“Vintage Baseball and the Staging of History”
Stephen Harrick
Bowling Green State University
During the spring and summer months of 2008 and 2009, I attended vintage base ball games in Ohio. In vintage base ball, the players must abide by rules that date back to the nineteenth century, as well as wear vintage uniforms, use vintage equipment and speak in nineteenth century lingo–“well struck” and “striker to the line.” Certainly part of the objective of vintage base ball is competitive, as the two teams are playing to win the base ball match. But another part of the presumed objective of playing vintage base ball is to stage and experience a nostalgic version of history in a way that cannot be understood simply by reading about it. In this paper I will examine how vintage base ball players effectively perform the archive by embodying the historical record, replete with period garb, equipment and vernacular. Further, I will consider the ruptures of this historical interpretation (players drinking Gatorade, cars driving by) and how they temporarily rewrite history, even though the spectators negotiate these instances moment to moment. Ultimately, I will argue that vintage base ball allows its players and spectators to engage with history in ways different from other historical interpretive experiences.
“Vintage Baseball and the Staging of History”
During the spring and summer months of 2008 and 2009, I attended vintage base ball games in Ohio. In vintage base ball, the players must abide by rules that date back to the nineteenth century, as well as wear vintage uniforms, use vintage equipment and speak in nineteenth century lingo–“well struck” and “striker to the line.” Certainly part of the objective of vintage base ball is competitive, as the two teams are playing to win the base ball match. But another part of the presumed objective of playing vintage base ball is to stage and experience a nostalgic version of history in a way that cannot be understood simply by reading about it. In this paper I will examine how vintage base ball players effectively perform the archive by embodying the historical record, replete with period garb, equipment and vernacular. Further, I will consider the ruptures of this historical interpretation (players drinking Gatorade, cars driving by) and how they temporarily rewrite history, even though the spectators negotiate these instances moment to moment. Ultimately, I will argue that vintage base ball allows its players and spectators to engage with history in ways different from other historical interpretive experiences.
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