Vintage Baseball Returns to Owatonna Sunday

There's no crying, or video replay, in the style of game that will be exhibited on Sunday during the Historical Extravaganza in Owatonna. Baseball, circa 1860, will be at 3PM.

The game was much different then. Players did not use fielding gloves. Pitches were thrown underhand, and if you disagreed with the umpire you might face an immediate two-bit fine.

The Rochester Roosters have appeared at the Historical Extravaganza for several years to play the Owatonna Owls. The Roosters are an organized group that plays several events each summer. The Owls are a bit more of an informal assembly.

Players cannot overrun first base in vintage baseball. Hit balls caught on a bounce are an out, or a kill, as it was referred to then. Base runners that cross home plate ring a bell to indicate a run was scored. Batted balls that hit in fair territory are fair even if they roll foul. That leads to a bit of confusion on the base paths for players not familiar with the rule differences with today's game.