When camaraderie mattered

 Doug Hart of Lake Orion and his friend Jim Bradford of Rochester received a special surprise when they arrived early last week at Jackson Field: a vintage “base ball” game before the Lansing Lugnuts took the field.

“It’s interesting to compare the rules to the current game,” Bradford said as they watched the Capital Base Ball Club of Lansing take on the Monitor Base Ball Club of Chelsea. “Though, it’s not surprising that some rules are no longer in the game.”

Team captains: (L) Michael “Cutter” Jarema of the Lansing Capitals, (R) “Honest Jon” Van Hoek of the Chelsea Monitors.

While Hart, who said he played baseball in college, said he might have considered joining the Capitals were it 10 years ago, chances are “not very likely” now.

“Those are good players out there,” he added.

What was baseball like 160 years ago?

No highly paid stars here, or even young phenoms on their way up — just ordinary folks who come together for the love of the game, no matter the era.

The Capitals’ Caleb “Bandit” Lewis makes a play down the first-base line.

The Capitals are part of the Vintage Base Ball Association. There are 16 clubs in Michigan, with the majority in the Detroit area and on the state’s west side.

The history of vintage baseball dates back nearly as far as the mythical mid-19th-century origination of baseball in the U.S. by Abner Doubleday. There is ample evidence our Canadian cousins played “base ball” in 1793, some 40 years earlier.

The VBBA is based on an organization established in 1845. The original Capital Club of Lansing was founded on April 10, 1865.

The Capitals were among the top clubs in the state, according to Lansing captain Michael E. Jarema, alongside Detroit and Jackson. At the sport’s peak, Michigan had at least 241 clubs across 117 cities.

Seth “Sizzle” Rosen turns a double play to first base.

The Greenfield Village-based Lah-De-Dahs, founded in 1993, are the oldest of the current clubs in Michigan. The new Capitals are just 4 years old, but their popularity is rocketing faster than a line drive down the third-base line.

 Lugnuts fans who hit the park early Wednesday got a good taste of the vintage game.

Capitals players like East Lansing’s Ben Abreu were delighted with the Jackson Field experience on July 3.

“It’s awesome to be able to play in an actual stadium and see some more fans out there,” Abreu said.

The iron hands of shortstop Aiden “Hatchet” Hanchett handle a hard-hit grounder for Lansing.

Besides the Jackson Field game, the Capitals have some special games on their schedule this summer, most notably a trip to Dyersville, Iowa, to play on the Field of Dreams (think the 1989 movie with Kevin Costner).

Whenever and wherever the modern game started, one thing’s for sure:  becoming a fan is easy.

Vintage base ball has recognizable elements from the modern game but has some unique rules. Wednesday’s game was played by 1864 rules, but there are also 1867 rules.

It’s a lot more laid back. There aren’t any bench-clearing brawls in vintage base ball —  heck, there usually aren’t any benches! A common sight is a string of camp chairs at games, like the Capitals’ upcoming tournament later this month at Frances Park in Lansing.

This ball will be taking the express lane to left field.

Among other rules,  a hit ball is determined fair or foul based on where it first hits the ground, not whether it crosses first or third base. And runners may not advance on a ball caught on the fly but may attempt a ball caught on one bounce — at their own risk.

The score isn’t the focus. During a recent game, one of the Lansing players vaguely said, “2-1, at least.”

One difference is the scratchy uniforms, which are uncomfortable enough in high summer for Capitals players to have recently invested in lighter-weight shirts.

Then there are nicknames, like “Cutter” or “Mustang,” Abreu said. Players choose their sobriquets based on something important to them.

The East Lansing resident is known as “Professor” because “I like to teach and educate.” Abreu taught social studies and Spanish in the Battle Creek Pennfield Schools before his current position as a training coordinator for an Okemos software company,

Lansing’s Matt “Counselor” Hall is is headin’ home!

 The newer nickname replaced “Clipper” for “how fast I moved through the outfield grass.” He plays mainly in the outfield but will take up other positions as needed.

Like many Capitals, Abreu hadn’t played since his school days. True to his background, what keeps him playing is the chance to teach.

“It is always fun at games to show off the bats and balls we use to new cranks (fans) and discuss the differences in rules and strategy we have against the modern game,” Abreu said.

Sportsmanship is another powerful attraction. When asked, players from one team often fill in on other teams so they might have a complete roster.

“Players on both sides are there to compete but also to celebrate the plays of each team and, most importantly, to have fun!” Abreu said.

Capitals celebrate a victory in their debut match at Jackson Field.

Captain Jarema is the team’s most enthusiastic cheerleader, and the one with the unlikeliest background.

Before the summer of 2020, when he went to watch a friend play with the Bay City Independents, Jarema said his only sports experience was playing T-ball as a child.

Watching a friend who played, Jarema became “increasingly enraptured” with the game.

“I was enamored with the attitude of the sport,” Jarema said.

“Everyone was trying their hardest — don’t get me wrong — but everybody seemed like friends out there, congratulating the opposing club for impressive plays and making jokes between pitches.

“Sometimes a runner on base would miss a good chance to steal the next one because he’d been caught up in conversation with the fielder next to him. I heard a lot of laughter.”

Observing players of all ages and skill levels, “for the first time, I didn’t feel intimidated by the notion of playing a sport,” Jarema said.

“I didn’t feel like my lack of experience would invalidate me as a participant or make my teammates loathe my at-bats.  Instead, I thought, ‘Well, heck, this is something I could do.’ It’s very accessible and very welcoming.”

East Lansing resident Ben Abreu, also known as “Professor,” showed curious new fans some of the equipment used during games like Wednesday’s …