Tip of the striped cap: Oregon’s vintage ‘base ball’ team bows out in semifinals

DEARBORN, Mich. — The Ganymedes’ run for a title at the 18th annual World Tournament of Historic Base Ball ended with a “well-played” loss to perennial tournament champion the Saginaw Old Golds on Sunday, capping the Oregon-based team’s ‘best-ever’ run at the unique competition.

“They are a good team,” said Captain Mark Herman shortly after the 10-2 loss. “We knew we were going to have to play a near perfect game. We left a lot of runners on base and didn’t have key hits when we needed them.”

The Old Golds, a Saginaw, Michigan, team, had won the tournament 6 times, with their most recent title coming in 2017. They added number 7 on Sunday. But the Ganymedes had their share of chances, including loading the with no outs in the first inning.

“We scored zero. We didn’t score a run,” said Steve Tilton, a 6-year veteran and Oregon High School alum who now resides in Texas, but flies to Michigan for the tournament.

“Yesterday we scored in every inning except two. Today we only scored in two innings,” Herman said.

The loss meant no more games for the Oregon-based Ganymedes since third place games are not held. But Herman and his wife Debbie, the team’s scorekeeper, stayed to watch the Old Golds score 6 runs in the championship game to beat Flat Rock BBC 11-3.

Walker Tavern Wheels, one of the teams the Ganymedes defeated on Saturday, beat the Canton Corn Shuckers by 4 runs to take the Second Class Championship.

“After watching the final championship games, I can honestly say that the team that we sent to Dearborn this year was a good as any team in the tournament,” said Herman in an email to players. “Against Saginaw, we as a team suddenly stopped hitting when we had runners in scoring positions. We stranded 11 runners on base...can’t do that and expect to win.

In addition to an invite to the 2022 tournament, the Ganymedes also won the “Furthest Traveled Award Mug” for the fourth year in a row.

Saturday Action

On Saturday, the Ganymedes got out of the the gate early when they jumped on Chelsea Monitors BBC, of Chelsea, Michigan, with 6 runs in the first inning and 4 more in the second en route to a 21-4 win.

Then the Ganymedes squared off against the heavy-hitting Walker Tavern Wheels of Brooklyn, Michigan. Solid defense and well-placed hits lifted the Ganymedes to a 12-9 victory.

“I am really proud of our team. We hit well and fielded well. We are now in the ‘Final Four’,” said Herman, after Saturday’s wins.

The Ganymedes returned to the world stage of historic base ball (spelled as two words in the 1900s) after their last appearance in 2019. There was no tournament in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2019, the Ganymedes were one of a dozen teams from Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. That team was competitive, but winless against three competitors: the Saginaw Old Golds, the Black Flags of Drovertown, and the Lah-De-Das.

“We had many great plays, but too many errors,” Herman said after the 2019 tournament.

The Ganymedes had a much better showing in 2018, winning the 3rd Class Championship and receiving an immediate invitation to the 2019 tournament.

This year’s teams hailed from Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana.

Earlier this year after a July game on their home field at Oregon Park East, Herman was hoping for a better showing in 2021.

And his team did not disappoint.

“We played very solid base ball today. From worst to maybe first,” Herman said. “2019 was the first time in 5 years that we didn’t win at least 2 games. Our ‘award’ that year was a bag of peanuts.”

The event, held on the Walnut Grove fields at the Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village, commemorates the original World’s Base Ball Tournament held in Detroit, Michigan, in 1867.

At the tournament, players and spectators can experience a trip back in time with players shaking hands after good plays, stopping the game to wave their hats as the Edison steam-engine train passes by the fields, shouting “well held” after good catches, and politely asking the lone umpire for a ‘judgment sir’ after close plays.

“I am very proud about how well we played as a team during this year’s tournament,” said Herman. “On Saturday, we played the best two games of ball in our teams 17-year history. Our games against Chelsea and especially Walker Tavern were near perfect and will be long remembered. We have an automatic invite to return to the Henry Ford Museum World Tournament for 2022 as a result of winning our bracket and returning to the First Class Championship semi finals.”

More Information

For a list of 1867 rules, go to the Vintage Base Ball Association’s website atvbba.org/rules-and-customs/beadles-1867/

2021 Ganymedes Roster

*denotes Oregon High School Alumni

Nick Alexander*, Aaron Berg*, Eric Berg*, Justin Early*, Mark Herman - Captain, Matt Gecan*, Tyler Grant, Rick Krug *(currently in IR), Tom Lesniak, Ryan Mortlock*, Carie Ramirez, Sam Ramirez, Brett Rogers*, Bill Roschi*, Kevin Stafford*, Tim Strohecker*, Garrison Thimmesch, Mike Thomas*, Jamie Throw* (now lives in Arizona, but flies in to play at the World Tournament), and Steve Tilton* (now lives in Texas, but flies in to play at the World Tournament)