The good-old days of baseball, when players were “ballists,” fans were “cranks” and “base ball” was two words, are back Saturday, July 19, at Fort Verde State Historical Park.
The Fort Verde Excelsiors will face off against players from Bisbee, Glendale and Tempe as well as Phoenix in a doubleheader for 1860 baseball bragging rights beginning at 10 a.m. at the parade grounds as part of the Verde Valley Corn Festival at Fort Verde State Park.
“We truly are living history,” said Lance Busch, president and commissioner of the Arizona Territories Vintage Base Ball League. “Frankly, the Fort Verde parade field is probably one of the most authentic, true-to-period fields that we get to play on throughout the year.”
Both Busch and Fort Verde State Park Manager Sheila Stubler are actively seeking local players for the Excelsiors, which will otherwise consist largely of players from Phoenix.
For the full story, please see the Wednesday, July 16, issue of the Camp Verde Journal.
