Temple hosts a day for old-time baseball

The Dirigo Vintage Base Ball Club of Maine took on the Temple Town Nine in an exhibition game played according to 1864 rules and customs on Sunday at Memorial Field in Temple. 

Although the Dirigo team dominated the game, team president Jacob Newcomb congratulated the Temple team on a well-played game.

"You picked up the rules very quickly and had some great hits," Newcomb said when the two teams huddled on the field following the game. 

The Dirigo Vintage Base Ball Club is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting baseball as it was played in its formative years. The group travels throughout New England to take on other vintage teams and local teams. Some of the biggest differences between the way the Dirigo team plays and modern baseball are underhanded pitching, recording an out on a ball caught after one bounce and playing without gloves. The ball is also softer and the wooden bats are rounder than modern baseball bats. 

The event was sponsored by the Mansfield Public Library. The Temple team was made up of local players, including Mike DeLoria, a member of the Mansfield Public Library board of trustees, and Temple Fire Chief George Clark.