What it was, was Base Ball

.....vintage base ball, that is, spelled in two words and played by 1860's rules.

DH and I were in the stands on the grounds of the Wade House in Greenbush (http://www.wadehouse.wisconsinhistory.org/). The home team: the Greenbush Dead Citys. The visiting team: the Milwaukee Cream Citys (http://milwaukeecreamcitys.org/).

The field was the same size (90 feet between bases) though this particular field had a definite upward slope from 2nd to 3rd. No gloves, a variety of bats (some homemade, some reproductions), homemade balls (comparable to today's regulation size). An out could be either a fly ball OR catching after one bounce. Strikes were counted only for swings, not for pitching, and there were no balls (e.g. a player could not be walked). The game was 9 "rounds." "Well struck, sir," was the comment after a hit. The final score: Cream Citys 26, Dead Citys 7.