Vintage Base Ball Pioneers
“Honors key influencers in nineteenth century baseball over the last fifty years and counting.”
“Pioneer” status representing overall contributions to the game, are the primary nomination/admission criteria, rather than simple playing skills.
Admission to “Pioneers” status is easy. Each club can nominate individuals who made key and far-reaching contributions to vintage base ball, its spread, its spirit, and its goals. Simply send in a name along with a two or three-line explanation of their contributions and a photograph
Old Beth Page Village and Ohio Village programs from the early 1980s on alone constitute multiple candidates, individuals whose work and inspiration grew the game along the East Coast and throughout the Midwest. Clubs in other regions—Arizona and Colorado, for example--have similar individuals worthy of inclusion. And what about women, as club leaders or players, who broke gender barriers?
John Husman, first president of the Vintage Base Ball Association
Rick | Brewer |
Helen | DeGeatano |
Marcus | Dickson |
Bill | Diechman |
Kevin | Doyle |
Ed Pigtail | Elmore |
Doug Freight Train | Ernst |
Tom | Feslowich |
Corky | Gaskell |
Trapper | Haskins |
Paul | Hunkele |
Jim | Kimnach |
Jim | Lnoblach |
Eric | Luedenbacher |
Tracy | Martin |
Norma Barrera | Miles |
Rich | Moran |
Tim | Morgan |
Peter | Morris |
Gordon | Olson |
Rob Lefty | Pisowicz |
Rob Lefty | Pisowicz |
Debra | Reid |
Paul | Salamone |
Bob | Sampson |
Ed | Shuman |
Erik | Sjogren |
Norma | Stockbridge |
Dave Stiches | Stutler |
Ron | Taylor |
John Darrin | Tenney |
James R. | Tootle |
Charles Lefty | Trudeau |
Charles Lefty | Trudeau |
Rebecca | Tulloch |
Paula | Weaver |
Tony | Wicker |
Mark Iron Chest Herman
Mark "Iron Chest" Herman founded the Oregon Ganymedes Base Ball Club of Oregon, Illinois in 2005 and has served as their Captain for the past 20 seasons. Early on, he researched the history of the City of Oregon's baseball teams in local papers and recruited players from Oregon (population 3,600) of all ages and walks of life (carpenters, bankers, lawyers, school teachers, policemen, salesmen and clergy). The friends and families of the first team still make up the Ganymedes today.
Dan ‘Gunner’ Genovese
Dan is the captain and re-founder of the Westfield Wheelmen Vintage Base Ball Club out of Westfield Massachusetts. In 2006, Genovese re-formed an actual town team from Westfield in 1886 known as the Westfield Wheelmen Base Ball Club. Gunner has annually arranged for the Wheelmen to play town celebrations upon request bringing the game to towns unfamiliar to vintage base ball.