By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current
“Take Me Out to the Ballgame” - Not sure about the “peanuts and cracker jacks,” but there’s bound to be a crowd at the throwback baseball game planned by the Geneseo Historical Museum.
The upcoming games on July 12 will highlight local celebrities and Geneseo Townspeople against the Oregon Ganymedes with the Geneseo Celebrities taking on the Oregon Ganymedes at 1 p.m. that day, and the Geneseo Townspeople vs. the Ganymedes at 2:30. Games will be held on Field 6 Soccer Field at at Richmond Hill Ball Park.
Melanie Rice. Photo by Claudia Loucks
There is no admission to the game, but Melanie Rice, director/curator of the Geneseo Historical Museum, said, “We want you in the crowd.”
The Ganymedes are a group of players from Oregon, IL., who travel the Midwest states playing teams in small towns and museums. They dress in authentic vintage wool uniforms in their games and play 25 games a season from May to September.
Both Geneseo teams will wear uniforms similar to what Geneseo players wore in the 1860’s, “minus the wool,” Rice added.
Found on page 3 of the Geneseo Republic on Friday, August 17, 1866.
-Celebrity 9 Baseball Players – Ted Hamer, retired Henry County Judge; Andrew Sigwalt, Geneseo Community Center; Rob Snell, Chicago Street Decorating; Elliott Vermeire, Geneseo Police Department; Mason Verscheure, Geneseo Police Department; John Whitmire, Geneseo Brewing Co.; Wyatt Brieser, Hammond-Henry hospital; Brandon Maeglin, Geneseo City Administrator; Keith Kennett, City Alderman; and Bobby Fields, Fields of Pizza.
-Geneseo Townspeople Players – Marshall Rice, Kyle Gilmore, Nic Vandewoestyne, Dan Shoemaker, Jason Rice, Rick Benhart, Mitch Wirth, Charlie Rice, Carson Rice, Brady Rice, Klint Rice, Peyton Shoemaker and Keaton Rice.
Melanie Rice said the idea for the throwback baseball game is a result of “planning something fun during the summer months. For the 250th birthday of our country, there is nothing more American than baseball.”
She provided a copy of an article (see attached) about the definition of baseball that was published in the Aug. 17, 1866, of the Geneseo Republic
The attached flyer features a photo of the Geneseo Pioneers players in a baseball game held in Geneseo in the 1860’s.
