"Base Ball" still alive in Colorado

Mark Foster has studied the game of baseball in Colorado for many years.

The former history professor at Colorado-Denver has written three books on the game in the Centennial State - even when this area still had territorial status - and researched some of the earliest reports of "base ball" contests recorded.

"One of the first line scores I ever found in Colorado was the winning team got 79 runs. The losing team has 43 runs," Foster said. "Definitely a slugfest.

"So, when you think of Coors Field or 'Coors Canaveral,' the offensive explosions in Colorado baseball go way, way back before then."

Foster hasn't just studied the game. As a member of the Colorado Vintage Base Ball Association, Foster - or "Fearless" as he's better known - gets right into the action.

"You've seen and heard about historical re-enactors, Civil War re-enactors. We are baseball re-enactors," he said. "We may not be good athletes, but that is one of the main purposes that we have is to kind of rebuild that sense of community on the baseball field. I think this helps. I hope this helps."

CVBBA commissioner Ed Phelan - a.k.a. "Fast Eddie" - said part of the draw for the league games is the stark differences between what was played in the mid-19th century and what is played now at Coors Field.

"We don't use mitts at all. We play bare-handed," he said. "The base balls are slightly larger than a league ball and a little bit softer, but not real soft."

Even the rules are slightly different. For example, in vintage base ball:

• A batter is out when a ball is either caught on the fly or on one bounce.
• Wherever the ball lands first is whether it's fair or foul.
• The striker gets one warning and then there could be three strikes
• Fouls do not count as strikes
• When it comes to a walk, the pitcher gets two warnings and then three balls and then the runner walks.
• When somebody walks, everybody on every base moves up.

As if that isn't confusing enough, the players' positions were known by different terms.

"A 'crank' is a spectator," Phelan said. "A 'hurler' is a pitcher. The catcher is called the 'behind.' The first, second and third basemen as we know them today are called 'base tenders.' The shortstop is the 'scout.' And then left, center and right scout (for the outfield)."

Each game the CVBBA conducts is a finely-crafted reproduction. Even the fields they play at can bring everyone back to another time and place

"The game was played in pastures and that's where we play many of our games - in fields like this, which have weeds and different kinds of things," Phelan said. "There are holes out there. You just never know what's out there for the players. But, it makes it a much more fun environment."

The environment of the mid-19th century game showcased

"No contracts or money pit," Foster said. "No money passing hands - at least that we know about. Now, we may on occasion bribe an umpire."

This is jovially done quite frequently, but it's all merely part of the show that the CVBAA puts on each weekend during the summer in places like Idalia, Eagle, Canon City and Westminster.

Teaching other generations what "base ball" was is important, but having fun is the ultimate goal.

"Many of the players aren't tremendously skilled ball players. Some of us played high school or college ball and that kind of thing," Phelan said. "Many of the others - some didn't even ever play baseball until they started playing vintage ball. So, it's a fun environment."