In the mid 1800's the relatively new sport of "base ball" was spreading across the country and by 1859 this new game reached Kalamazoo. While the first documented game locally was held in 1859, the first documented team in Kalamazoo was formed in 1860 as the Champion Base Ball Club.
In 1861 the Champion BBC was renamed the Continental Base Ball Club, becoming the first of many Kalamazoo and Kalamazoo-area base ball teams of the 1860's. The Continental BBC existed for seven seasons (1861-1867) and found success on the field both locally and across the state before once again changing names to become the Una Base Ball Club starting with the 1868 season.
In 2013 - 146 years after last seeing the field - the Continental BBC of Kalamazoo was reborn to once again play the game of base ball as the game was played in its' infancy - now termed "vintage base ball". The club joined more than two dozen other vintage clubs across Michigan, and 100+ clubs across the country, in playing this sport utilizing the rule sets of the 1860's.
From May to September we travel across Michigan and the Midwest, competing against other vintage teams in single games, festivals, or weekend-long tournaments, all in an effort to keep the history and passion of 19th century base ball alive today.
