MANKATO, Minn. -
The Great American Pastime, baseball, didn't always look the way it does today.
And not just the uniforms.
It may have been a simpler time, but that didn't stop baseball from being a big hit, even without, radio, television, the major leagues or PEDs.
Hugh Belgard says, "The Baltics, was the original name, and we don't know where it comes from, but it was the first team in the area to play baseball."
Of course, in the 1860s southern Minnesota was still in the pioneer stage, and entertainment could be tough to come by. Baseball could fill that void, with just a bat and a ball and a team willing to travel to nearby towns to take on the locals.
Belgard says, "Nine guys, same as they do now, but the rules were completely different.
Brad Hawker says, "Don't use gloves for starters – if you catch a ball on a bounce, it's an out. Base ball. Two words. The way it was meant to by played."
The Baltics will have a full schedule in September, traveling to FarmAmerica in Waseca on the 11th, a trip up to Arlington on the 17th, and back to Mankato on the 24th at the Land of Memories Park for the Arf Walk.
