May 31 and June 1  RECAP

When the game of base ball, two words, was created in the 1860s, it caused a bit of head-scratching.  A group of men faced another group of men in an open field. One group tried to hit a ball with a long piece of wood and the other group tried to catch the ball and tag the hitters as they ran around the field.  Then the groups switched places, presumably behaving as gentlemen.  At times they hit the ball a few feet forward or saw it fly off behind them. If their bare hands were not already callused by farm work, they soon were by the rough-hewn wooden bats and coarsely sewn balls. It was the kind of challenge that spurred the men to leave their fields, storefronts or blacksmith shops to try this new game.

To feel the grit of the game today, people turn to baseball’s origins and play base ball (two words) as it was first imagined.  A recent occurrence on Friday, May 31, saw the Fillmore Fungi host the Apple Jacks Base Ball Club of La Crescent at Dream Acres Farm in Wykoff.  The two clubs enjoyed an evening of camaraderie, pizza, and a boisterous game, won by the Fungi 31-12.

The Apple Jacks hoped for a rematch on Saturday, but were bested by persistent rain, creating unsafe playing conditions at Old Hickory Park in La Crescent.  The Jacks will get their turn, however, as they are scheduled to face the Fungi again July 6 at Forestville State Park in Preston, MN.  The Jacks will then be on the road much of the summer until they play at home again on Saturday, August 17.

Established in 2004 as a community outreach program of the La Crescent Area Historical Society, the Apple Jacks are supported by corporate partner, ESB Banking and Insurance.  Further, the Apple Jacks are members of the Vintage Base Ball Association (VBBA) and the Union BBC of Minnesota (all Minnesota clubs).  A full schedule, roster and other information is available at https://sites.google.com/site/lacrescentapplejacks.

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