July 16 at Lumberjack Days

Apple Jacks embrace victory, but haunted by loss

The setting was familiar, with players swinging a bat to whack a ball and run to three bases until they came home to score. Spectators roared with each crack of the bat and yet sympathized with gloveless fielders, who instantly felt the sting of the ball. When a runner sped home with a hurtling ball expected to overtake him, the fans nearly jumped out of their seats to shout, “Slide!”

The game is 1860s base ball, and the fans must restrain from thinking it is today’s sport; instead, they transport themselves back in time to enjoy the purity of the game. And so it was on Saturday at the old athletic field in Stillwater, Minnesota, where specters of bygone rivalries still lurk.

On this day, the grassy field discharged a 6-1 victory for the Apple Jacks Base Ball Club of La Crescent who overpowered the Northfield Silver Stars. Alas, two hours later, the field uncloaked its fury as the St. Croix Base Ball Club had the upper hand, 6-2, over the Apple Jacks.

Bill “Ho-hum” Ohm, the Jacks captain emeritus, credits his teammates for outstanding defensive work and for rallying in the second game. The Jacks’ hitting didn’t surge until the end of that game, but Ohm resisted the notion that the field was haunted; instead, he pointed to the timed matches as the evildoer.

In the spirit of hospitality, Brent Peterson of the St. Croix invited the visiting Jacks to his home for a light supper and camaraderie. Both the Jacks and the St. Croix will put superstitions aside when they meet again in two weeks in Menomonie, where the Jacks will also face the Menomonie Blue Caps and the Chicago Salmon.