Historic baseball returned to Rocky Point this past weekend so of course, I had to swing by to see what it was all about. I had covered the festival back in 2019, which surprised me that five years had already passed.

Anyway, what a fun event and great concept.

For those who know me well, they understand that I have a major love-hate relationship with baseball.

On the one hand, I adore the game and its history. It truly has the richest history in American sports and I would put it up against any sport on an international scale. I also love the culture of baseball, the way it is ingrained in American kids from the youth level up. I love the culture all the way through the pros. Being in the dugout, the clubhouse, chewing on gum and sunflower seeds. All of that stuff, I eat it up (no pun intended).

On the other hand though, I have grown so bored of the modern game. This does not include the more local stuff, I’m talking about the pros.

The games are slow, ticky tack, and analytics rule everything. Batters are no longer encouraged to swing away. Instead, it’s all about working the count, waiting for the right pitch at the right time. Unfortunately, it seems to have trickled down to the college and high school levels. Again, high school and college baseball is still purer than the pros, but it just seems like the game is trending in the wrong direction and that is why we are even seeing youth leagues’ numbers gradually falling.

That was what I loved about watching historic baseball last weekend. The players did not care about any of that stuff. They were there because they loved the sport for what it is both on and off the field, today and yesterday.

Now, they play under 19th century rules, dress the part and use equipment from those days. It only resembles the modern game so this is not a perfect comparison. However, these historic baseball teams and leagues are a great reminder of what sports should be all about. Appreciating being on the field and having fun while, in this case, honoring the history of the game.

I spoke with club president Jon Henson and one thing that he stressed was that they were not reenactors and the games were not simulations or choreographed performances. He wanted it known that they were athletes playing a competitive game, they were just doing it within the parameters of 19th century rules. I thought that was pretty cool in that they did not forget the competitive side of sports, either. Sure, it is fun to celebrate history and spend time with friends, but it was fun to see them also let the competitive juices flow in an environment like that.

Beyond the big picture hoopla, there was some cool stuff going on, specifically in the gameplay.

The players did not use gloves, the pitching was underhand similar to slow-pitch softball, there were flags to mark the bases, players could catch fly balls off bounces and things like that. The pitchers also did not have to adhere to rules when it comes to balking. They were almost pitching in motion, pretending to pick a runner off on base but in one fluid motion delivering a pitch. Again, it really did feel like watching a game that only somewhat mirrored today’s game.

It was great to see pure sports fans gather and play a sport that, in a way, is new. Obviously these rules were used more than a century ago, but to see modern players reintroduce those rules and make essentially a new sport was fascinating. This version of the Grays began play in 1998, so in reality, it is still a relatively new concept. Especially since they are still expanding.

As a sports journalist, I always have people from outside the sports scene ask me which sport has the best fans. It is one of the most cliché questions I get.

After reflecting on this past week, I am going to have to go with baseball fans … historic baseball fans. What a fun story to tell, what a fun game to watch, what a fun sight to see.