2014 Tournaments & Festivals
Below are Festivals and Tournaments that MAVBBL clubs will be participating in. The MAVBBL does not endorse any of the following events unless it specifically says so. Fans who are interested in the events should contact individual clubs about the event for more information if it is not listed below:
Strasburg Rail Road Spring 19th Century Base Ball Tournament
May 4, 2014 Strasburg, PA
Harrisburg vs West Chester; Elkton vs NY Mutuals
Embark on a train ride back in time to enjoy an afternoon of America’s pastime, vintage base ball. Departing hourly from the historic East Strasburg station, authentic steam trains will travel through scenic Pennsylvania Dutch country to Paradise, PA. With an exclusive stop at Verdant View Farm during the return trip, passengers may disembark and stroll across the farmland to watch vintage base ball games. Check back frequently as further details are announced. Games will be played by the rules of the game as they were in the 19th century, which promoted exercise and camaraderie, and featured the skill of playing with bare hands instead of gloves .
Please note – Access to Vintage Base Ball Day games is exclusively by train and does require a walk across farmed ground, similar to what fans of the game would have experienced over a century ago. For the convenience of attendees, restroom facilities and food vendors will be on-site. Limited bench seating will be available for the afternoon. Guests are invited to bring blankets and compact lawn chairs
http://www.strasburgrailroad.com/train-schedule/events/vintage-base-ball-day/
Pennsylvania Cup
Saturday April 20, 2014 Harrisburg, PA
Clubs Participating: Harrisburg, Philadelphia, West Chester, Kennett Square, Somerset, Pittsburgh
More details to follow…
Gettysburg National 19th Century Base Ball Festival
July 19-20, 2014 Gettysburg, PA
Clubs Participating: Providence, NY Gothams, NY Mutuals, Brooklyn Atlantics, Flemington, Philadelphia, Elkton, Harrisburg, Lewes, Milford, Talbot, Saginaw, Mt Clemens, Forest City, Pittsburgh, TBA
www.gettysburgbaseballfestival.com
Berks Invitational Tournament
July 26, 2014 Reading, PA
Clubs Participating: Delaware, Flemington, Elkton, Philadelphia, and more…
Old Time Base Ball Festival
August 2-3, 2014 Old Bethpage, NY
May 4
Strasburg Rail Road Tournament
Mechanicsburg, Elkton, West Chester, and Flemington
June 23
Curley Day
at Easton, Maryland; Talbot Fair Plays, Elkton Eclipse and Brooklyn Atlantics
July 21 and 22
4th Annual Gettysburg 19th Century Base Ball Festival
www.gettysburgbaseballfestival.com
Talbot, Elkton, Flemington, Mechanicsburg, NY Mutuals, Philadelphia, NY Gothams, Washington among others
August 3 and 4
Old Time Base Ball Festival at Old Bethpage Restoration Village
August 10 and 11
National Silver Ball Tournament
http://www.gcv.org/HistoricVillage/HistoricBaseBall.aspx
Talbot Fair Plays
September 21 and 22
Philadelphia 19th Century Base Ball Faire and Exhibition
All MAVBBL Clubs invited
October 4
Mid Atlantic Vintage Base Ball League Championship Tournament
Open to All full members of the MAVBBL, Allentown, NJ
2011
3rd Annual Colt Meadow Invitational-Hartford, CT
The Liberty BBC will participate on Saturday and the Atlantic will participate on Sunday in the third edition of this classic. For more information go to
http://www.friendsofvintagebaseball.org/invitational.html
July 17 and 18,2001-2nd Annual Gettysburg Tournament
10 clubs from all over the country will converge on Gettysburg, PA for this classic. Scheduled to compete are the Elkton Eclipse, the Flemington Neshanock, Chesapeake City Cecils, Mechanicsburg Nine, Mudville Nine (MA), Cincinnati Buckeyes (OH), Huntington Champion Hill Toppers (IN) Central City Stars (CO), Saginaw Old Golds (MI) and the defending champion Talbot Fair Plays. See www.gvbbt.wordpress.com for more information.
Saturday, July 30 & Sunday, July 31 Old Time Base Ball Festival- Old Bethpage, NY
August 6 and 7- Silver Ball Tournament- Mumford, NY
August 20 and 21- Philadelphia Base Ball Exhibition and Festival-The Philadelphia 19th Century Base Ball Exhibition & Fair is scheduled to take place August 20 and 21st at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Every club in the MAVBBL has been invited and most are expected to be participating in the 2 day event showing what base ball was like in 1864. Sponsored by the Haverford Township Historical Society, The Franklin Fountain, and Khyber Pass Pub. Free admission, food available. 3 matches going on at once from 10am until 4:30. The list of matches will be listed under schedule/results the week of the tournament. Clubs participating include: The Athletic BBC of Philadelphia, the Mutual BBC of New York, The Diamond State BBC of Delaware, the Flemington Neshanock, the Atlantic BBC of Brooklyn, the Eclipse BBC of Elkton, the Gotham BBC of New York, the Potomac Nine of Washington DC, the Excelsior BBC of Arundel, the Talbot Fair Plays, the Mechanicsburg Nine, the Cecil Club of Chesapeake City and the Chesapeake Nine of Baltimore. Don’t miss it!
Sunday, September 18- Maryland State Championship Tournament- Glen Burnie, MD
October 3- Mid Atlantic Vintage Base Ball League Championship Tournament- TBA
2010
“The Chopper” Elkton’s 4th Annual Invitational Festival
The 4th edition of the Chopper will be held April 24 and 25 at Elk Landing in Elkton, Maryland.
This festival provides a chance for Maryland clubs to compete against clubs from out of the state in a two day event featuring clubs from New Jersey (Flemington and Elizabeth), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Somerset), Delaware (Diamond State BBC) and Maryland (Elkton, Talbot, Chesapeake, Havre de Grace, Arundel, and Potomac). Saturday’s matches start at 10am, Noon, and 2pm. Sunday starts at 9:30, 11:15, 1pm, and 3pm. Bring your blanket or chairs and a picnic lunch and enjoy a fine weekend of vintage base ball at the top of the Chesapeake Bay. Free admission! See www.elktonbbc.com for more information.
First State 19th Century Base Ball Festival
May 22-23, 2010 at Ft DuPont State Park, Delaware City, Delaware
We are proud to be hosting one of the largest vintage base ball festivals in the country at historic Fort DuPont State Park in Delaware City, DE the weekend of May 22-23, 2010. Festivities will begin at 10:00 a.m. each day and feature 14 vintage base ball clubs from Connecticut to Virginia in an demonstration of baseball as it was originally played by amateur ball clubs in the mid-1860’s.
Make your plans early to join us in Delaware City for this unique and entertaining family event. See our website at www.festival.diamondstatebaseball.org for more information.
1st Annual Gettysburg 19th Century Base Ball Tournament
Six fine clubs from the Mid Atlantic region will compete on Hickory Hollow Farm located 3 1/2 miles west of the center of Gettysburg, PA which is located just next to the first day battlefield. Each club from the Confederate Dvision will play each club from the Union Division and the clubs with the best record will battle in out for the championship.
Over 1,500 fans came out to watch the Somerset Frosty Sons of Thunder, the Talbot Fair Plays, the Diamond State BBC of Delaware, the Pittsburgh Franklins, the Flemington Neshanock and the Elkton Eclipse on a hot weekend in Gettysburg on July 17 &18. Several television news cameras were on site interviewing participants and many newspapers were there covering the action. In the end, The Talbot Fair Plays defeated the Elkton Eclipse to take home the crown. First balls were thrown out by President Lincoln, General Grant and General Lee. The Tournament was sponsored by Gettysburg Eddies, Gettysburg Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Hickory Hollow Farm and the Gettysburg Foundation. For more information go to www.gvbbt.wordpress.com.
Next year’s event will be the third weekend in July once again in Gettysburg. If your club is interested in competing either in 2011 or 2012, please contact the Elkton Eclipse at elktonbase_ball@yahoo.com. Next year the tournament will be expanding by a couple of clubs.
Old Time Base Ball Festival at Old Bethpage Restoration Village- July 31-August 1
Silver Ball Tournament-Rochester, NY August 7-8
Maryland State Championship Tournament-Jerusalem Mill, MD August 29
Keator Cup- Roxbury, NY Sept 4-5
Come watch the history of our national pastime unfold in the glorious expanse of Roxbury’s Kirkside Park. For two full days during Labor Day weekend, the Northeast’s fiercest vintage base ball teams will vie for the silver Keator Cup, a prize that the Roxbury Nine hometown boys of summer have never yet forfeited. You and your family can see decades of base ball history in action, from the early underhand pitch game of the 1860s to the fast pitch game of 1898.
No steriods, no seven-figure salaries, and very little equipment — just pure sportsmanship and full throttled play by “ballists” who love the game and its rich history.
MAVBBL Championship Tournament- Ft. Mott, NJ- October 3rd. The top 6 clubs in the Mid Atlantic League qualify for the Championship Tournament. The format is a single elimination tournament with a consolation tournament for the losers of the first 2 rounds. Stay tuned to this site for participants and more information.
Mid Atlantic Vintage Base Ball League 