Glorious Base Ball comes to Roxbury September 2 and 3
Eight vintage teams converge to vie for the hotly contested Keator Cup
"So let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs, let us leave out close rooms, the game of ball is glorious!" — Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman's words were never more applicable than in this soggy summer
filled with rain and floods, when a few sporadic days of perfect sunshine
were savored as never before. What better way to honor the "Boys of
Summer" than to take Whitman's advice on Labor Day weekend, and get
thee and thine out to the ball park for the Keator Vintage Base Ball Tournament
in Roxbury, NY, during Turn of the Century Days.
Whitman, a mentor of Roxbury naturalist John Burroughs, splendidly captured the poetry of rough, homegrown athletes and the fierce spirit of America's young national pastime. The Harry M. Keator Vintage Base Ball tournament on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 2 and 3 — named in honor of its 19th-century Roxbury native manager and all-star Yale athlete, also brings to life the full-throttled, rough and tumble ideal of base ball's origins.
Get thee and thine out to the ball parkEight top-notch "Yankee" vintage teams — the Northeast's most seasoned twirlers, hurlers, strikers and bagmen — will converge on Roxbury to square off in 11 vintage matchups in two days. These teams are serious about authenticity and strictly observe the customs of various years of play. You'll see base ball action from the underhand-slow pitch days of 1864 to 1898, when the game had sped up so much they actually let the catcher (not the fielders!) wear a glove.
The fight for the Keator Cup grows more competitive each year, and if you
care to place an illicit wager, odds are probably still with the long-running
hometown champs, the Roxbury Nine. But they've got some serious competition
breathing down their jerseys this year.
Here's the lineup
Right here in Delaware County, the Hancock Nine has not let adversity get their batsmen down. With flood devastation keeping most Hancock players on the road crews rather than the ball field this summer, they've emerged stronger than ever, whacking home 30 "tallies" in their last contest with Roxbury.
Known for their ferocious intensity and strong command of base ball fundamentalsNYC-area teams are no sissies either:
The Brooklyn Atlantics -- frequent visitors to Roxbury led by Ed "Pigtail" Elmore -- took the underhand bracket in last year's Keator tournament and take their moniker from the Brooklyn team founded in 1855, playing in the style of 1864, the year the original Atlantics were national champs. (With the likes of Tree, Toothpick, Shakespeare and Hammy, the Atlantics' roster also gets the prize for best nicknames.).
The New York Mutuals also play in the style of a championship year for their original team: 1870. That was also the first year any big-time ball team pitched a shutout, when Mutuals pitcher Wolters "Chicagoed" the White Stockings, 9-0.
You may not have heard of the "New England Nine," but that's because they are packing a triple threat: the best of the rosters of three "yankee" teams:The Cornish Game Hens of Providence, New Hampshire Granites and the Boston Colonials.
The New York Gothams have the honor of reviving vintage base ball on the Great Lawn of the original Knickbocker city, say their PR team: "Through hard work and research by Drew "Wilkes Booth" Frady, Chris "Jitters" King, Lou "Bean" Camporeale, and the Gothams' current Captain, Ken "Trolley Car" Schlapp, New York City once again can see the game played in 1864 style, as it was by the original New York Gothams."
The Providence Grays of Rhode Island take the prize for vintage longevity, having been swinging those heavy wooden bats for about a decade as they bring the 1884 "World" champion team back to life. Talk about historical loyalty: the Grays are one of very few vintage teams still sweating it out in baggy woolen uniforms rather than cotton flannels. That itch to win brought them their first victory over the Roxbury squad in more than three seasons.
And, lest the Garden State feel left out, never fear, the Elizabeth Athletics are here to round out the tourney. You might remember the Elizabeth Resolutes, an underhand pitch team that specialized in 1873 play; they sped things up to become an 1891 overhand pitch team that remains a formidable force with a new name: Athletics.
Despite a wet and often rained out season, the Roxbury Nine is, as the Providence Grays admitted, "known for their ferocious intensity and strong command of base ball fundamentals."
And on Labor Day weekend, the Nine will have one more hometown advantage: their patron ghost Helen Gould Shepard is sure to be "kirkside," back in the bleachers, rooting for her boys (including a Keator descendant!) as they crown yet another summer with two full days of base ball action.
It's all part of the ever expanding 1898-style "Turn of the Century" extravaganza in Roxbury, where you and yours will experience firsthand "all the agreeable pursuits" of the late 19th century. Keep checking this web site for details or call 607-326-3722 for all the updates, schedules and agreeable 19th century details.
In the meantime, have fun visiting these vintage team links:
www.roxburyny.com
www.geocities.com/atlanticbbc/
www.gamehensballclub.com
www.bostoncolonials.com
www.newhampshiregranite.org
www.1864gothams.com
www.nymutuals.com
providencegrays.org