Hot bats fell Oregon Ganymedes at vintage ‘base ball’ tournament in Michigan

Two innings of “hot” hitting by two different opponents during a very steamy weekend at the World Tournament of Historic Base Ball resulted in a 1-2 record for Oregon’s vintage base ball team.

With temperatures in the mid-90s and high humidity to match, the Ganymedes dropped their first game of the 12-team tournament when a 13-12 lead turned into a 22-13 loss to the Columbus Ohio Buckeyes.

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Oregon Ganymede right fielder Eric Berg catches a fly ball as centerfielder Mike Benesh backs up the play at the World Tournament of Historic Base Ball held at the Henry Ford Museum's Greenfield Village on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025. (Earleen Hinton)

“The Buckeyes came alive and scored 10 straight runs that we could not answer,” said Ganymede captain Mark Herman. “It was a case of Columbus getting hot for the final inning at the end of the game despite good play by all the Ganymedes.”

Two hours later, the Ganymedes bounced back to win their second game of the day against the Bay City Michigan Independents, 20-7.

“We have never stolen so many bases in a game before. Tim Strohecker got on with a single and then proceeded to steal second, third and then home. Ryan Mortlock, not to be outdone, then did the same … and these are two Ganymedes not known for their speed on the base path," Herman said.

The Ganymedes, Oregon’s official vintage “base ball” team, was formed in 2005 and plays vintage rules base ball, spelled as two words in the 1800s. They dress in authentic-looking uniforms, use no gloves, and “gentlemanly” conduct is strongly encouraged – no arguing calls and no profanity.

The Oregon team was making its 10th trip to the tournament held inside Greenfield Village, an attraction next to the Henry Ford Museum that features historic 19th- and early 20th-century buildings, items and structures collected by Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan.

On Sunday morning, the Ganymedes played the Lah-De-Dahs, of Dearborn, Michigan, in the semifinals for the Second-Class Championship in a 9:30 a.m. game.

The Dahs scored six runs in the first inning and one in the second to take an early 7-2 lead, but the Ganymedes came back to take a 9-7 lead in the fifth inning.

But the Dahs’ bats came alive in the sixth inning as they scored 7 runs to take a 14-9 lead.

Despite the steamy temps, the Ganymedes bats went cold in the final two innings and the team fell, 14-10, eliminating them from the tournament.

But the 22nd annual World Tournament weekend did not pass without some achievements for the Ganymedes.

“The Ganymedes scored 43 runs and gave up 42 runs. Our team defense was the best it has ever been. The Ganymedes outfielders at this year’s tournament – Kevin Stafford, Mike Bensh and Eric Berg - were exceptional at catching almost everything that came their way," Herman said.

“The two teams that defeated us each had one big inning at the end of our matches to win the game. They both scored many runs without the aid of Ganymedes errors, just strings of several solid hits in a row. The Buckeyes and the Lah-De-Dahs are both fine clubs and were fun to play,” Herman said.

“Our thanks to the folks at The Henry Ford Museum for hosting such a fine event. This was our 10th visit to the World Tournament and is always the highlight of our season. This is still the best historic base ball event in the country! We hope to get another invitation to return next season,” said Herman.

The Flat Rock Bear Clan of Flat Rock, Michigan, won the first-class division in a 31-9 rout over the Canton Cornshuckers of Canton, Michigan. The Lah-De-Dahs won the second-class division title with a 23-4 win over the Grangers.

The Bovina Dairymen of Bovina, New York, won the third-class title 22-6, over Walker Tavern Wheels of Brooklyn, Michigan.

The World Tournament of Historic Baseball honors the long legacy of base ball in the Midwest. In 1867, Detroit played host to the World’s Base Ball Tournament, and 24 clubs from the United States and Canada took the field to compete in the game that was fast becoming the national pastime.

Teams compete for the original rosewood trophy bat awarded to the Unknowns of Jackson, Michigan, for winning the first-class division in the 1867 World’s Tournament in Detroit. Tournament games are limited to 80 minutes.

A tent near field one offered visitors a look at vintage base ball lore, including an original copy of Haney’s Base Ball Book of Reference for 1867, the rule book written by Henry Chadwick and used for the World’s Tournament and the Greenfield Village historic base ball program, along with an array of period base ball artifacts from the mid-19th century on exhibit in the Walnut Grove field tent.

The Ganymedes’ final game this season is Sunday, Sept. 14, in Creston.

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Oregon Ganymede Brett Rogers eyes the Bay City Independent catcher as he tries to avoid the tag at home during the World Tournament of Historic Base Ball held at the Henry Ford Museum's Greenfield Village on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025. Also pictured is Eric Berg (left) and the umpire. (Earleen Hinton)