At 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, the grounds of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 270 Grange Hall Road, Ortonville, is scheduled to become a baseball field.
No, it’s not the movie ‘Field of Dreams? come to life ? rather, it’s an ‘old-time? baseball game exhibition, which will be played between the Ortonville Townsmen and the Rochester Grangers, an ‘old-time? baseball team from Rochester, Mich. The event will be presented by the Ortonville Community Historical Society
Brandon Recreation Director Fred Waybrant said he has recruited a team of 11 Ortonville residents to go up against the Grangers. ‘The game will be played out in the pasture, just like it was in the early 20th century, instead of a baseball field,? he said.
In addition, Waybrant said the uniforms will resemble those worn at the turn of the 20th century ? a long-sleeved, collared white shirt, khaki pants, and no gloves. The ball will resemble a ball of yarn more so than a modern baseball, Waybrant said.
Tom Stowell, Brandon Township trustee and member of the Historical Society, said old-time baseball is much different from today’s game.
Baseball gloves were not used and the ball was therefore allowed to bounce once before being caught for an out. Individual batters were called ‘strikers? and a sharply hit ground ball was called a ‘daisy cutter?. When a ball was hit the rest of the team would tell the ‘striker? to ‘leg it!? instead of run and if an error was made in the field it was called a ‘muff?.