When the 100 or so assorted cranks arrived at Harbor Yard on Sunday to partake of the preliminary activities prior to a Bridgeport Bluefish and Road Warriors Atlantic Coast Conference game, little did they know they were about to enjoy the most entertaining baseball match of the day.

The unpublicized exhibition between the Newtown Sandy Hooks and the Bridgeport Orators took place in the quite hours leading up to the schedule afternoon event, and for six enthralling, nostalgic innings the two clubs riveted the small crowd with spirited play, sparkling fielding and non-stop action before noise, annoying animated monsters, infantile promotions and other mind-numbing 21st century nonsense took over the field of play.

The vintage game, comprised of a close-knit circle of serious sportsmen, is formed on the principle of baseball played by the rules and traditions of a bye-gone era. Ballists are passionate about their game, its history and enjoy every opportunity to compete and represent it in the context of how it may have been performed in the 1800's.This match at Harbor Yard provided a virtual time warp for two well-balanced vintage clubs with a unique opportunity to showcase the early game in a glossy, spacious, manicured, contemporary stadium that is alien to nearly everything they are used to in game time conditions. To honor the fact, both clubs brought their best '1867' play supported by a cohesive group of ball players, base ball aficionados as well as the unique play-by-play talents of 'Pops' O'Maxfield, who made a special trip from Hartford, to support this special day for the two clubs and The First Hit organization.

Sandy Hook Dennis 'Doughboy' Norwich challenged Orator's 'Elle Heffe' Wehmann to a well-played, fast-paced match that was focused on putting the ball in to play, moving the runners around and keeping the intensity level up for the cranks that had made a special trip to watch. The formula seemed to work as all ballists displaying extraordinary ginger and execution on nearly every play. One Newtown ballist would later remarked: 'We really seem to play better under time constraints and the scrutiny of the strangers on hand; everyone pitched-in and played strong fundamental baseball.'

By the witching hour of 1:00PM the Newtowners had closed the book on a well-earned and decisive 10 to 6 win over the hometown club. Huzzahs were exchanged by both sides and to the Bluefish management for their hospitality.

All agreed it was a special day and a fine time was had by all...at least until the raucous, tedium of 'main event' kicked into gear around 2:00PM. Many feel if current day baseball was played in the style and manner of the Victorian era it would be unnecessary for the promoters of the game to use carnival techniques to draw customers to their events.

The Sandy Hooks will return to tranquil Seaside Park in Bridgeport on Wednesday July Fourth at 10:00 to take part in a four team 1864 tournament with the same Orators, the Waterbury Connors and the New London nine. There will be no mascots, public address systems, blaring music or ill conceived between innings sideshows, just good old-fashioned base ball, played at the seashore, as it was meant to be played. The public is invited to bring a picnic and attend the all-day event for no charge.

Post game festivities will be hosted at The Field Restaurant and Bar in Black Rock later in the afternoon.

Vintage Baseball Comes to Harbor Yard
RICH ELLIOTT relliott@ctpost.com
Article Last Updated: 07/02/2007 12:59:20 PM EDT

BRIDGEPORT - A year ago Joe Vigorito would have never envisioned that he would be playing vintage baseball as a member of the Bridgeport Orators. He wanted to get back into baseball, but he had designs on competing in an area baseball or softball league. Not on resurrecting the proud program that brought the sport to the city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by James O'Rourke.

Yet, once Vigorito saw an ad for a vintage baseball tournament that was in Stamford, it triggered the history buff inside of him. He surfed the Internet, discovering a deluge of information on the sport and at Christmas time last year the idea of starting a team in Bridgeport became his crusade.

Vigorito called friends and family members in an effort to gauge their interest in being a part of history. What he learned was that they also shared the same excitement. Soon after the Orators were reborn. Sunday, they came full circle when they hosted the Newtown Sandy Hooks at Harbor Yard before approximately 100 hearty fans.

"It means the world to us," Vigorito said following a 10-6 loss. "Not only for the opportunity to play here, but also to introduce the city of Bridgeport to vintage baseball and show the people that Bridgeport was a special baseball place and still is and also to honor the original Orators and the life and memory of O'Rourke - Bridgeport's Hall of Famer. So it's a real honor for us. I feel like we've arrived."

The match, which featured rules from 1867, was played with under-handed pitching from 45-feet away from home plate and without gloves. Three balls accounted for a walk. Over-running first base was prohibited. Foul balls caught on one hop were recorded as outs.

The match was emceed on the field. The players had catchy nicknames like "Howitzer," "Ginger," "El Heffe," "Gozer," "Pudgey" and "Doughboy." The Coastal Chordsmen entertained the crowd by serving as a modern-day barbershop quartet. Also, the match was played in an attempt to heighten awareness and raise money for First Hit, a non-profit organization dedicated to the relocation and restoration of O'Rourke's family residence on Bridgeport's East Side.

"It's very fulfilling," said second baseman Pete Shanazu, who is a math teacher and golf coach at Bassick High. "It's a lot of fun because you are educating people about the history of the game. These people showed up because they love baseball. They're getting the roots of baseball and realizing how it started and why people loved it for so many years."

The Orators consist of a 25-man roster, including O'Rourke's great grandson Paul Conan, who lives in upstate New York. Vigorito said they will play a total of 40 matches this season. Their home matches are held Sunday mornings at Diamond 1 at Seaside Park and they will host a four-team tournament Wednesday beginning at 10 a.m.

Aside from the Orators and the Sandy Hooks, who play their home games at Dickinson Park, there are in-state teams in New London, Simsbury, Waterbury and two in Hartford. The Orators have already competed in a two-day tournament in Pittsfield, Mass., and will compete in a 12-team tournament in Old Bethpage Village, N.Y., Aug. 4-5.

Vigorito insists that wins and losses still matter each time the Orators take the field. But there is no mistaking the educational value provided at each match. The individuals are part athlete and part teacher, which only enhances their experience.

"Some of these guys will tell you this is the most fun they've ever had playing baseball," Vigorito said. "I used to be a Civil War re-enactor so I kind of know the whole part about being involved in history. But to add sport to that is what's so great. You're getting into character and you're putting on a show for the fans. But to know that we're the Orators. We brought vintage baseball here and I think it's going to fun for this city."