Philly-area vintage baseball teams play like it's the 1800s
CAMDEN, New Jersey (WPVI) -- "I love baseball, I love history, and decided, you know what? I wonder if I could put the two together," said Matt Albertson.
Albertson, a graduate student at the time, discovered the Athletic Base Ball Club Philadelphia. The team of amateur vintage baseball players revitalized roughly 13 years ago. Several times per year, they gear up to play like the original team from the National Association and National League did in the late 1800s.
"Teams from across the country travel a lot and you grow quite a network in vintage baseball," said Albertson. "And it becomes kind of a fraternity amongst players, and it's really cool to see."
Today, his team played against members of the Elizabeth Resolutes and the Brandywine Vintage Base Ball Club. The game was hosted by the Camden County Historical Society for the third consecutive year.
At last year's Camden game, a small monument was dedicated in honor of the Philadelphia Athletics team. They were famously the champions in 1871, the inaugural year of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players.
"It's great to bring history alive, and that's what we try to do," said Jack O'Byrne, Executive Director of the Camden County Historical Society. "We have a historical house, a historical museum, and now we can bring baseball alive from 150 years ago."
Vintage baseball teams in the area play several times per year in various locations. To learn more about the Athletic Base Ball Club Philadelphia, the Elizabeth Resolutes, or the Brandywine Vintage Base Ball Club, visit their websites.
RELATED: 'The Very Best': How a retro restaurant with a 100-year history stays fresh in Pottstown
