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Vintage Base Ball at the Village


baseball

The Audra baseball team, 1908

Vintage Base Ball (spelled with two words in 1883) was 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 illustrated how baseball was changed between 1883 and the present.  However, there is more to it than that.  When the two teams took the field on the third Sunday of every month, they sought not only to “show a little ginger” on the cramped “cigar-box” field that they had available to them, but they tried to provide a glimpse into regional history.

When the ballists of of the Buffalo Gap Vintage Base Ball Club (BGVBBC) took the field, they formed two teams, the Buffalo Gap Chips and the Abilene 407s.  Although the modern rivalry was 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 were 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 waited in eager anticipation to see whether or not the fall election would 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 sought 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!
Their uniformed opponents, the Abilene 407s, represented the growing cosmopolitan city to the north.  They took 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 were 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 would 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.


Tournament Time!
The Boerne White Sox at the

3rd Annual Texas Forts Trail Tournament
at the Village, April 26, 2008

The Chips and the 407s played in accordance with the National League Rules of 1883, though they were familiar with earlier rules and played by them when participating in tournaments and events at other sites.  All cranks and rooters were encouraged to attend. Prospective strikers would step up to the line...

The organization was 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 is available for download in 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





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

baseball