At This Baseball Diamond, No Gloves and No Fastballs

Dearborn — From the front lines of the American Civil War to our modern-day stadiums, baseball has always been America’s pastime. But just like anything else in America since the Civil War, things change. In Greenfield Village, however, baseball hasn’t aged a bit.

On any given Saturday or Sunday during the summer, you can buy a ticket to see the Lah-De-Dahs or the National Base Ball Club play by the rules of 1867. Dressed in era-appropriate uniforms, the players transport fans to a much simpler time for baseball.

The historic baseball league was inspired by newspaper clippings discovered in the 1990s that referenced a local "base ball" team in Waterford known for wearing their “mammas' red stockings.”

“As the contest went on, slowly but surely dawned upon the minds of all the truth that a fine uniform does not constitute a fine pitcher, nor La-de-dahs in their mammas’ red stockings make swift, unerring fielders,” noted a Pontiac Bill Poster from 1887.

What began as a volunteer effort by nine Greenfield Village employees has grown into 30-game seasons with a 42-player roster, making it one of Metro Detroit's greatest summer spectacles.

While the occasional "hoorahs" for the passing train and live music from a nearby band add to thj atmosphere, the game is surprisingly familiar to modern fans.

There are, however, several key differences.

According to the 1867 rules of the National Association of Base Ball Players, baseball was viewed more as a gentleman's game, emphasizing sportsmanship and fair play over intense competitiveness.

The pitcher, instead of throwing the ball over 100-miles-per-hour trying to strike the batter out, throws the ball underhanded to help the batter hit it. The pitcher is even liable for a stern warning from the umpire if he fails to throw the ball over the middle of the plate.

“Should the pitcher repeatedly fail to deliver to the striker fair balls, for the apparent purpose of delaying the game or for any cause, the umpire, after warning him, shall call one ball, and if the pitcher persists in such action, two and three balls; when three balls shall have been called, the striker shall take the first base,” reads the 1867 rule book.

A batter could even request the pitcher to pitch the ball in a certain location, which the player would be obliged to do, if he was a gentleman.

Fly balls that were hit into foul territory could be caught off a bounce, making it easier for the players who did not wear gloves to get the out without bruising their hands.

Umpires were usually chosen from the crowd before the first pitch and were often prominent members of the local community. Rather than worrying about a foul ball striking them in the jugular, these umpires stood, or sometimes even sat, in the general vicinity behind home plate, well out of harm's way. To make the job more comfortable, they were provided with fans to keep cool, food to sustain them through the game, and, on occasion, even beer to help keep them cheerful.

Compared with today's professional game, where $20 beers, constant entertainment, and “Banana Ball” celebrations have become common, the leisurely pace of 19th-century "base ball" offers a refreshing reminder of the sport's origins as a relaxing pastime on a warm summer afternoon.