Shepard Barclay Festival

June signaled the beginning of the second month of the base ball season and my second month in the Saint Louis metro area...and yet, we only had six games in the books due to various unpredictable weather circumstances.  After lackluster performances at our matches in Springfield, Illinois against the Springfield Long Nine, our record stood at a disappointing 2 victories and 4 defeats, with rainouts taking another six matches off the books.  But June would be different.  It was summer, and it was time for the Shepard Barclay tournament.  To the victors go the spoils:

The Shepard Barclay trophy with
engraved participants from the past
decade.

The Shepard Barclay festival this year was scheduled to include us (the Saint Louis Perfectos), our sister team (the Lafayette Square Cyclone), the Murphysboro (Illinois) Clarkes, the Rock Springs Ground Squirrels (from Decatur, Illinois), and the Indianapolis Hoosiers. The Barclay tournament also happens to coincide with the Lafayette Square spring home and garden tour, which was set to celebrate its 44th year.  The spring home and garden tour is a major fund-raiser for the Lafayette Square neighborhood, bringing in visitors from around the region (and indeed around the country) to view the centuries old mansions. It kicks off the summer season in Lafayette Square:

Summer in Lafayette Square Park features free concerts
or movies every Friday night.

As the unpredictability of 2013 would have it...a funny thing happened on the way to the first weekend in June:

Let's just say "severe weather" has had its way with us so far this spring.  With tornados sweeping through the Saint Louis metro area and flooding being a risk around the Mississippi River, we wisely chose to cancel the first day of the Shepard Barclay festival.  This would effectively remove the Indianapolis Hoosiers from the tournament as they weren't willing to travel for just one day of base ball on Sunday.

Despite the scary weather on Friday night, the storms passed through and the spring home and garden tour began on Saturday without a hitch.  Altogether there were 11 homes and 6 gardens on the tour, including this house on Park Avenue which belongs to our friends Bruce and Jean-Paul:

Bruce and Jean-Paul's house is a fine
example of the "Second Empire" architecture
within Lafayette Square.

Bruce and Jean-Paul have lived in the neighborhood and worked on rehabbing their house for the past 13-years.  They are committed to keeping the architecture of the neighborhood true to its Victorian roots and ensuring that Lafayette Square remains an elegant destination for tourists in Saint Louis.  Bruce has done an incredible amount of work in the garden behind the house:

Bruce and Jean-Paul's garden which they
share with their Miniature Schnauzer
"Baron von Krieger"

This mansion on Lafayette Street, just south of us, recently underwent major upgrades to the interior:

Not to be outdone, the lovely backyard garden of Mike and Kathy's "Park Avenue Mansion Bed and Breakfast," one of three B&B's in the neighborhood:

If you got tired from walking around the neighborhood to the various house and garden tours, you could take a horse-drawn carriage ride around the park:

Or, if you were feeling particularly adventurous, simply walk through the park on one of the hidden garden paths:

This path is adjacent to what used to be
the "West Pond" which we hope to
rebuild in the next couple of years.

On your walk, you just may run into some folks dressed in "period" garb from the 19th century, there to take in a vintage base ball game:

These lovely folks happen to be
the parents of Perfectos team Captain
"Danger" Pellegrino.

Sunday proved to be a fine day for base ball and the Shepard Barclay festival went on with six games on tap, including this one featuring the Lafayette Square Cyclone and the Rock Springs Ground Squirrels:

Note the hay bales which serve as a backstop in back of
the catcher (a position referred to as "behind" in
vintage jargon).

By now you may be asking yourself, "Well, who was Shepard Barclay?"  I'm glad you asked...

Shepard Barclay (1847 - 1925) is most well known as a lawyer, judge, and member of the State of Missouri Supreme Court.  But that is only a small part of why we honor him with this festival.  Barclay is also considered a pioneer of base ball in the state of Missouri.  While still a young lad, Barclay remembered being taught the game of base ball (along with other youth in Saint Louis) in Lafayette Square Park by a man from New York whom he referred to in his writings as "Jere Frain."  Additional research shows one "Jere Frain" to likely be Jeremiah Fruin, a somewhat well known player from the east, who along with Merritt Griswold admitted to developing the game in Missouri while being stationed there during the Civil War period.

Shepard Barclay, one of the two men's pupils, would go on to become a well known local player with both Saint Louis University and one of the top local amateur teams, the Saint Louis Unions.  We honor all three men in our league, with the "Shepard Barclay Festival" in June, the "Jeremiah Fruin Festival" in September, and the Missouri Cup at the end of the season in which all of the local Missouri teams compete in a tournament to win the "Merritt Griswold Trophy" and bragging rights as the top vintage team in Missouri for that year.

This year's Barclay festival would be just one day, and coming off the two match defeat in Springfield in which I did not play, I wanted to play well and help the Perfectos win the tournament.  Although I had played mostly as first tender (first base) and right scout (right field) so far, we were without our center scout "Pitchfork" Bergdorf for the festival, so I would play there.

The great thing about playing center in Lafayette Square Park
is that at least you have lots of interesting things to look at
while you're chasing drives into the power alleys...

Fortunately I played well in center on this day and we easily dispatched our rivals in the first match, the Lafayette Square Cyclone, by a score of 10-2.  I hit the ball sharply but finished 0-3 on the match, flying out to the Cyclone's superb left scout "Wheels" Olmsted twice.  I also made several plays in center, although the one I will most remember is one that I dove for but ticked off my hands.  It was a dink over the short scout's head and I tried to catch it on the first bound, diving full out.  It was only after hitting the ground and attempting to roll that I realized the true difference between being 48-years-old and 18-years-old.  My ribs and shoulder are still aching.

In the second match we were taking on our chief rivals for the tournament, the Murphysboro Clarkes.  We knew the winner of this match would likely win the tournament and it was a hard-fought game 'til the end.  We played excellent defense against the Clarkes good hitters.

Perfectos left scout "Hawkeye" MacKenzie tracks a drive
off the bat of a Clarke's ballist.

I was able to get one base hit against the Clarke's superb hurler "Knute" Schultz, and tally one of our five aces.

Doing the only thing that matters in vintage base ball...
tallying an ace.

A difficult match but we would hold on for the 5-4 victory.

After the victory over the Clarkes we had a couple of hours to relax, talk to the cranks (fans) that had gathered and explain the game to them, and take in some of the other matches.  We would then play the final match of the tournament against the Rock Springs Ground Squirrels, all the way from Decatur, Illinois.  I began the final match with just one hit in six at bats, not living up to my raised role in the batting order as the fifth striker.  But that would change in the final match as I had three hits, drove in a runner, and scored another ace.

Finally driving the ball into the gap during the last match.

Taking an 8-1 lead into the final inning against Rock Springs, we would let them back into the game with several muffs that allowed them to tally more aces.  We would hold on for an 8-6 victory, ending the tournament undefeated at 3-0 and raising our season record to 5 victories and 4 defeats.  Altogether a successful festival, home tour weekend, and adventure in Saint Louis.

The Clarkes congratulate us on our tournament victory:
(l-r) Chatterbox, Dixie, Hawkeye, King, Stoney, Turnpike,
Walnuts, Mute, Hammer, and Danger.

Huzzah!

Dixie.

A Little Video For You...

I can't take credit for this video (other than stealing it).  The credit goes to the Saint Louis Unions VBBC, one of our local rivals and our opponents in the first match of the season (which you can read about by clicking here).  It is a well done video and gives a good flavor of the vintage game.  A couple of notes to remember as you watch:

- The ball is slightly larger and slightly softer than today's baseball...but not the size of a softball and not rubbery at all.
- No gloves were used back then and no gloves are used by us today.
- The batter (or striker) is out if the ball is caught on the first hop (the "fly" rule was not enacted until the 1880's), but runners can still run on the bounce.
- The hurler throws under-handed from a distance of 45 feet.  It's not quite slow-pitch arch but not fast-pitch speed either.
- Ringing the bell (as "Mayhem" does in the video) signifies a run (or "ace") was scored.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R6N9tefygw

* Did you catch Sweet Tea and Lucy's cameo at the 0:42 mark in the pink chair?
* What about the nice "one-bound" catch by yours truly at the 1:17 mark?
* Surely you caught the sweet drive into the alley by me at the 2:30 mark???

Until next time

Dixie

Quit Your Wine-ing and Play Ball!

Saint Louis has had an unusual amount of rain this spring which has wreaked havoc on the base ball schedule.  By this point in the season we should have 10 games complete but we still sit with a record of 2-2.  This past weekend, the weather was spectacular and perfect for base ball...but we had other things on the schedule.

The annual wine tasting event is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the GSLBBHS (Greater Saint Louis Base Ball Historical Society), bringing in a lot of the league's operating expenses through this one event and making it possible to buy equipment and uniforms, lease fields, and have some stipend money for visiting teams or for our own overnight trips to cities outside of the Saint Louis metro area.  We also rely on the donations from businesses and other volunteers to provide items to be auctioned.  Our local Lafayette Square wine bar (33 Wine Bar) generously offers the use of their space during the event.

Inside 33 Wine Bar, with "Cyclone" and "King" pouring
while "Pitchfork" entertains guests.

The back patio of 33 Wine Bar

In addition to the Wine Tasting and Mother's Day this weekend, Sweet Tea and myself were also hosting visitors: "Sweet Tea Sis" and "Rockclimber Reed," in town from Arkansas.

Rockclimber, Sweet Tea Sis, me and Sweet Tea enjoying
wine and snacks.

It was "Rockclimber's" first visit to Saint Louis and we wanted to make it count.  He's the kinda guy that's up for anything and he came up bearing gifts: four fantastic seats to the Cardinals - Colorado Rockies game.

View from the Red Bird Club at Busch Stadium

After the game, the four of us walked the four short blocks over to the Gateway Arch to make sure that "Sweet Tea Sis" and "Rockclimber" got to view the city from the best possible vantage point...630 feet up at the top of the Arch.

If you look closely you can see the
windows in the observation deck
at the top.

While walking through the park, we caught a few minutes of our old pal "Mayhem" and his club nine, the St. Louis Unions.  The Unions were playing a quad-header under the arch against visiting clubs from Illinois and Indiana: the Rock Springs (IL) Ground Squirrels, the Springfield (IL) Long Nine, and the West Lafayette (IN) Couriers.

Vintage base ball under the Arch.

We also caught a glimpse of other signs of spring besides base ball and green grass:

Goose eggs in the park at the Arch.

Not unlike goose eggs are the tiny little capsules that transport people from below the base of the Arch, up the interior of the North or South leg of the arch, and deposit them on the observation platform high above the city.

These capsules transport you to the top...or you could
walk up the 1,076 steps.

The inside of the capsules don't look quite this cool and "space-agey" in real life...they are actually quite cramped inside once you climb in with four of your closest friends.

I bump my head every single time.

But the trip to the top is well worth it, when you are treated with this spectacular view at the top.

It was quite a packed weekend of events and outings, even without a base ball match. Until next time...

Dixie

Disaster Strikes Saint Louis

In late May of 1896, a mile-wide F4 tornado ripped through the southern portion of Saint Louis, Missouri.  This event still stands as the third-most deadly tornado in US history, taking 255 lives (although some estimate as many as 400) and causing over $2 billion in inflation-adjusted property damage.

How does this apply to the story that I tell in this blog? Because the path of the tornado went right through one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in Saint Louis at the time, and the park where the current Perfectos play our home games: Lafayette Square Park.

1896:  The destruction in Lafayette Square Park.

The mansions on Lafayette Square were once home to such Saint Louis luminaries as the beer baron Busch family, US Postmaster General Montgomery Blair, famed civil engineer and bridge builder James Eads, US Solicitor General Frederick Lehman, and Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis. No lightweights there. Clearly, Lafayette Square was once an elegant and important neighborhood in the history of this city and our nation. But, following the afternoon of May 27, 1896, Lafayette Square was in national headlines for a terrible reason:

Taken from a New York newspaper reporting on
the disaster.

It is difficult to imagine just how devastating this storm was to the neighborhood. This horrible storm sparked a decline in the neighborhood over the next 50 years that would see the once stately mansions become flop houses, drug dens, and whorehouses. Rather than rebuild the neighborhood, the luminaries deserted Saint Louis for the outlying counties or other locales. The transformation would be nearly complete during World War II, as the neighborhood became known simply as "Slum D."

Slum D in the "not so glory" days.

But in the 1970's something remarkable began to happen.  A somewhat scraggly (and visionary) band of Missourians began to buy up the dilapidated mansions and painstakingly restore them, and the neighborhood, to its former glory. They formed the Lafayette Square Restoration Committee (LSRC) and fought developers and city hall, who wanted to raze the old houses and remake Lafayette Square. Through the LSRC's efforts, in 1972, Lafayette Square was placed on the National Register of Historic Sites and the restoration took off in earnest. Earlier this year, Sweet Tea and I became the lucky beneficiaries of the hard work and determination of the LSRC when we bought a lovely 125-year-old house on the Square.

Built in 1888, we have named her
"Josephine"

One of the great things about living in a historic neighborhood is digging up old photos and interesting facts about the place and its history. On the corner of our street stands a towering and magnificent structure known as "Abbey on the Park." The Abbey was built in 1883 as a Presbyterian church but sustained significant damage from the cyclone of 1896.

1896: Note the horse-drawn carriage across the street and the
people standing next to the fence in the foreground.

The Abbey today has been restored to its original exterior, but the interior has been converted into eight beautiful condos.

2013: The Abbey and mansion next door fully restored.

The below view of the Abbey displays more of the damage but also a view of our house, third one down on the right.

1896:  Viewing old photos like this is both
tragic and interesting.

...and the same view of the Abbey today, with our house in the background.

...and another view of the neighborhood showing the stately elegance of some the mansions on the park, lovingly restored to their original conditions.

Given this context, you can see how perfect Lafayette Square is for hosting a vintage base ball team. In fact it is the home park to two vintage teams: the Saint Louis Perfectos and the aptly named Lafayette Square Cyclone.

...but speaking of tragedies:

Giving up nine aces in the last two innings will do you in...

We took one to the chin on the road in Belleville, Illinois.  A series of "muffs" in the last two innings gave the Stags nine "aces" and the victory.

Perfectos (l-r): Danger, Dixie, Walnuts, Hands, Cyclone,
King, Pitchfork, Chatterbox, Turnpike, and Stoney.

The Stags are a gentlemanly group of ballists who have been friendly rivals to the Perfectos for over a decade.

It's a great day for base ball; let's play two!

We did play two that day and salvaged the second game by the score of 16-7, evening our record at 2-2 for the young season.

Stylin'!

Say what you will about vintage base ball, but it's a lot of fun...and catching a base ball barehanded takes a lot of concentration!

Until next time...and watch out for those cyclones!

Dixie

First Match...Huzzah!

What a difference a week makes in the midwest.  After having the season-opener postponed last weekend by 12 inches of snow, we finally had our first match under partly cloudy skies (and somewhat blustery winds) on Saturday.  How blustery were the winds?:

Tell me the truth, how's my hair look?

It was quite an eventful day actually.  The truck driver delivering my furniture was supposed to deliver on Friday morning (at his request, by the way) but called Thursday evening to say he wouldn't be there until Saturday.  Hey, man, no problem...we only had our Saturday all planned out with no time for a household goods shipment, but since you have my stuff and I need it, I guess I'm at your mercy.  Then, when said truck driver (who shall remain nameless *cough* Marshall *cough*) showed up at 8 am Saturday morning, her showed up alone...solo...all by his lonesome...to unload my stuff.  So...having just two hours before I needed to get to the game, guess who became a mover for the day?  We got everything off the truck just in time for me to change and jog over to the park for the 11 am first pitch.

The 2013 St. Louis Perfectos

We were short a few players for the opener, so despite having just spent two hours off-loading furniture and lugging it up a flight of stairs, I was ready to go.  As with the culture of the game in the 19th century, all of us play under nicknames.  The Perfectos were represented this day by: Pitchfork, Molasses, Cyclone, Hammer, Chatterbox, Hands, Stoney, Walnuts, Mute, King, and (yours truly) Dixie.  Our opponents for the double-header were long-time crosstown rivals, the Saint Louis Unions.

Scorekeepers desk and bell

In those days the home team did not automatically bat last, but a coin toss determined the team which would choose when to bat.  In the first game, the Unions would bat last despite playing on our home field.

The Unions bat in the bottom of the first against Perfectos
hurler  "King"

The Unions monstrous first baseman "Mayhem" steps in
against "King" with men on second and third and just
"one hand down" (one out).

"Mayhem" plates "Noodles" with the first "Ace" of the match.

The Unions drew first blood in the match as their first baseman "Mayhem" drove a ball deep to rightfield which was caught for an out (or hand down) but plated "Noodles" from third on a sacrifice fly.  The most important aspect of statistics back then was "making your ace" (scoring a run).  The premium was placed on the player that scored, rather than the player that drove in the run.  So, in the box score, Noodles would get credit for scoring the run but Mayhem would get no credit since he made an out.  When you scored you went over to the ring the bell next the scorekeepers desk to ensure the scorekeeper tallied the run and to let the fans (or "cranks" as they were called) know a tally had been registered.

The Unions ring the bell first

Lafayette Park: "Where Base Ball Began In St. Louis"

*Note the flag in the photo above, which was a version of the US Flag used between 1859 - 1861.

The Unions would lead for most of the first game, and would take a 4-2 lead into the top of the seventh inning, but we broke through for three aces in the seventh and then held the Unions scoreless to take the first game 5-4.  I rotated at first base with "Cyclone" in the first game, and had one hit in two times to the plate but did not score any runs.

Playing first base in game 1 where I had several put-outs.
Note the lack of a glove.

In the second game I played rightfield and again had several put-outs but I also had one "muff" as I took a fly ball off the middle finger of my right hand.  We played to a scoreless draw through five innings of the second game, but my muff led to an ace for the Unions who then went on to win the second game 4-0.

I had 3 hits in 5 at-bats on the day but
did not score a single ace.

I did have some success batting in the second game, adding two more hits.  In my last at bat I drove a ball deep into the alley between left and center field which should have resulted in at least a double.  However, the first base bag, which were not secured to the field back then, slid out from under me as I rounded first and I nearly tumbled to the ground.  Sheepishly I retreated to first base rather than get thrown out at second and look even more like a "green-horn."

At the end of the match, the team's gather on the base line and each captain addresses the cranks, thanking them for attending and providing a short synopsis of the match.  Each player also introduces themselves to the crowd and each team cheers their opponent.

The aptly nicknamed "Chatterbox" addresses the cranks
after the match.

I had a great time playing; part athletic endeavor and part theatrical performance.  I can't wait for more!

Requisite injury photo...
jammed middle finger.

Dixie

Postponed on account of...

So last weekend, March 30th, 2013, the Perfectos were scheduled to take on the Saint Louis Brown Stockings.  This would have been my first "official" match of vintage base ball and I was really looking forward to it.  A funny thing happened on the march towards the first game of the season, however:

That would be snow.  And lots of it.  About a foot in some areas.  That photo shows the good folks of Lafayette Square taking their sleds out to enjoy the snow in what would otherwise be our base ball field.  So, there you have it.  Postponed on account of...snow.  At the end of March.  At any rate, our first match will now be against the Saint Louis Unions, this coming Saturday, April 6th.

In the meantime, I thought I'd talk a little base ball.  Specifically the base ball.  In 1860 a book was published by the title of Beadles Dime Base-Ball Player, by Henry Chadwick.  This book is thought to be the first published rules of the game of base ball and Mr. Chadwick is well known as an early documenter of the game.  The Beadles Dime book called for the following rules regarding the ball itself:

"The rule states that the ball must be composed of India rubber and yarn, covered with leather, the proper weight being five and three-quarter ounces avoirdupois, and its circumference nine and three-quarter inches. The balls are easily made, but it would be advisable to obtain them from some well-known maker, as there will then be no chance of their being wrong in size or weight. The covering is usually sheepskin, and on a turf ground this covering will last some time."

Which would make it look something like this:

A somewhat "Frankenstein-esque" ball, sliced in four even parts and stitched in the simplest of patterns.

Compare that to today's ball which we're more familiar with...the two cowhide, figure eight-shaped halves sewn together by exactly 216 stitches.  Today's ball is slightly smaller (between 9 and 9.25 inches in circumference), slightly lighter (between 5 and 5.25 ounces), and slightly harder (with a cork center rather than a rubber center, and more tightly wound yarn).

Today's design with the stitching and lighter weight allows the pitcher to get more action on the ball and thus make it harder to hit, although because it is harder, when it is hit it flies faster and farther than the vintage balls...and chicks dig the long ball.

Just one of the many differences in the game over the last century-and-a-half.

Dixie