field
that they have available to them, but they try to provide a glimpse into
regional history.
 When the ballists of of the Buffalo Gap Vintage Base Ball Club (BGVBBC) take the field, they form two teams, the Buffalo Gap Chips and the Abilene 407s. Although the modern rivalry is imagined, it has its roots in local history, harkening back to the days when Buffalo Gap and Abilene were engaged in a hot political debate over which community would be home to the Taylor County seat. The 1883 vote resulted in the county courthouse moving to Abilene, though don’t tell that to the Chips, as they believe that their town will remain the center of county life.
The Chips are composed of Taylor County’s rural set — farmers, ranchers,
and herdsmen from the southern half of the county. Leaving their
fields and ranches for the ball field, they wait in eager anticipation
to see whether or not the fall election will result in the end of their
community’s reign as the Taylor County Seat. Although Buffalo Gap
will ultimately lose that vote by a tally of 905 to 269, the Chips seek
to preserve the honor of their community by demonstrating their prowess
on the ball field.
Click here to watch a video
of the Chips in action —
compliments of Chips
member Than Dossman!
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Their uniformed opponents, the Abilene 407s, represent the growing cosmopolitan
city to the north. They take their name from the Texas and Pacific
Railroad mile marker that established the location of the “future great”
community of West Texas. The presence of the railroad made Abilene
the more practical decision for the seat of county government. The
railroad workers, well-dressed townies, and more-progressive minded citizens
who suit up to play ball are a far cry from the more conservative rural
hayseeds from the southern half of the county.
The base ball game played by the ballists of the Buffalo Gap Historic Village
will be familiar to fans of modern baseball, though there are a number
of differences that set the more genteel 1883 version of sport apart from
today’s game. Spitting and cursing were against the rules, and the
single umpire who patrolled the entire field could levy fines against players
who violated the spirit of the game. Baseball gloves had been
invented, but they were not worn by “real men.” The ball was approximately
the same size, but it is a bit softer than a modern baseball. When
it came to actual play, the hurler (pitcher) could not raise his wrist
above the level of the shoulder in delivering the ball, and the striker
(batter) told him which strike zone to pitch to: High (from the waist
to the shoulders) or Low (from the waist to the knees). Far from
being a pitchers duel of the present, the game was structured around getting
the ball into play, and having the striker be put out while running the
bases
The Chips and the 407s play in accordance with the National League Rules
of 1883, though they are familiar with earlier rules and play by them when
participating in tournaments and events at other sites. All cranks
and rooters are encouraged to attend. Prospective strikers should step
up to the line...
Anyone interested in playing on the team can contact Joel Brant at (325)
793-3875 (email brant.joel@mcmurryadm.mcm.edu) or the Village at (325) 572-3365. They can also show up at the announced
practices. Participation with the Buffalo Gap Vintage Base Ball Club open
to anyone interested in playing base ball as it used to be, and is not
limited to the Village staff or students and faculty associated with the
Abilene universities.
 The organization is also a member club of the Vintage Base Ball Association. Additional information regarding vintage base ball rules, early baseball
in Texas, period baseball slang, and uniforms worn by the 407s and the
Chips are encouraged to download the following files (available in PDF
format):
Beadle’s 1860 Rules
Reach’s 1883 Rules
19th Century Base Ball Slang
Baseball in 1883
BGVBBC Uniforms
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U n d e f e a t e d !
Descriptions of major encounters:
President’s Cup Tournament, Conroe Texas, September 23, 2006
Texas Forts Trail Tournament, Buffalo Gap, March 31, 2007
Chips “Beat Pete,” Lubbock, Texas, April 28, 2007
Veterans Cup Tournament, Boerne, Texas, November 10, 2007
3rd Annual Texas Forts Trail Tournament, Buffalo Gap, April 26, 2008
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