Vintage Base Ball* Comes to Historic Granville

Get ready for an afternoon of old-fashioned base ball as the Franklin Farriers take on the Rag Tag Team in Historic Granville on Saturday, September 19 at 1:00 PM.

This isn't baseball as you know it today. The game will be played just as it would have been in 1864, with players dressed in authentic-style 1860s uniforms and following the rules of the era. *The term "Base Ball" evolved into the single word "baseball" in 1884.

No gloves! Smaller bats! 1864 rules!

See how America’s favorite pastime was played more than 160 years ago. A ball caught after one bounce can mean an out, runners face very different rules on the bases, and you’ll discover plenty of other surprises as players from across Tennessee bring the early days of base ball back to life.

Tennessee is currently home to 10 Vintage Base Ball teams, and this special game is the perfect companion to the Granville Museum’s current exhibit, “Home Runs & Home Teams,” from the East Tennessee History Center. Sponsored by Mathews Team Sports as part of Tennessee 250, the exhibit explores Tennessee’s rich baseball heritage and includes a special section on the history of the Tennessee Association of Vintage Base Ball.

The exhibit features a photograph of vintage ballplayer Trapper Haskins along with his memorable reflection: “Quite reasonably I could stand on the field and believe that my great/great-granddad played the exact same game in the same way. I think it's important to the communities that we play in to respect that place we've come from.”

One $7 admission makes it a full day in Granville!

Your admission includes the 1:00 PM Vintage Base Ball Game, the “Home Runs & Home Teams” baseball exhibit, and admission to all 12 Granville museums and attractions, open from 11:00 AM–5:00 PM.

Come early, enjoy a great lunch at T.B. Sutton General Store, tour the museums, explore Tennessee baseball history, and then find your spot along the field for an unforgettable afternoon of 1864-style base ball!

Please bring a lawn chair. there will be plenty of shade. Come see baseball the way your great-great-grandparents might have seen it played! For more information call 931-653-4511

The “Home Runs & Home Teams” exhibit continues at the Granville Museum through October 31.

Trapper Haskins, Co- Founder of Tennessee Association Vintage Baseball, stands in front of exhibit in Granville Museum

Trapper Haskins stands on Granville's Baseball Field where game  will occur on September 19.