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Chicago Tribune
7 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Olmsted Society offers free Vintage Base Ball exhibition in Riverside
Take me out to the 'old ball game' will have a new meaning July 27 when the Olmsted Society of Riverside presents a Vintage Base Ball Game. Visitors at this free event will watch baseball players in reproductions of historical uniforms play baseball the way the sport was played in the 1860s. The annual event began in 2019, the sesquicentennial of the year landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and architect Calvert Vaux, who had previously collaborated on the plan for New York City's Central Park, created the general plan for Riverside. The Vintage Base Ball Game concept was introduced by Cathy Maloney, a board member of the Olmstead Society of Riverside, who coordinates the event each year. A couple of years were skipped during the COVID-19 pandemic, though. 'I'm always captivated with how people entertained themselves in days past,' Maloney said. 'The Vintage Baseball Game seemed like a great way to get people outside and connect not only with their present day community, but also the Riverside of yesteryear.' Each year, the Chicago Salmon, a member team in the Vintage Base Ball Association, challenges another member team. Their 2025 opponents are the Blue Island Brewmasters, coming from the south suburbs for a rematch. The teams will bring printouts to help spectators follow the game's rules, which vary from those of the modern game. Maloney said a key difference of the historical game is that vintage baseball players do not need a diamond. 'They prefer playing in a field, where there may or may not be trees,' she said. 'That adds to the excitement of the game.' She added that the bats are wood and are much longer than the bats currently used. In addition, women were allowed to play in the early games. 'In the vintage recreations, you will see women with bloomers and skirts playing the game,' Maloney said. According to the Vintage Base Ball Association, most players were in the field bare-handed, and gloves and mitts didn't become common until the mid-1880s. And there will be a seventh inning stretch song, but not the one you expect. Detailed information on the vintage rules, including the composition of the baseballs, is at Maloney said the event draws a good crowd each year. 'It has become a local tradition where people plan to attend the game.' She added that people walking by the park often drop in to watch the action. Dan Murphy, president of the Olmsted Society of Riverside, estimated between 100-200 people attend each year. The free event is financed through the organization's general fund, he said. 'We have a big fundraiser every September called Hop Stop, which is a community beer festival,' Murphy said. In addition, membership dues and walking neighborhood tours are sources of other funds. This year's game is at 1 p.m. July 27 at Big Ball Park, Longcommon and Delaplaine roads. 'I think it's a great community event,' Murphy said. 'We get kids and adults attending. The game is fun to watch and the players really enjoy themselves and enjoy the historical aspects of it.' And there's a special treat for youngsters. 'After the game, kids will run the bases while the players will attempt — not too hard — to tag them out,' Murphy said. Maloney added that 'The players love to explain the intricacies of the game to spectators.' She concluded, 'I love that it is family fun outdoors in nature, with a twist of historical interest.'
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Yahoo
Woman forced to buy second-hand fridge to fight invasive species sweeping Australia
An Aussie woman armed with tongs and a black bin bag is doing her bit to fight off an invasive threat taking over the country, and in less than two weeks she's already removed hundreds of toxic cane toads from her backyard. Cassie Fenton, 29, recently moved to the Sunshine Coast and told Yahoo News she was shocked by the sheer number of the toads roaming around her property. After doing some research, and learning they are one of Australia's most infamous invasive species, she decided to roll up her sleeves and help authorities try to get rid of them. "I've caught 214 cane toads in just 12 nights in my backyard," Cassie told Yahoo News. "I catch them with tongs. They're my dedicated toad tongs, as you can't use them for food due to the toad's poison. Then I put them into a container." Footage of Cassie's efforts show her running around her backyard in the dark collecting the nocturnal species while wearing a head torch. She later euthanises them. "I use RSPCA's method of stepped hypothermia for humane euthanasia," she explained. "I've also tried 'HopStop' sold at Bunnings." Due to cane toads being larger than native frogs and their toxin lethal, they easily outcompete and kill many of Australia's native wildlife. Since being first introduced in north Queensland in 1935 to control pest beetles in sugar cane crops — which was an unsuccessful attempt — cane toads have spread through the state into the Northern Territory, Western Australia and the northern coast of New South Wales. States and territories have outlined their own way to humanely kill cane toads. However, in Queensland there are two methods recommended by the RSPCA. The first option is HopStop — a product that you spray directly onto the cane toad and it quickly kills it. The second is the stepped hypothermia method, which involves placing it into a refrigerator at four degrees Celsius for 12 hours, before moving it into a freezer at -20 degrees for at least 24 hours. The first step anaesthetises it and the second painlessly kills it. "I actually got a second-hand fridge and freezer from Facebook Marketplace for $50, otherwise I would not be doing this option because I don't want toads in my fridge," Cassie said. ⛺️ Caravanners and campers warned over little-known 'accident' in Australia 🌱 Warning not to touch invasive weed 'growing everywhere' 🔥 The quiet catastrophe unfolding in outback Australia Cane toads are moving at an estimated 40 to 60 kilometres per year across the country, according to the National Museum of Australia. Authorities say it is unlikely a broad scale method will be found to control the species, so every possible way of protecting vulnerable native species is crucial. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
