Baseball Festival Hits A Grand Slam!

By Joseph Bordonaro · Originally published September 2016 · p. 23

GETTYSBURG, Pa.—Would you enjoy seeing people playing baseball for the love of the game? Would you enjoy seeing a game with a beautiful background of the South Mountain Range instead of a wall plastered with ads? Would you enjoy seeing how our national past time was played when its popularity first exploded in the 1860s? Then you would enjoy seeing the Vintage Baseball Festival that is held annually in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania! During the weekend of July 1618, baseball clubs met in Gettysburg for their annual festival. Each team plays two games on Saturday and two games on Sunday. There is no elimination of teams. There is no overall champion. Teams instead play to have fun! And fun they have, as you can tell with the joy they display in their playing. Dressed in “old timey” uniforms, and playing by “old timey” rules, like putting a hitter out if they catch their hit on the first bounce, players show why the game became so popular. It is popular with the spectators, too. The action is fast and furious, and if you get tired of watching one game you can take a walk and watch one of the other three games going on simultaneously! And, if you really want to get into the spirit of the occasion, you can dress up “old timey” yourself! So, mark your calendar for July 15-16, 2017, and see the festival for yourself! It is a very kid-friendly event, so bring your little leaguers with you! In fact, on the Friday night prior to the team games, a “First All Clubs Match and Kids Clinic”, where kids learn how to catch the ball bare handed and have a chance to outplay 20 of the “veteran” players! And the clinic, as well as the games themselves, are free of charge! You can’t beat a deal like that!