1800s baseball game at Rock Ledge Ranch

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — A unique baseball game took place at Rock Ledge Ranch on Labor Day afternoon, Sept. 1.

The hometown team, The Camp Creek Cloud Busters, took on members from the Vintage Baseball Association. The annual game is played under 1870’s rules, which means no gloves–because they hadn’t been invented yet.

The fans are also part of the action, with spectators allowed to influence the umpire’s call in their team’s favor. If fans happen to catch a fly ball and hand it to a fielder before it hits the ground, the batter is out.

So many rules were different in baseball back then, which players explained is part of the fun.

“You can catch the ball on one bounce and it’s an out, so it’s great when you’re on the field on defense, horrible when you’re at the strike,” said Roger ‘Digger’ Hadix. “Another one is, is that one one-walk or all-walk? So let’s say that you’ve got a runner on third, nobody at second or first, and the striker walks to first. That runner from third comes home and can tally the ace.”

The idea began as a fun and interactive way to keep history alive.