Diamond from the past

When Jim Lester drove up to Willow Canyon High School Saturday afternoon, he had no idea what he was in for. On his way home from work, Lester said he saw odd-looking signs that read, "Base Ball Parking, This Way," so he thought he would check it out.

"I thought it was going to be maybe some kind of Little League game or something," Lester said. "But they've got a bunch of old guys here dressed like they're straight out of a time machine."

Lester stumbled upon a day of vintage baseball, circa the 1860's. Six teams met in Surprise for the Arizona Territory Holiday Classic vintage baseball tournament, complete with classic uniforms and classic rules. Once he figured out what he was watching, Lester said he was hooked.

PHOTO GALLERY: Click here to see more photos from the vintage base ball tournament in Surprise.

"Don't get me wrong, this is extremely cool," Lester said. "I'm really getting a kick out of the language. When they announced the starting lineups, I had no idea what they were saying. Behinder? Seriously?"

For the record, behinder is the term used in that era for the catcher. And indeed, much of the appeal for the vintage game lies in the nostalgia and the chance to see something old come to life. David ‘Flash' Evans, Left Gardner (left fielder) for the Bisbee Bees, said his fondness for the history of the game brought him to vintage baseball.

"I'm a history buff, and to be able to experience it is so different than just reading about it," Evans said. "It adds a whole new dimension, a new understanding of the game."

In addition to all the fun, all proceeds from the tournament went to the Wildcat Baseball Club at Willow Canyon High School.

The rules in the 1860's were much more favorable to the hitter, in that they were designed to put the ball in play.

"It's a friendship game," said Don Patton, First Maintainer (first baseman) for the Red Stockings. "Nobody's going to strike out, and you don't walk much, either. The hurler (pitcher) has to throw underhand and try to throw it right down the plate, too, so odds are good the ball is going to be in play."

The fun does not stop there. Shortly before first pitch (or is that first hurl?) at 2 p.m. Saturday, it was explained to the players that, should they score a run, they would have to head to the scorer's table, raise their right hand, and solemnly swear that they crossed the plate. At this point, a bell is rung and the run is counted. No bell, no run.

"This is too cool," Lester said after one of the Bisbee nine completed the ritual. "Where do I sign up?"