A Century‑Old Game Returns to the Vineyard
Baseball enthusiasts and history lovers gathered in Oak Bluffs this weekend for a rare spectacle: a doubleheader played under the rules of 1886 and 1864, reviving a style of the game that predates modern baseball.
The Westfield Wheelmen faced the Providence Grays at Waban Park, a site that once pulsed with the energy of late‑19th‑century baseball, when the venue served as a hub for amateur teams across the Cape.
Rules That Tested Skill
Organized by Dan 'Gunner' Genovese, who founded the Wheelmen two decades ago, the matches forced participants to master underhand pitching, a fly‑ball catch that could be secured after a single bounce, and the use of wooden bats with minimal gloves.
Robert 'Bubba' Rudolph, a graduate of Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, served as the host, welcoming visitors and ensuring the event honored the island’s sporting heritage.
More Than a Game
Beyond the games, Genovese delivered a talk at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, tracing the evolution of vintage baseball and its cultural imprint on the community.
Spectators were encouraged to don period attire, turning the stands into a living tableau of the era, while the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks mascot, known as 'Sharky,' entertained the crowd in a footrace against the Wheelmen’s Wheeler.