Conner Prairie Historic Baseball
Recreating the National Pastime in 1886
" [Baseball] is a living part of history, like calico dresses, stone crockery, and threshing crews eating at outdoor tables. It continually reminds us of what was..."
W.P. Kinsella, Author
Base Ball (it was two words then) was truly America’s “national pastime” in the late 1800s. Children and adults picked up games in urban lots, village squares and farmer’s fields. Even the smallest communities included amateur base ball clubs that “crossed bats” with clubs from nearby towns or barnstorming teams. When not watching a local game, “cranks,” as 1886 baseball fans were called, followed newspaper accounts of Cap Anson’s Chicago White Stockings (today’s Cubs) in the National League and the American Association’s Cincinnati Red Stockings led by Pete Browning, the original “Louisville Slugger.” Football, basketball, golf and hockey were yet to be established as recreational pursuits in the United States. In 1886 Americans were mad about baseball!
1886 base ball is similar to, yet different from, today’s game. Bases are 90 feet apart but the “home base” is square and made of marble or hard rubber. The pitcher delivers the ball from a 5’x7’ “pitcher’s box” the front to which is 50 feet from home base. Overhand pitching was legalized by the National League just two years ago in 1884 and the number of bad pitches required for a base on balls was increased to seven prior to the 1886 season. Batters call for a “high” or “low” strike zone and foul balls do not count as strikes. And more and more fielders are wearing a thin glove to protect one or both hands, a practice considered unmanly by many!
The historic baseball program at Conner Prairie Interactive History Park recreates the world of 19th-century amateur baseball for guests in a fun and engaging manner. Children of all ages, many for the first time in their lives, swing a wooden bat and chase balls in the grass. Adults can also participate in games, filling the ranks of the White River Base Ball Club’s regular opponents, the Noblesville Rustics, who never seem to have enough players for the scheduled contest. Families not interested in playing baseball take on the role of cranks, cheering on their favorite player and team.
The White River Base Ball Club is comprised of a dedicated group of volunteers that are part baseball player and part historian. Through ongoing research, participants uncover clues about 19th-century baseball equipment, techniques and terminology. This information is applied to practice then performance, resulting in one of the most authentic and entertaining portrayal of historic baseball in America.
Historic baseball games are featured at major festivals at Conner Prairie, including Glorious Fourth and Country Fair, and selected weekends throughout the season. The White River Base Ball Club occasionally participates in community events throughout Indiana. For additional information, contact Dan Freas at 317.776.6000 or freas@connerprairie.org.
“Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball.”
Jacques Barzun, Historian