The season comes to an end at Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, September 14th and 15th.

The Quicksteps have claimed the regular season pennant for the third year in a row and look to defend their 2023 Sulphur Dell Cup championship.

All clubs in the TAoVBB observes the rules and customs of 1864. Base ball was a gentleman’s game, there was “no spittin’, no swearin’ and no gloves.”  Additionally, players (ballists) wear period uniforms and use
period appropriate equipment (i.e. wooden base ball bats known as willows). Learn more about vintage base ball and the rules the ballists follow at www.tennesseevintagebaseball.com.

The TAoVBB’s Hog & Hominy Picked 9 hitched up the wagons and headed North to participate in the Saint Louis Cup at beautiful Forest Park with 9 other fantastic clubs. We would like to sincerely thank the host club, The Saint Louis Brown Stockings, and all participating clubs for such an amazing event! We are always amazed at the quality of ballists and base ball when we travel here.
This trip, we brought a roster of 17, with 6 of our 9 TAoVBB clubs represented. For 8 of us, this was our first trip to Saint Louis!
Then we headed just South of Saint Louis to Belleville, IL to play at Moose Meadow with the Belleville Stags Vintage Base Ball Club before hitching the wagons and returning to Tennessee.

For the first time in the history of the Tennessee Association of Vintage Base Ball, the Sulphur Dell Cup will be played as a modified double-elimination tournament, September 16 and 17th, at Rippavilla in Historic Spring Hill, Tennessee.

The Quicksteps have claimed the regular season pennant for the second year in a row, and the Mountain City Club of Chattanooga looks to defend their Sulphur Dell Cup starting at 9a.m. on 9/16 vs the Cumberland Club of Nashville. There will be two fields with games at 9, 11, 1, 3 and 5 on Saturday
and 9, 11, 1, and 3 on Sunday.

All clubs in the TAoVBB observes the rules and customs of 1864. Base ball was a gentleman’s game, there was “no spittin’, no swearin’ and no gloves.”  Additionally, players (ballists) wear period uniforms and use
period appropriate equipment (i.e. wooden base ball bats known as willows). Learn more about vintage base ball and the rules the ballists follow at www.tennesseevintagebaseball.com.

In 2023, the membership of the Tennessee Association of Vintage Base Ball will elect a new Treasurer, Media Director, and Chattanooga and Knoxville Player representatives. The election will be held electronically and members will be able to vote the week of the Sulphur Dell Cup, with the results announced at the Sulphur Dell Cup Banquet the evening of September 16, 2022. Here are the candidates, and their biographies as provided by the candidates.

Treasurer

Robbie “The Natural” Cook – Nashville Maroons

I would like to ask for you vote in our upcoming election for the office of Treasurer.

As a founding member of The TAVBB completing my 11th season I have been active in volunteering for many duties along the way. As a business owner of “Hester & Cook” we have sponsored our league since it’s inception. Our league has been a bright spot in my life and in my family’s life. I have been blessed to have had the pleasure of meeting some wonderful people over all the years.  Gratefully I have also been able to play along side my son Will, who joined last season. Now I feel it is time for me to give back.

My qualifications for the position include:

-Co-owner of Hester & Cook.
A Nashville based wholesaler and retailer with 3 retail locations and one candy store. We have just completed our 18th year of business.

-Chairman of the Board of The Wonderful Life Foundation a non-profit 501-C-3 just like TAVBB.
I am very familiar with all of the requirements and reports that must be filed yearly.

-National Delegate for the Austin Healey Club of America.

Thank you for you time and consideration.

Troy “Cobra” Walker – Mountain City Club of Chattanooga

When I randomly came across the beautiful game that is vintage base ball on the open grassy fields of the 6th Cavalry Museum in Ft. Oglethorpe, GA, I was instantly hooked! I only got to witness the last 2 innings of the last regular season game of the summer, but I knew immediately that I needed to be a part of it somehow. Our sport is an absolutely amazing combination of education, healthy competition, and living history!  I was willing to volunteer or whatever was needed at the time, but obviously wanted to play first and foremost. As luck would have it, a spot opened up and I was assigned to be a part of Mountain City V.B.B.C. and have completely and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my first few seasons of Vintage Base Ball (with hopefully many more to come). As far as being the treasurer for the Tennessee chapter of this exciting game, I am more than willing to give my time and energies to help propel this modern day historical reality of Base Ball into the future! I have quite a bit of experience of financial management and record-keeping as I, along with several co-investors, own several investment ventures and properties and I have managed the financial records and day-to-day operations for over 12 years now. I don’t pretend to be a professional accountant or anything, but in another life, I probably would have been in financial management of some kind. Weird to say for a 25 year Physical Educator and Athletic Director, I know! In any regard, I would be happy to do whatever is needed for the Tennessee Association of Vintage Base Ball to grow and thrive. Long Live Vintage Base Ball!

Media Director

Kenneth “Stitch” Douglas – Nashville Maroons

I would like to be considered for the position of Media Director. I believe I could share my passion of vintage baseball through social media to broaden our audience and increase attendance.

I grew up in San Diego with a strong love for the Padres. I was an active kid playing just about every sport, although baseball was always my favorite. The Boys Scouts were also an important part of my upbringing. I learned survival skills, camped, and hiked with my troop, even reaching the 14,500-foot peak of Mt.Whitney. This commitment led to becoming an Eagle Scout. 

In college, I received two degrees in both fire science and nursing. I fought forest fires briefly in Utah and then ultimately chose to pursue a full-time nursing career. When my family and I moved to Tennessee seven years ago, I continued nursing while also becoming a realtor. Additionally, I now own a small meat farm for quail and rabbits. 

My wife and I have a blended family of five boys and one girl. Many of our children are involved in sports. I have coached soccer and baseball for over fourteen years. Between our son’s travel ball, rec ball, and TAoVBB, our lives are consumed with some version of baseball, and we love it. 

In the past, I have served on the TAoVBB Board as both Treasurer and Secretary, and I would be honored to be considered for the Media Director position and appreciate your consideration of my candidacy.

Chattanooga Player Representative

William “Buster” Hollis – Lightfoot Club of Chattanooga

I am running for the Tennessee Association of Vintage Base Ball Chattanooga
Player Representative for the next two years. I am finishing up my 8 th year playing
for the Lightfoot Club of Chattanooga. This game is a passion of mine and always
look forward to playing the season and traveling with Hogs & Hominy. Base ball
has always been a favorite past time. The comradery and brotherhood that this
game brings us is unlike none around.

On the personal side, I will be married to my beautiful wife 25 years this coming
May. We have 20 year old twins. My daughter is a junior at UTC majoring in
Geology and my son is the lead field installer for Mobility works installing ramps,
lifts and other mobility needs. He is in his 1 st year as a Lightfoot himself.
I look forward to your vote and handling any concerns and questions that our
Chattanooga family may have.

Knoxville Player Representative

Timothy “Yankee Bear” Carroll – Knoxville Holstons

Age 60

Position:                                          Knoxville Player Representative

Years in League:                             2018 -Present

Teams:                                            Knoxville Machinists       Knoxville Holstens              Hogs and Hominy

Current TAVBB Position:              Knoxville Player Representative

Brief Bio:

Originally from Eastern Long Island NY. Currently live Oak Ridge TN. Technical specialist in three-dimensional metrology and accelerator alignment. Eighteen years Oak Ridge National Laboratory, prior 12 years Brookhaven National Laboratory, Long Island NY.

Baseball all through youth, school and numerous softball leagues Long Island and Buffalo NY.

Boy Scouts of America Council and Unit commissioner, unit leader, training instructor and coordinator for 12 plus years.

Historic Ramsey House Board of Directors.

Hobbies /Interests:         Vintage Baseball              Hiking-Endurance Hiking              Kayaking             Bicycling             Fly Fishing          Camping              Live Music          Snow Skiing

                                           National Parks

Read:                                 Thoreau                            Muir                                                Historical Fiction

I believe representing the Knoxville area TAVBB teams the previous two years have been an absolute honor and privilege. I enjoy being open and candid with our Knoxville ballists and have shared numerous times the importance of communication if there exists any concerns or questions, and gladly share with the board discreet, prompt, and direct. Perhaps one of the most important aspects for me is to hopefully promote our leagues attention to education, authenticity, and pure love of the game for the cranks through our ballists play and actions. If I am chosen again for the privilege of being the Knoxville TAVBB representative, I will continue these same efforts and enjoy the love of this great game shared by us all.

The 2022 Sulphur Dell Cup Champion was crowned in a rain-soaked affair on September 10, 2022. Mountain City defeated the Phoenix of East Nashville, 9-2 in the final. They had previously defeated the defending champion Quicksteps of Spring Hill, and their fellow Chattanooga compatriots the Lightfoot Club.

The Mountain City Club has appeared in the final two other times. The current club is captained by Josh “Shammy” Blair. And it’s members are Shane “Sugar” Wise, Ben “The Dude” Blair, John “The Mayor” Hixson, Brian “Old Boy” Hamilton, Stephen “Ironhead” Campbell, Conor “Huckleberry” O’Day, Troy “Cobra” Walker, Lucas “Grizzly” Lewis, Nick “Cue Ball” Bosco, Gary “Baby Face” Green, Darius “Britches” Matthews, Mark “Preach” Miller, Zach “Specs” Campbell, and Kyndel “Choo Choo” Morris.

The Quicksteps of Spring Hill captured their first pennant with a victory over the Franklin Farriers on Sunday, August 28th. The regular season ended with a standings tie between the Emmett Machinists of Knoxville and reigning pennant champions, the Stones River Scouts, but the Quicksteps had the advantage on tiebreakers. They’ll be seeded #1 at the upcoming Sulphur Dell Cup Tournament, to be held September 10th and 11th at their home grounds of Rippavilla in Spring Hill, Tennessee.

Returning to Middle Tennessee for the first time since 2019, the 2022 Sulphur Dell Cup will be played at Rippavilla in Spring Hill on September 10th and 11th. The Quicksteps, the 2022 league pennant winners will be defending their 2021 championship, as well as hosting. Matches commence at 10am on Saturday morning and will play every two or so hours throughout the afternoon. On Sunday, the 2022 champion will be decided.

In 2022, the membership of the Tennessee Association of Vintage Base Ball will elect a new Vice President, with current Vice President Rocky “Stonewall” Jackson ascending to be the new Commissioner of Base Ball. The election will be held electronically and members will be able to vote the week of the Sulphur Dell Cup, with the results announced at the Sulphur Dell Cup Banquet the evening of September 10, 2022. Here are the candidates, and their biographies as provided by the candidates.

Vice President

Kenneth “Stitch” Douglas – Nashville Maroons
I have been hooked on Vintage Base Ball since 2018 when I came across some vintage base ball teams
playing in a field at the Tennessee Boys’ Home during a Ham Fest in Spring Hill and was instantly
intrigued. This led to meeting Hamspoon and Trapper weeks later at the Sulphur Cup. They read my
interest in the game and encouraged me to become a member of the association. I have played with the
Maroons since 2019.

I grew up in San Diego with a love for the Padres. I was an active kid playing just about every sport,
although baseball was always my favorite. The Boys Scouts were also an important part of my
upbringing. I learned survival skills, camped, and hiked with my troop, even reaching the 14,500-foot peak
of Mt.Whitney, twice. This commitment led to me becoming an Eagle Scout.

In college, I received two degrees in both fire science and nursing. I fought forest fires briefly in Utah and
then ultimately chose to pursue a full-time nursing career. When I moved to Tennessee with my family
seven years ago, I continued to work as an ER nurse, but also became a realtor, and started my own
quail and rabbit business.

My beautiful wife April and I have a blended family of five boys (21, 20, 16, 15, and 12), and one girl (18).
My family is very supportive of my passion for base ball and attend most games. Our youngest son
Memphis can’t wait to turn 18 so he can join the Maroons.

During my time in the league, I have been dedicated to the association, and my team. I was nominated
and currently hold the position of Captain of the Maroons. Additionally, I have represented TAoVBB in
multiple extracurricular matches including St. Louis, The Ohio Cup, Rickwood Field and other invitational
events.

I’d be honored to be considered for the position of Vice President of the league. I’m committed to serving
TAoVBB. I would love to not only grow our following, but also help improve best practices, add new
venues, and implement community partnerships.

John “The Mayor” Hixson – Mountain City Club of Chattanooga

Seeking the position of Vice President on the TAoVBB Board of Directors.

It has been a pleasure to share the field this year with the fine ballists of the Tennessee Association of Vintage Base Ball. Our wonderful venues and incredible sportsmanship truly embody the mission of the league.

I am coming to you in hopes I can get your vote of confidence to be VP and subsequently serve as your next Commissioner. I have a B.S. in Mass Communication from MTSU and an MBA from UTC. I currently work for the Tennessee Valley Authority as a manager of IT Maintenance and Subscriptions.

Previously I have served as Captain of the Mountain City Club and league Treasurer, where I have worked toward building a better bond with our fellow ballists that love this sport and league we call a family. If I am elected, I will be committed to the players of this league, with hopes to increase our community involvement in an effort to support the venues we call home.

Secretary

Jamie “Séamus” Wright – Nashville Maroons
 I was born and raised in Nashville, TN. I’m 48 and have been a part of the TAOVBB and playing for the Maroons every year except for the inaugural season. I’ve been a professional photographer for the last 28 years. Two of my strongest passions are photography and playing in this wonderful league. If elected, I promise to work hard and be fair to everyone during my tenure.  I love the gentlemanly aspect of this league and I’ve always strived to keep that in the forefront of my mind for the respect I have for everyone and the TAOVBB.

Middle Tennessee Player Representative

Collin “Lefty” Bradley – Phoenix of East Nashville
My name is Collin “Lefty” Bradley and I would like to run for the position of Middle Tennessee Player Representative within the Tennessee Association of Vintage Base Ball. I play for the Phoenix of East Nashville ball club and have been playing with this ball club for 5 plus years now. I also enjoy traveling with the Hog and Hominy to out of state festivals and just enjoy any chance I can at playing ball. I have mostly been just a player, spectator, and overall fan of vintage ball, but I felt now that I have been in the league for a while it was time to try and be an even bigger part of the association. A little more about myself. Besides playing base ball I am an avid bowler in the middle TN area. I participate in many leagues throughout the fall and summer and just recently I was able to shoot a new high series of 809 for a 3 game set. I also play slow pitch softball and sandlot baseball whenever I get the chance. If you can’t see a trend I just enjoy sports and the camaraderie that follows suit with it. I hope that by being elected the area rep for middle TN I can help be the voice of the players and keep this great game of base ball we play to a high standard and an even higher level of fun and enjoyment.