Ganymedes handle Regulators en route to tournament in Michigan

OREGON - A local base ball team again step up to the plate next month at the 18th annual World Tournament of Historic Base Ball.

The Oregon Ganymedes will join their fellow base ball players in Dearborn, Michigan, on Aug. 14 and 15 to play America’s pastime “the way it’s supposed to be played”.

The Ganymedes downed the Creston Regulators 13-3 on Sunday at the “Iron Chest Field” located at Oregon Park East by the historic Chana School.

“Our next match will be away at Normal vs. the McLean County Prairie Chicken BBC on Sunday, July 25 starting at 11 a.m., and then on to the World Tournament,” said Captain Mark Herman.

The Ganymedes are returning 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.

Teams from throughout the Midwest will square off against each during this year’s event on the Walnut Grove fields at the Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village. The event commemorates the original World’s Base Ball Tournament held in Detroit, Michigan, in 1867.

In 2019, the Oregon-based team was one of a dozen teams from Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. The Oregon-based 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.

This year’s team hopes to have a better showing this year. “2019 was the first time in 5 years that we didn’t win at least 2 games,” he said, noting that the team’s “award” in 2019 was a bag of peanuts.

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

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.

Herman said the team was invited back this year after being in a lottery with four other teams.

More information

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

Visit thehenryford.org/current-events/ for more information on the upcoming tournament.

Find the Ganymedes on Facebook for more information on the team.

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)

Earleen Hinton

Earleen Hinton

Earleen creates content and oversees production of 8 community weeklies. She has worked for Shaw Newspapers since 1985.