Vintage Baseball Hits Holmen - WXOW News 19 La Crosse, WI – News, Weather and Sports |

Holmen, Wisconsin (WXOW) - In Holmen Wednesday, a baseball game stepped back in time, all the way to the 1860's. As the La Crescent Apple Jacks played an exhibition game with members of the Holmen community. Fans experienced the game as it was played in the mid 1800's with no fielding gloves, since they weren't introduced to the game until 1875. It was a game for gentlemen at its core. It was the pitcher's job to give the batter a pitch that was easy to hit and the umpire would fine both players and fans for un-gentlemanly conduct.

"Prince" Peter Petersilie, Umpire for the La Crescent Apple Jacks showed us the game ball, explaining its intricacies, "We don't use gloves. This is the ball we use. Its made out of rubber and yarn and its covered in leather that's stitched together. And, most of these balls were hand-made and this one is. Its made by the team in Rochester."

The La Crescent Apple Jacks have a double header coming up this Saturday at Abnet field in La Crescent against the Olmsted Roosters and the Mankato Baltics. Find out more about the league at the Apple Jacks website: https://sites.google.com/site/lacrescentapplejacks/