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20100130

St. Croix Base Ball Club Plays First Match against Saints Saturday January 30th

The St. Croix Base Ball Club, an outreach program of the Washington County Historical Society, will open its 2010 season on Saturday January 30th against past and present day St. Paul Saints at Midway Stadium in St. Paul. Match time will be at 1:30pm.

The St. Croixs, who are the reigning vintage base ball champions of Minnesota, play by the rules of 1860 written by Henry Chadwick. Among the differences in the vintage game from today’s game is that the batter is out if the ball is caught on the fly or the first bounce; there are no balls or strikes called but batters can be called out if they swing and miss three times; foul balls are not considered strikes and the fielders play without gloves.

Over 1,000 fans showed up for the inaugural event in February 2009 which also featured the St. Croix Base Ball Club playing a group of Saints players and local celebrities. Following its success, many of the same activities return for the second installment at Midway Stadium [1771 Energy Park Drive] The parking lot will open for tailgating at 11:30 a.m. Fans can keep warm by dancing to the tunes of The Spectaculars (hip-hop music). After moving and grooving, fans are sure to work up a hunger which will be a perfect time to take advantage of the incredible food being cooked up during a tailgating competition. All fans are welcome to participate to create dishes which will be tasted by a panel of judges. The winning item will be sold at a Saints exhibition game in May 2010.

While entry is free, the event is designed to raise money for Second Harvest Heartland. Fans are encouraged to donate cash and non-perishable food for the worthy cause. For each $1 donated, Second Harvest Heartland can distribute more than $9 worth of grocery products for those in need. Last year’s event raised $20,000. This year’s goal is $30,000. Along with money and non-perishable food, fans are encouraged to also bring warm jackets and clothing that will be collected by Joseph’s Coats who will give them out for free to those in need at their West Seventh location in St. Paul . Distributor J.J. Taylor will match the dollar amount raised by Crispin Hard Apple Cider for cases consumed through bars, restaurants and liquor stores leading up to the event.

For more information on the Crispin Hard Apple Cider Iceball Game contact the Saints at 651-644-6659 or visit saintsbaseball.com or please call the Washington County Historical Society at 651-439-5956 or visit www.wchsmn.org for information about the St. Croix Base Ball Club and vintage base ball.