Vintage baseball game, brass band Sunday in Brownstown Township

BROWNSTOWN TOWNSHIP – Brownstown Township has a vintage baseball team, but it has have never played in the township.

That will change this weekend.

The Brownstown Volunteers will play the Flat Rock Bear Clan vintage baseball team at 2 p.m. Sunday at Thorn Park, 23555 King Rd.

The event is hosted by the Brownstown Historical Society and the Brownstown Downtown Development Authority.

A second game will be played Sept. 24. Michigan CAT is sponsoring the games.

Vintage baseball games are played just like games of the 1860s, with no baseball gloves. Players don authentic vintage uniforms.

Brownstown Police Chief Jeffery Watson will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

“Mike Sollars from the Historical Society and Marty Bertera, player on the Brownstown Volunteers, came to me a few months ago and wanted to have a vintage baseball game in Brownstown,” Sue Trussell, director of the Brownstown DDA, said. “The Brownstown Volunteers have played at Greenfield Village and other communities, but they have never played in Brownstown. We decided to make a whole event around the game. There will be vendors selling hot dogs, and a beer tent hosted by the Woodhaven-Brownstown Rotary. There will be kids selling peanuts and popcorn to the crowd.”

There will even be a historic band.

“The most exciting part of the day will be the Dodworth Saxhorn Band will be there entertaining the spectators,” Trussell said. “They are the same band that plays at Greenfield Village.”

Mark Felder of Monroe has directed the band since 2015. Felder also leads the College/Community Symphony Band at Monroe County Community College.

The Ann Abor-based brass band not only plays historic arrangements from the 1800s, but also portrays history through period dress, antique instruments, poetry, theater, humor, dancing and lots of stories.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Vintage baseball game, brass band Sunday in Brownstown Township