By Graydon Megan
What it was, was baseball – a seven inning demonstration game pitting players from the City of Elmhurst captained by Mayor Scott “Da Mare” Levin against a team fielded by Elmhurst University, captained by University President Troy “Diesel” VanAken in a contest for the coveted Cottage Hill Cup.
And this year’s game resulted in a surprise upset.
Elmhurst’s boys of summer took their positions June 4 at the Elmhurst University campus, ready to hit, run and field guided by rules from the ’50s.
But if you’re thinking the era of Ernie Banks and Minnie Minoso, go back another 100 years. This was truly vintage baseball, played by rules that go back to the 1850s.
Those rules are sometimes called Knickerbocker rules, according to “Dandy” Dave Oberg, the Elmhurst History Museum’s executive director, whose enthusiasm for vintage baseball goes back decades. Oberg played the role of “barrister,” umpire in modern terms, explaining the rules and baseball slang of the time to players and spectators alike.
For both players and fans, it is a different sort of game from the modern version, highlighted by what Oberg called a courtly and gentlemanly approach in keeping with the Victorian era. That can go as far as opposing players cheering one another on.
The ball is called a ‘lemon peel’ ball, a little larger and a little softer than the modern sphere. Good thing, since players don’t wear gloves. Oberg says gloves didn’t get into the game until the 1870s.
And forget about strike zones. Strikes are only called if the batter – called a striker – actually swings and misses. Strikers can hold their position at the dish – home plate – until they see a pitch they like.
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The hurler, pitcher in today’s terms, throws underhand. A hit caught on the fly is an out, but it’s also an out if it’s caught on the first bounce.
All that said, the town vs. gown series, now in its fourth year, has been dominated by the University team.
“Elmhurst University won pretty decisively all three years prior to this,” Oberg said in a phone interview after the game. “This being the fourth year, the city of Elmhurst won this game 24 to 7. This year, the city of Elmhurst team posted a historic win.”
Oberg noted it’s a friendly rival in a demonstration match.
“Da Mare” Levin noted before Sunday’s game that trash talking wasn’t allowed under the vintage rules. He also noted that while the University team included some young and athletic staff members, the students have mostly left for the summer. “Thank God for that,” Levin said.
For his part, in remarks before the game, “Diesel” VanAken said he expected his team to do all right, given their track record. But his hopes for a 4-0 sweep were dashed.
“At the end of the day, it shows you how the game was played once upon a time.”
Sunday’s game was sponsored by Elmhurst University, the Elmhurst History Museum, the Elmhurst Heritage Foundation and the city of Elmhurst.
Graydon Megan is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.