05/14/2026
The Town of Middletown VA and the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation (CCBF) will take spectators out to the "old" ball game Saturday afternoon when they host a "Vintage Base Ball Game" following 1864 rules.
The fun starts at 2 p.m. at Middletown Town Park, with the Middletown Maulers taking on the Shiners Base Ball Club of Rockingham. The event will feature two seven-inning games that will be played on fields where Civil War soldiers once played the sport.
Players will follow 19th century rules, when the game was called "base ball," so no gloves will be used and all pitches will be thrown underhand. This is the second year for the event.
Charles Harbaugh IV, who is president of the CCBF board, will be playing for the Middletown Maulers. The Maulers' roster will include community leaders and professionals from the region. The Shiners, based in Elkton, only play "base ball" according to 1864 rules.
Harbaugh touched on the historical significance of playing old-fashioned "base ball" in a press release about the event.
“It was played in [Civil War] camps and prisoner‑of‑war facilities across the divided nation, and later helped bring the country back together. Returning this historic game to the very fields where soldiers once played strengthens our connection to the past while offering a fun, family‑friendly experience for all ages," Harbaugh said.
The CCBF has a "Civil War Era Baseball Exhibit" for its Visitors Center Museum on Valley Pike.
Price of admission to the game is a donation to the CCBF. Children age 10 and under will be admitted free of charge. The first 30 children in attendance will receive a Washington Nationals baseball card. Spectators are encouraged to bring their own chairs. Food will be available to purchase from Jan Van Haute, chef at the Inn at Vaucluse Spring
— Contact Jack Parry at [email protected] The Wi******er Star
