Mackinaw City Boys Victorious in Base Ball
By Allison Levy

The Mackinaw City Boys' uniforms of blue jeans and button-down shirts reflect the diversity of vintage base ball's uniforms. Less affluent teams dressed in the clothes that were available to them, rather than spending money for sophisticated uniforms. Pictured are (back row, from left) visiting umpire John "Cowpie" Soma, Bill "Starvin'" Marvin, Jeff "Cap" Lawson, Eric "Too Tall" Teysen, Julius "Caesar" O'Brien, Pat "Ding-Dong" Bell; (front) John "Sewer Rat" Martin, Blain "the Pain" Paquet, Dan "the Man" Seffton, Matt "A-Train" Alexander, Logan "Lucky" Paquet, and Scott "Lucy" Lusader.

After a humiliating defeat 122 years ago, the Mackinaw City Boys came back Saturday, July 19, to leave the Mackinac Island Never Sweats in the dust, 7-4, in a vintage base ball game played by 1860s rules. More than 400 cranks, known today as baseball fans, came to witness the game at Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island, making this year's ball game the second best attended in the Never Sweats' five-year-old rebirth.

The Mackinaw City Boys and the Never Sweats last played each other July 26, 1886.

At Right: The Mackinac Island Never Sweats pose for their team photograph with umpire John Soma (center). They are (top, from left) Bill "Hoot" Anderson, Larry "Pete" Rickley, Bart "Stretch" Stupak, Mr. Soma, Kyle "Nebraska" Hohnholt, Clay "Lash" Fuller, Todd "Mussels" Callewaert; (bottom) John "Ratso" Hiller, Phil "Pops" Porter, Craig "Wagon Burner" Bunker, Ryan "Biff" Stephens, and Pete "Two Bags" Pellerito. Not pictured is Craig "The Kid" Knaffle. (Team photographs by Jane McGinnis)

Despite the Boys' eventual victory this year, the Never Sweats got off to a strong start, tallying three aces (vintage language for "scoring runs") in the first inning. They retained their lead for several innings, but by the end of the fifth inning, the Boys had caught up, tying the game at four aces on each side. The two teams remained in a stalemate for several innings, with strong defensive play thwarting all efforts at further aces.

"After a century and a quarter of waiting, we are still tied up," said visiting umpire John "Cowpie" Soma of the Rochester Grangers, another base ball team, referring to the 122 years that had elapsed between the Never Sweats' and the Boys' first match-up, and their second.

Finally, in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Boys loaded the bases, and scored three runs with the help of the next two strikers. The Boys now led seven aces to the Never Sweats' four.

In the top of the eighth, the Never Sweats stepped up to the plate, and in a moment of classic baseball suspense, the bases were loaded with two outs.

Unfortunately, the striker was unable to clear the bases with the necessary home run, and the score remained stagnant.

After effecting three quick outs in the top of the ninth, the Boys showed graciousness and gentlemanliness, hallmarks of 1860s base ball play, in deciding not to step up to bat for the final halfinning, leaving the final score at seven to four.

Yet neither the crowd, composed of both Island and Mackinaw City cranks as well as some wandering tourists, nor the players seemed disappointed by the upset. Vintage base ball, after all, is a game played for enjoyment, exercise, entertainment, and education.

"This is a gentleman's game," Mr. Soma said. "We play the way the game was meant to be played, by gentleman for exercise and enjoyment, not for sport!"

The game was hosted by Mackinac State Historic Parks and depicted authentic base ball traditions and language to demonstrate how the sport was played years ago.