Rochester Grangers Vintage Base Ball Club

06/18/2021

This past weekend, the Grangers trekked south of Southfield and west of Westland to pay a visit to our old friends Eclipse Base Ball Club of Northville.

On a gorgeous day for base ball, both sides showed power at the plate and finesse in the field. 14 total runs were scored in the third inning - but 10 went the way of the Eclipse.

That stanza proved to be the difference, with Northville earning a well-deserved 20-9 victory behind timely hitting and terrific fielding.

We thank the Eclipse for hosting and look forward to returning the favor during their visit to Van Hoosen Farm in late August.

Rochester sees its next action tomorrow when we travel to a new foe, Rogues Base Ball Club of Rockford. The match will take place a stone's throw north of Grand Rapids at 1PM.

06/08/2021

On Sunday, we had a unique happening, hosting two different clubs out at Van Hoosen Farm for a trio of matches.

We welcomed in Fans of the Bear Clan BBC of Flat Rock and Walker Tavern Wheels Vintage Base Ball Club for a scorching afternoon of play.

Like the temperatures that day, Flat Rock's offense came out very hot, posting a 20-run victory over the Grangers in the first contest. Both the second and third affairs were significantly more competitive, treating the cranks who braved the steamy weather to a pair of fine displays of skill and sportsmanship.

The middle match saw Flat Rock and Walker play to a 12-12 tie. Our arbiter, Robert Lytle, called the contest one of the best matches he has ever seen in his two-plus decades of vintage base ball.

The finale saw Walker earn a 10-9 victory over Rochester, scoring the winning run with two outs in the final inning. The game featured multiple lead changes and excellent defensive prowess by both sides.

We want to thank both opponents for making the trek for a glorious day of sport. A special thank you also goes to The Wahoo Base Ball Club of Royal Oak for providing some reinforcements to Walker to ensure the battles could occur.

Our next action is on Sunday when we travel to face our good friends, the Eclipse Base Ball Club of Northville.

06/01/2021

Today on a beautiful Memorial Day in Michigan, the Grangers played in a trio of matches.

First, we battled our good friends Cornshuckers Base Ball Club of Canton. The power, speed and finesse of the men in the Green and Yellow was on full display as Canton showcased once again why they are one of the finest all-around vintage clubs in the midwest.

After that defeat, Rochester earned a pair of victories over the day's host, The Wahoo Base Ball Club of Royal Oak and the young up-and-coming 'Franklins' from the Early Riser Base Ball Club of Detroit.

We want to give a sincere thanks to all three clubs for participating and for the invite to the affair from our friends at Royal Oak. It was an honor to help celebrate the city's 100th anniversary and to spend the holiday playing baseball.

On this particular day, we pause and reflect on the meaning of Memorial Day. We enjoy many great freedoms in this amazing country - including the opportunity to dress up in old-timey uniforms and play a child's game every summer weekend. Those freedoms and rights come at a cost, as countless brave men and women currently serve, have served and some have given the ultimate sacrifice for this nation. We remember, honor and thank them.

05/30/2021

Last week the Grangers suffered their first loss of the 2021 campaign, falling 19-12 in a fine match with Monitor Base Ball Club of Chelsea, MI.

Both sides showcased excellent defense and many quality at-bats while also exhibiting sportsmanship all the way through. We sincerely thank Chelsea for making the trip to Van Hoosen Farm and look forward to a rematch in 2022.

Tomorrow, the Grangers trek out of the friendly confines of Rochester Hills for the first time this season, traveling to Royal Oak for a tournament with our good friends Cornshuckers Base Ball Club of Canton, The Wahoo Base Ball Club of Royal Oak and Early Riser Base Ball Club of Detroit.

Held at Star Jaycee Park, the matches will coincide with a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of Royal Oak. We are honored to be part of this event on Memorial Day and thank the Wahoos for the invite.

We are scheduled to face Canton at noon and Royal Oak at 1:30pm. Admission is free but large crowds are expected as part of the festival. Hope to see some of our cranks out there on what should be a beautiful Memorial Day!

05/22/2021

We will be hosting Chelsea tomorrow at 1PM at Van Hoosen Farm! Admission is FREE! Hope to see you there!

Tomorrow afternoon (Sunday 5/23, 1:00pm) we travel to beautiful Van Hoosen Farm in Rochester Hills to take on our old friends the Rochester Grangers Vintage Base Ball Club. If you're in the area, swing on by! Here's a little throwback to our first season (2011), when we faced the Grangers (in our second-ever match) over in Rochester. Then a couple months later we welcomed them to Timbertown for a double-header on a day that was approximately 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The run differential on those 2011 matches was not pretty. We're hoping we can make the match tomorrow a little more competitive! Looking forward to having some fun.

05/18/2021

This past Sunday we welcomed in a club we had not faced in several seasons, bringing in Richmond Bees Baseball Club for 9 innings on a beautiful day for baseball.

We had a strong first inning, notching six tallies in the opening stanza. Both sides showed strong offensive and defensive performances throughout the rest of the afternoon with Rochester earning a 23-8 victory.

We want to thank the Bees for making the trip and the several recruits from other local clubs who also arrived to ensure the match could occur. We greatly look forward to our return journey out east to battle Richmond later this year.

Our next match is on at 1PM, May 23 at Van Hoosen Farm when we will face Monitor Base Ball Club of Chelsea, MI. All are welcome to attend the match with free admission. See you there!

05/15/2021

Tomorrow, at 1PM we will welcome in the Richmond Bees Baseball Club for our second match of 2021.

The full season slate can be found here!

05/02/2021

Today marked our season opener!

We welcomed in our good friends from Ohio, the Spiegel Grove Squires for the occasion, complete with exquisite weather and even better play by both sides.

We earned the victory by a 33-11 margin, but the Squires showcased some mighty swings from the plate including a hit that is perhaps the longest on record at our grounds at Van Hoosen. The strike went over the tree in left field and reached the top of the hill, clearing the bases for an impressive double.

We want to thank the Squires for making the trip up across the border and joining us for the first match of 2021. Our next action is May 16 when the Richmond Bees visit Van Hoosen.

11/17/2020

Fellow vintage clubs!! The Grangers are looking to schedule matches for the 2021 season both at our home grounds at Van Hoosen Farm and on the road in the surrounding Midwest area.

If your club would be interested in setting up a game, please message us on here or reach out Timothy Pontzer at [email protected]. Thanks!!