Baseball

 

I went to a Vintage baseball game today. It is played by 1858 rules, without gloves, using a big ball kind of like a softball. The umpire stands behind the home plate with a large staff, or stick and if you come in to score a run, you ring a bell!

The teams wear old fashioned uniforms, no cleats and try to be as authentic as possible. The ball can bounce and still be in play. Sometimes a person from another team switches over to keep the teams even.. Usually it is played by men ranging from about 18 to 70 and older, and today a little boy was allowed to help out playing outfield and even first base a time or two, since both teams are in our league.

I love how the men automatically made it fair for the child without ruining the game. It's the same thing they do for very old players, sometimes even having a substitute runner. 

And yet they play very seriously and ritually. The main man welcomes the teams and in the end each captain gives a thank you talk where the players respond by waving their hat in the air and crying out, "Huzzah!"  as he thanks the teams, the spectators, etc. 

If everyone in the world lived by these rules the world would be a much better place, with a place for everyone and everyone doing his best to play fairly, honorably, and hard.