Lewes celebrates 150 years of baseball
The Lewes Base Ball Club season is off and running with two wins in its first two doubleheaders.
Lewes opened its season in Elkton, Md., April 14, splitting two with the the Eclipse Base Ball Club. Lewes took the first game 10-5, but dropped the second 10-2.
On April 21, the vintage team split games with the Fair Plays Baseball Club of Talbot County, Md., during its home opener at the Villages of Five Points in Lewes, winning the first game 6-5 and dropping the second 17-2.
The team’s next home game is Sunday, May 18, against the Diamond State Vintage Base Ball Club from Newark.
The Lewes team plays by 1864 rules, which includes balls being caught on one bounce for an out, no fielding gloves in use, and historically accurate, 19th century rules of America’s pastime.
The team traces its origins to around 1874, and will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of the earliest recorded baseball game in Lewes throughout the 2024 season. On Feb. 28, 1874, Lewes took on Milton in a match, the results of which are currently unknown.
Throughout the years, the team played across Delmarva and Lewes may have fielded a semi-pro team into at least the early 1940s.
The current team was formed in 2010 and was crowned Delaware State Champions in 2016 and in 2023. Interested players and volunteers are encouraged to reach out to the club's Facebook page or to email lewesbaseball@gmail.com. The club is a nonprofit organization and membership is open to all. Other activities include hosting speakers and programs relating to baseball on Delmarva with a particular emphasis on Lewes and Sussex County.
For more information and a schedule, go to @LewesBaseball or go to www.lewesbaseball.org.
