The Boerne White Sox Vintage Base Ball Team, a program from The Agricultural Heritage Museum, was invited to the 3rd Annual Forts Trail Vintage Base Ball Tournament, just south of Abilene. Rey "Rat" Trevino, Wayne "Knuckles" Speaker, Jay "Beans" Avers, Todd "Sparty" Watson and Kristy "Horseshoe" Watson of the Boerne team partnered up with two re-enactors from of Fort McKavett: Alfredo "Pasta" Munoz, Russell "Rustler" Tipton, and Russell's fourteen year old son, Samuel "Green Eggs" Tipton, to play vintage base ball at Buffalo Gap Historical Park against the Farmers Branch team, Buffalo Gap 407's and the Buffalo Gap Chips. The Fort Mckavett players wore their historical cavalry uniforms, while with the Boerne players and ringer, Sam "Green Eggs" Tipton dressed in 1913 era White Sox jerseys and knickers. All teams played by the 1860 vintage base ball rules and agreed to special rules concerning the unusual field.
The "Cigar Box" field at Buffalo Gap proved to be a challenge since it was much smaller than any field that the Boerne team had played on previously. There was a chicken cage in right field with roosters running about, a wooden shed in center field that housed an antique car, and an iron fence that surrounded the field about 130 feet from the farming implement disk that was used as the home plate. Cranks (spectators) sat on the seats of antique farm equipment and tractors.
Several of the White Sox big hitters found it challenging to keep the hand-made vintage ball in play without hitting it over the iron fence with their big civil war-era bats. Instead of being a home-run hit, if a ball was hit over the fence, it was considered an out. If it was hit through the fence or into the cactus that lined the edge of the fence, it was considered a double. By the end of the day, the heavy hitting white sox players realized they had to change their batting style to keep the ball in play and to get on base. The Boerne White Sox lost their first game to the athletic Buffalo Gap chips, but were victorious over the Farmers Branch team in the consolation round. Both Buffalo Gap teams took home the championship trophies.
When the team members were not busy on the field, they each had the opportunity to look through the preserved buildings at the historical park that houses many antiques and historical objects. A founders reunion was also going on at the same time in Buffalo Gap and the vintage base ball players paused on the field and watched as the small parade of a school marching band, a fire truck and a few horses rolled down the street. After the games had concluded for the day, the Abilene area teams treated the traveling teams to a big BBQ meal, the real hit of the day.
The Boerne White Sox Vintage Base Ball team practices on the 1st and 3rd Sundays, April - November from 5:00 to 6:30 pm at their new field at Herff Historical Farm in Boerne. We welcome all cranks (spectators) and new players. For more information contact Kristy "Horseshoe" Watson at 210-445-1080 or go to www.agmuseum.org for more information.
