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Lewes Base Ball Club hosts festival

No gloves, no problem: Playing the nation’s pastime using 1864 rules
The Lewes Base Ball Club hosts the Base Ball at the Beach Festival Sept. 25 at the Villages of Five Points. Teams play by 1864 rules in the vintage league. RON MACARTHUR PHOTOS
Ron MacArthur
September 29, 2021

The Lewes Base Ball Club wrapped up its season by hosting the first Base Ball at the Beach Festival Sept. 25 at the Villages of Five Points field. Teams from from Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and northern Delaware participated in the tournament.

The Lewes team won both of its games, topping Brandywine Base Ball Club of West Chester, Pa., 6-2, and Monmouth Furnace Base Ball Club from New Jersey, 19-3. Lewes finished the season with a 7-7 record.

In other scores, Diamond State defeated Brandywine, 6-5; and Rising Sun topped Diamond State, 6-2, and Monmouth, 20-3.

The festival featured games played by 1864 rules, which includes balls being caught on one bounce for an out, no fielding gloves in use, outs referred to as “hands,” and other 19th century rules of America’s pastime.

The Lewes Base Ball Club is supported by Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and Dover Downs Casino. The club gives special thanks to the State of Delaware and Sen. Ernie Lopez, R-Lewes, for their support of the festival.

 

The Lewes Base Ball Club prepares to take the field in the first game of the festival.
To start each game, teams try to top off a bat for home field advantage. Russell “Five Points” Huxtable, right, covers the top of the bat, giving Brandywine’s Brian “Powder” Carroll no chance, as Mike “Oyster” DiPaolo looks on.
Lewes’ Russell “Five Points” Huxtable gets in a few words with arbiter (umpire) Dave “Blind Guy” Shook.
Lewes pitcher Kevin “Dart” Schultze fires a pitch toward home during his team’s 6-2 win over Brandywine Base Ball Club.
Lead-off batter Mike “Chicken” Curry waits for a pitch to hit. He reached base and scored the first run for Lewes.
Lewes’ Pat “Bullfrog” Zmuda slides into third ahead of the throw as Brandywine’s Dawson “Dirt” Guzik watches for the ball.
Lewes’ Michael “Bones” Dowd catches a fly ball using his body. In 1864, players did not use gloves.
The ball goes off the bat of Warren “Yankee” Miller, who plays third base for the Lewes Base Ball Club. Miller, who is 80 years old, played professional baseball in the Yankees’ minor leagues.
Brandywine Base Ball Club pitcher Bryan “Shaggy” Kopcik lets the ball fly toward home plate.
Lewes catcher Pat “Bullfrog” Zmuda takes a tumble as he tries to catch a foul ball.
Lewes third baseman Warren “Yankee” Miller tracks down a ball during his team’s first festival game. Lewes won both of its games.
Members of the Brandywine Base Ball Club wave their hats to the Lewes team following the first game of the festival, which was won by Lewes 6-2.
Members of the Lewes team salute the Brandywine team after the first game.
A sign welcomes visiting teams to the Villages of Five Points field.

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