Chicago Salmon

Chicago Salmon Vintage Base Ball Club

1 day ago

Chicago Salmon Games, Saturday, July 11 & July 18 and Our Coronavirus Safeguards

Welcome to the 2020 Chicago Salmon Vintage Base Ball Season!

Our first game will be this coming Saturday in Valparaiso, Indiana, July 11 at 1:00 PM.
We will be playing at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Valparaiso Indiana. 1700 Monticello Park Drive. Pull in back lot.The field is to the southeast corner of the property. The Colonels will be feeding us.

The weather report for Saturday in Valparaiso calls for a temperature of 84 degrees and partly sunny. As you will recall when we played there last year there was no shade. If you have a pop up or golf umbrella you may want to bring it to the game.

So far I expect to see Lawman, Iron Jaw, Razor, Scooter, Barber, Whiplash, Sketch, Flapjack, and Zeus at Valparaiso.

Next Saturday, July 18, we will be at Normal, Illinois to play as many as three games at the Prairie Chicken's Festival. We will play three games starting at 11:15 am, 2:30 pm, and later. We may be playing the Prairie Chickens, Blue Stockings, and Long Nine. I will let you know which teams we play as I learn more.

We will play at One Normal Plaza, Address. 700 E Lincoln. Normal IL 61761. It is at the intersection of Lincoln and Douglas.

One Normal Plaza originally started as the Illinois Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s home and school in 1865 to house and care for orphans of the Civil War. It later housed orphaned children whose father served in any war. Several buildings were built including cottages for young children, a dormitory-like building for older youths, a recreation center and administration buildings.

Our plan is to play the rest of the games on the 2020 Chicago Salmon Schedule, weather and health conditions permitting. We will play our remaining Lincoln Park "home" games on an alternate site for safety reasons, either in Illinois or Indiana. Please check chicagosalmon.org to stay up to date.

Gary The Professor Schiappacasse

Now for the Chicago Salmon Coronavirus Safeguards from the Boss Lady:

Dear Salmon Players and Families,

The situation we all find ourselves in this summer calls for patience and discipline, qualities some of us have. Most of us don’t have as much of either as is called for at present, myself absolutely included. The time is upon us to see if we can play out the rest of our scheduled games beginning with next week, July 11, when we are scheduled to be in Valparaiso, Indiana to meet The Colonels.

As maddening as this is for all of us, Professor and I have decided at present that we will make a decision about each game approximately 5 days ahead. We reserve the option to cancel at any time if regulations/personal health of Salmon team members/or any other unforeseen issue arises at the last minute. I completely realize and do understand that the uncertainty is extremely difficult for people to plan schedules. We get that. Please be patient. We have all worked very hard for years to have a set schedule that everyone can count on. That is simply not possible this year. We could follow the lead of many other teams and cancel all games and we are trying not to do this. We have made a decision about July 11th. At present, we are planning to play assuming we can get enough players to field a team.

There will be some changes in order to make this possible. Please know that we have deliberated long and hard about these alterations. If anyone on the team has other ideas that we have not thought of, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Sadly, we will be losing a great deal of historical accuracy in order to be able to play. Many of the things that are necessary to keep us all safe are very modern and have no place in Vintage Base Ball. Again, we could cancel altogether. We are asking you to please be patient and practice discipline.

· Everyone will wear a mask or bandana-style face covering when within 6 feet of anyone else who is not a member of your household. You need not wear a mask while batting or playing the outfield but infielders should wear masks as they must come in close proximity to other players. Boss Lady is making uniform masks for The Salmon. You will be issued one and please care for it, wash it yourself and bring it to the next game. You may wear your own covering but Boss Lady prefers you stick to something that is either black, white or salmon colored so we look
more “team like.”

· Everyone should bring their own folding chair. We will not be sitting close to each other on a bench, even if one is provided. We understand that it is not practical to have period correct seating (unless you are Kansas City) and we will have to forgo that historical accuracy.

· Please bring your own source of water and do not drink from a communal container even if one is provided. The team will be certain to have plain plastic water bottles available for those players that do not bring their own. As always, a glass container with a cork is the most historically accurate but that may just not be possible for everyone.

· Ditto peanuts and other snacks. Personal snacks only, no sharing with persons not in your household group.

· Please be disciplined about restroom use. If you must use a restroom to change clothes, keep your items from contacting the floor and other surfaces. The most prudent method is to get dressed at home or in your own car. Please wash your hands if you make any stops along the way.

· Do not shake hands with other players either on our team or the other. We realize that exciting plays are hard to ignore. Please be disciplined. A clap on the back is as much of a show of support as should be offered. Consider tipping your hat to the player who has made a great play instead of a display of physical affection.

· If a meal is offered, and it probably will not be, please be very cautious in getting and consuming your food. This is one of the saddest parts. I know we will all miss the comradery that pertains after the games. It is a big part of the Vintage Ball experience. But we must be disciplined and patient. Perhaps we will be able to return to the old ways next year if we all survive this one.

· Regular players who have been on the roster for several seasons will be trusted to take their uniform shirts home, wash them, and bring them to the next game. Please wash with other light-colored clothing. Try to get any stains out before washing. DO NOT under any circumstances put your shirt in the dryer. Hang it on a hanger to dry. If you have an iron and know how to use it, please iron your shirt. Wrinkles will be lessened if you remove the wet shirt from the washer as soon as it is done and hang up immediately.

· Fill-in and just-for-the-day players will be loaned a shirt. They will give the dirty shirt to Professor. He will have a number of plastic bags to put them in. Professor will take these shirts to a commercial laundry and you will be asked to pay for the cleaning of the shirt you wear. It should not cost more that $4. We apologize for this inconvenience but it is the only solution we could come up with. Boss Lady does not want anyone to be washing everyone’s dirty shirts as she has always done in the past.

· Most of you are not old enough to remember the tv show Hill Street Blues, but Professor and I both are. The desk sergeant had a phrase he always said after the morning briefing,
Let’s be careful out there!

I love each and every one of you and wish I could be with you this summer. Don’t embarrass me and please, be very safe.

All my love,

Boss Lady

July 6, 2020 ... See MoreSee Less