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This poster
promoting the festival can be seen in
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shops
and restaurants around St. Louis.
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Drawing their name and
inspiration from the original St. Louis team that
included a young player named Cy Young, the St.
Louis Perfectos bring the past alive in matches that
are free to the public. Join them, along with the
St. Louis Unions (fellow members of The Greater St.
Louis Base Ball Historical Society), as they host a
fun-filled festival on June 5 and 6 in conjunction
with the Lafayette Home & Garden Tour.
Volunteer players, dressed in authentic uniforms
and using a hand-stitched base ball, play strictly
by 1860’s rules. Catches are made barehanded. A
bell at home plate is rung each time a runner
scores. You’ll hear language from days gone by,
such as "Well hit, sir!" at the crack of
the bat, and "Leg it! Leg it!" as runners
round the bases. And of course, "Huzzah!"
— The equivalent of our modern-day
"hoorah!"
Spectators, called "cranks" in
1860-vernacular, enjoy player introductions at the
beginning of each game. Keeping with tradition, each
player has his or her own nickname. With a tip of
the cap, you’ll meet Licorice Whip, Sting, Crazy
Legs, Tree Knocker, Cowgirl, Home Run, Doc, Moose,
and Five-Finger, to name a few.
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honor of St. Louis native Judge Shepard Barclay, an avid
sports enthusiast and skilled pitcher who played in local
amateur clubs in the 1860’s. Quoted in
The Spirit of St. Louis — A History of
the St. Louis Cardinals and Browns,
Barclay recalls Lafayette Park as the locale where St. Louis
youngsters first learned "the modern game of base
ball."
The Perfectos, and their rival teams
from Missouri and beyond, capture the spirit of a wonderful
era in vintage base ball (as it was spelled and played in
the 1860’s). Participating festival teams include the St.
Louis Unions, the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, the
Indianapolis Blues, the Rock Springs Ground Squirrels, and
the Mackville Mudcats.
A raffle will be held during the festival
to benefit the Back Stoppers of Greater St.
Louis and the Greater St. Louis Base Ball
Historical Society. Among the prizes are a
vintage base ball autographed by Stan Musial,
various books about baseball history and a
Roger Clemens autographed baseball card.
The tickets are $5.00 each or 5 for $20.00.
Bing Devine, former General Manager of the
Cardinals and Mets, will be in attendance and
will have his new book, "The Devine
Cardinals", available for purchase and
autograph.
Cheer on the teams as the weekend’s
festivities kick off at 8:45 Saturday, June 5, at the
parking lot of SqWires Restaurant for a "coach
ride" around the park. The first match begins at 9 AM;
the last day’s match begins at 4:30 PM. Sunday, June 6,
play begins at 10 AM, and concludes with a match at 4 PM.
Bring a blanket or lawn chair. Bring your own refreshments,
or visit the concession stand. Be sure to bring the whole
family for day of fun. |
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The Shepard
Barclay trophy, displaying
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the
names of all participating clubs.
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Saturday's Matches |
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Red Stockings 21, Perfectos 4 |
| Blues 5, Ground Squirrels 3 |
| Red Stockings 14, Unions 0 |
| Blues 18, Perfectos 2 |
| Red Stockings 15, Ground
Squirrels 4 |
| Blues 13, Red Stockings 6 |
| Blues 9, Unions 3 |
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| Sunday's Matches |
| Unions 5, Ground Squirrels 3 |
| Mudcats 8, Perfectos 4 |
| Perfectos 15, Ground Squirrels 6 |
| Mudcats 4, Unions 1 |
| Ground Squirrels 3, Mudcats 2 |
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