Baseball and Birthdays

Well a week later I'm finally sitting down to write about our combined birthday party for the boys. Last Saturday was filled with lots of birthday fun. We started out with a picnic lunch at Ox Bow park and than got to watch a vinitage baseball game. The Bonneyville Millers Vintage Base Ball Club play Civil War era Base ball. Last Saturday they had a home game against the Deep River Grinders. It was so fun to watch the game and especially hear the banter between players and teams.

To get a better idea about some of the differences between today's baseball and Civil War era baseball take a visit to the Bonneyville Millers website (linked above). There is a whole list of terms and basic rules of the game. While some things have not changes, many things have. No gloves are used, and when a ball is caught off of once bounce it is out. In order for a run to be tallied the runner must ring the bell at the score table after touching home plate. The pitcher is called a hurler and before every pitch the ump will ask "Hurler are you men in position?" The hurler answers "Yes, Sir" And the ump responds "Hurl" Batters are strikers. Outs- Player Dead or Hand Dead. Three Hands Dead means side retired. Umpires can fine players on the spot for ungentlemanly conduct. Some of the fines given (all for the amount of 50 cents) were for arguing with the ump, endangering the female score keeper (a foul ball hit the score table), and endangering the cranks (fans- again due to a foul ball). It was a fun afternoon at the ball game. The Bonneyville Millers won 11-10 Huzzah! The boys enjoyed it as well. Although half of the their time was spent finding and playing with pine cones. But hey at least they had fun!

After the ball game we had a bbq at my in-laws. We enjoyed corn on the cob, hamburgers and hotdogs, pasta salad and of course birthday cupcakes.

The boys and their cousin ran around outside playing baseball and eventually soccer.

Uncle Eric and Aunt Andrea made the boys a soccer goal and got them each their own soccer ball. It was a big hit with both of them. And I hear that grandma has put in her order for one at their house. :) The whole day turned out great. It was a great way to celebrate the birth of my active boys.