Take Yourself Out to a (1860s-Style) Ball Game
The Walker Tavern Wheels hosts a four-team tournament on July 14
Before peanuts and Cracker Jacks, mega-stadiums, bright-lights and
million-dollar player salaries, there was the polite and refined game of “base
ball.” Popular in the mid-19th century, early base ball was a
gentleman’s sport with no mitts, no sliding into bases, and absolutely no
swearing. "Base ball" evolved
into today's modern baseball, but the old-style game has a dedicated following.
At Cambridge Junction Historic State Park in Brooklyn, the Walker Tavern Wheels
have been playing vintage base ball for nearly a decade. The team, named after
the park’s historic Walker Tavern, is part of a traveling Midwestern historic league
that plays by the rules of the 1867 World’s Baseball Tournament. But their
“home field” is an actual field in Cambridge Junction Historic State Park.
“Walker Tavern was operating as an inn and stagecoach stop in the 1860s
when base ball was growing in popularity,” noted site historian Laurie Perkins.
“While we don’t know of any base ball games being played on the tavern grounds
at that time, it certainly was possible!”
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 The all-volunteer Walker Tavern Wheels team plays several home games on
the grounds each summer, including its May 12 home opener against the Greenfield
Village Lah-De-Das. The Wheels won, but in true 1860s fashion, the score
didn’t really matter. It would be ungentlemanly for the winning team to boast.
On Saturday, July 14, the Walker Tavern Wheels are hosting a special
day-long base ball invitational with games between and with the Saginaw Old
Golds, Detroit
Early Risers and the Canton
Cornshuckers. Weather permitting, the first game will begin around 9 a.m.
Fans and curious spectators are invited to enjoy some - or all - of the
tournament. Admission is free, but a Recreation
Passport is needed for park entry.
“We anticipate of crowd of several hundred fans to watch the games, so
come early and get a great seat. Bring a lawn chair and a picnic lunch for this
family-friendly event.” said Perkins.
For more information on the Walker Tavern Wheels, visit their home
game schedule on the Michigan History Center’s Cambridge Junction Historic
State Park website.
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 Walker Tavern Wheels Base Ball Invitational
Date: Saturday, July 14, 2018
Time: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Admission: Free
Location:
Cambridge Junction HSP
13220 M-50
Brooklyn, MI 49230
A Michigan State Parks Recreation Passport is required for entry to the grounds.
Plan your visit.
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The buildings and events at Cambridge Junction Historic State Park are part of the Michigan History Center, which are part of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The Michigan History Center fosters curiosity, enjoyment and inspiration rooted in Michigan’s stories. Our 12 museums and historic sites across the state provide family-friendly places where people of all ages can have fun actively learning about their heritage and the history of Michigan seven days a week through exhibits, special events and diverse programming. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/mhc.
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