The Boston Colonials pay tribute to both the rich sports history of the city of Boston and the sport itself. We have dedicated ourselves to the game as it was played in 1886. Back when it was Base Ball, seven balls earned you a walk and getting hit by a pitch didn't get you a free pass, ballists had to earn everything. There were no helmets. There were no batting gloves. The fielder's glove was little more than a leather strap. We meet teams from around the country who share the love of the game and the tenacity to play as those who came more than 100 years before us. Come see how Base Ball began and enjoy a little piece of history as the Boston Colonials battle for the New England Vintage Base Ball Championship.
HARTFORD - The local nine traveled to Connecticut to compete in the Colt Meadows Vintage Invitational Tournament on June 27. Though missing several members of the squad, the team played with grit and determination. In the end, the vintage ballists from Boston fell in two games to the Hartford Senators and the Olneyville Temperance Cadets. The Colonials battled to the last frame, though.
Catcher Brendan Reilly, once known as "Nature Boy," was given the new vintage nickname of "Stitch" after taking a throw from Hartford's Chris Moran in the forehead while sliding into home. The imprint of the stitches stayed on Reilly's head long after the ball bounced off it with resounding crack louder than that made by contact between ball and bat. Stitch remained behind the plate and caught the second game as well.
Steve "Saber" Smith hurled the entire first game and all but the last two innings of the second. He battled through several back and forth contests with opposing strikers and showed no signs of backing down.
Next up for the Colonials is a rematch with the Cadets in Boston on July 11.
