Fans of old-time baseball are in for a real treat Saturday when the inaugural Legends of Baseball Vintage Showdown takes place at San Jose Municipal Stadium.
This is baseball the way it was originally played in the 1800’s, with baggy uniforms, huge bats, tiny gloves, trick pitches and umpires who encourage the fans to help settle controversial calls.
The game pits Hall of Famers and other members of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association against the California Vintage Base Ball Federation.
Event chairman Dr. John Eliot says it didn’t take much to get members of the MLBPAA to agree to play.
“All of the players in the alumni association want to give back to the game and the community. Gaylord Perry, Rollie Fingers and Lee Smith are really excited because they’ve got the kind of game that takes advantage of the old-fashioned rules.”
Other players tentatively scheduled to play include Brady Anderson, Vida Blue, Bert Campaneris, Vince Coleman, Darrell Evans, Steve Finley, Ken Griffey, Sr., Jeff Kent, Kevin Maas, Blue Moon Odom, Ron Robinson, and Reggie Sanders.
Eliot says cozy Municipal Stadium was the perfect venue for this type of game.
“In the 1800’s, baseball the umpires would ask fans for calls, and players would involve fans and we wanted to have that interaction. It fits with the theme and the philosophy of the alumni association and Municipal Stadium really allowed us to have that environment where fans interact in a great way.”
It’s a full day of activities that begins at 9:30 a.m. with a youth clinic. Stadium gates open at 12:30 p.m. for batting practice. The game itself begins at 3:00 p.m.
Tickets are available online at http://www.cvbbf.com/ . All proceeds will be split between the MLBPAA Legends for Youth charity, Willie McCovey’s Junior Giants and the CVBBF’s efforts for youth health and wellness.
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