HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – On the U.S. continent, hundreds of vintage base ball teams play an older version of the national pastime.
That’s right. Base ball was two words back then.
Participants wear throwback uninforms and follow the rules that governed the game in the 19th century.
Hawaii artist Matias Solario is a veteran of vintage base ball.
”It just looks really cool so see in action because we’re using these small gloves, using big heavy bats. We’re in the full 1886 uniforms, the pill box caps. It’s just fun to watch,” he said.
When he lived in San Francisco, Solario played the retro version of base ball for six years. Now he’s bringing it here.
He co-founded the Aloha Vintage Base Ball Association that seeks to honor the islands’ place in the sport’s history.
”There are so many stories that are integral to the foundation of the beginnings of the game of baseball that are told through Hawaii that nobody really knows about,” he said.
Honolulu base ball team(Hawaii State Archives)
Alexander Cartwright introduced the game to Hawaii in the early 1850s. Teams popped up everywhere.
Even King David Kalakaua became a fan of the sport.
”King Kalakaua, he was a big base ball guy. There’s a lot of the alii, the royalty, that were into the sport of base ball. So for me, it’s not the athleticism. It’s the cultural aspect,” said AVBBA player Jason Genegabus.
So far, the association has two teams: the Royal Hawaiian Base Ball Club and the Waikiki Base Ball Club. Games will adhere to 1886 rules and use terms that were popular back then.
”For example, an out would be a ‘hand.’ A foul ball would be ‘unfair.’ A run is an ‘ace,’” Solario said.
A cultural expert is translating those terms into Hawaiian for the inaugural season, which kicks off in November with the Kalakaua Base Ball Jubilee at Cartwright Field.
The local clubs will be joined by two vintage teams from the Bay Area.
”A lot of us are really interested in getting in where we fit in and making sure this gets off the ground and we have a successful first season,” Genegabus said.
Solario is already hearing from base ball enthusiasts around the state who want to play. They’re attracted to the retro uniforms and equipment, and the colorful historical aspect of the vintage game.
”We have some barnstorming trips planned for the neighbor islands to see if we can’t exhibit and showcase and try to get some action going there for expansion,” Solario said.
To find out more about the Aloha Vintage Base Ball Association, go to its Instagram page @alohavintagebaseball.
And check out other vintage base ball sites on the web. You’ll see why it’s a big hit.
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