Western Reserve Cup Held At Lakewood Park On July 10, 2011

Anyone who has called northeast Ohio home for long can attest to the devotion and passion of local baseball fans. Despite the dearth of World Series titles, Indians fans remain steadfast and loyal, through winning and, more often, it seems, losing seasons. Despite the fabulous run of the late 90’s, baseball fans are tested on a seemingly annual basis; the ebb and flow of attendance at Progressive Field reflecting the hopes and realities of our fan conscience. But there is more to Cleveland baseball than the major league Indians.

Cleveland’s rich base ball heritage began in the early 1860’s. After the Civil War, the game exploded across the nation, and the Western Reserve was no exception to this phenomena. It was only a matter of time before some sort of regional championship match was formed among the ball clubs budding all over the area.

On October 20, 1865, the first match game of base ball in Ohio took place at Kinsman Grounds (modern-day corner of E. 40th & Woodland) at 4:00 pm. The two participating clubs, the Forest City’s and Oberlin Penfields, were the first two clubs in the Western Reserve. The Oberlin club was made up of Oberlin College players. The Forest City’s of Cleveland were a cricket club that had just started playing base ball. And base ball it was back then, before morphing into base-ball and then baseball by the 1900s.

There was a large crowd that day, numbering several hundred, as Forest City won the coin toss and elected to take the field. According to the book Base Ball on the Western Reserve, by James Egan Jr., the game was full of injuries. A.R. “Pikey” Smith lost a ball in the sun and ran into another player, losing two teeth. Cleveland’s left fielder hurt his arm while throwing and had to leave the match. A member of the Oberlin nine stopped a batted ball with his face and had to leave the match. Due to darkness, the game was finally called after the seventh inning, with a score of Oberlin 67, Cleveland 28. After the match, both clubs went downtown and enjoyed a good meal and drinks at Garrets Hall, on the Forest City tab. A postgame meal and banquet were base ball traditions for years in Cleveland and elsewhere.

In 1866, the Forest City’s avenged their lopsided loss from 1865 with a 36-18 beating of the Penfields on July 4th in front of thousands of fans. The high scores of the day were characteristic of the game – the ‘field’ had no fences, but maybe some trees,  so a batted ball was in play until brought back to the field, and pitchers threw underhand, releasing the ball below their hip and allowing the fielders to do their job. Following that, a tournament was started, the Western Reserve Championship. It could only be won if a club played in at least one challenge match per month, and went undefeated in such matches for the entire season. A Silver Ball and Rosewood Bat, made by Tiffany’s Co. and valued at $120, was secured by John Sargent, a local merchant, and offered as a trophy to the winner. The large sum for the prize was a year’s wages for most working-class families of the time.

In 2009, the Western Reserve Championship was revived. Matches were played between all three vintage base ball clubs in the area - the Akron Black Stockings, the Forest City’s and the Cleveland Blues. The matches were played at Lakewood Park and sponsored by the Lakewood Historical Society. A small trophy was made, and the event was deemed “The Western Reserve Cup.” The Cleveland Blues prevailed in 2009, and the Akron Black Stockings won the Cup in 2010. Like the tradition of former area baseball clubs, members of each team adjourn to Merry Arts Grille and Pub for food and refreshments after the matches.

The 2010 Western Reserve Cup Champion Akron Club was organized in 1995 and play out of Stan Hywet Hall. They have traveled all over the country playing vintage base ball, and host the renowned “Akron Cup.” They won the prestigious National Silver Ball Tournament twice, in 2007 and 2008. Their seasoned ball players always play the game well, and rarely lose matches.

The Forest City’s are patterned after the same Forest City’s who won the Western Reserve Cup in 1866 and 1867. They play out of Chagrin Falls, and have been a club since 1996. In 2009, the Forest City’s won the Reserve Champion Trophy at the World Series of Historic Base Ball, making them one of the premier vintage clubs in the country.

The Cleveland Blues are based on the 1878-1884 Blues of the National Association. Founded in 2008, the 2009 season was their first year of play. The club plays out of historic League Park (E. 66th & Lexington). The Blues won the Western Reserve Cup in 2009, and the National Silver Ball Championship in 2010. Many members of the Blues are residents or business owners in Lakewood.

The Whiskey Island Shamrocks began play in 2009, and play at various locations in the Cleveland area, including Lakewood Park. They are named after a team that played in the mid 1880's. The Shamrocks are in the process of recruiting new players, so if you are interested in playing vintage base ball, this would be a great opportunity to seek a position.

Each of the four clubs play an outstanding form of vintage base ball. All clubs use period authentic uniforms, balls, bats, equipment and jargon. The matches will be played by 1861 rules, which means balls caught on a bound are considered an out. The game was also played bare handed back then; even the catcher had no protective equipment.

The tradition will continue on July 10, 2011. The annual event is sponsored by the Lakewood Historical Society, and matches take place at two fields in Lakewood Park near the Old Stone House. Please bring your lawn chairs or picnic blankets for the occasion. The matches are free and open to the public. Lakewood Historical Society will be selling food and drinks for all the kranks (fans), and all proceeds will go toward the society. After the match, feel free to join the Blues, Forest City’s, Black Stockings and Shamrocks at Merry Arts Grille and Pub – 15607 Detroit Ave. in Lakewood.

Schedule of Matches:

11:00 am Blues v. Black Stockings- Field opposite Stone House

11:00 am Forest City’s v. Shamrocks- Old Stone House

12:30 pm Blues v. Shamrocks- Field opposite Stone House

12:30 pm Black Stockings v. Forest City’s- Old Stone House

2:00 pm Blues v. Forest City’s- Field opposite Stone House

2:00 pm Black Stockings v. Shamrocks- Old Stone House

For more information go to clevelandbluesbaseball.com.