COLUMBUS, Ohio—The Ohio History Connection started its vintage baseball program nearly 40 years ago with the founding of the Ohio Village Muffins.

• 150 years after Baseball’s Cincinnati Red Stockings took the field, the Vintage Baseball Association continues to honor the traditions and values that made the game America's pastime
• Ohio History Connection’s “Ohio Village Muffins” has been in existence since 1981
• Columbus currently has four Vintage Baseball Association teams

Lifelong central Ohio resident, baseball historian and former Muffins player Jim Tootle has been a part of the league for nearly 30 years. 

“One of the appeals of vintage baseball is it does go back to the amateur days, when people are playing purely for recreation, exercise, love of the game, enjoyment and spectators come for the same reason,” said Tootle. 

The name “Muffins” originates from pre-Civil War era baseball and refers to players who were not as well-skilled as the starters or second string. 

It was a gentleman's game then, meaning no arguing with the umpire over balls and strikes. 

It was played on a grassy field, with wooden bats, and no protective equipment. That wasn't in the picture until the 1870s. 

The baseball was different as well.

“Modern baseball is machine wound, so it carries a little farther. This is pretty firm, but we have to remember that players are playing without gloves. They had not been invented yet,” said Tootle. 

Only one ball was used for the entire game, meaning hit after hit, the ball’s density could change—leading to strange bounces. 

You can record an out by catching it on the fly or catching it off the first bounce on the ground, but it's a challenge. 

“Not only just the speed of the ball coming at you off a line drive, but the spin on the ball, sometimes it gets elongated with a heavy spin so it can skip off your hands quickly,” said longtime Ohio Village Muffins player Aaron Seddon. 

Seddon says by joining the team, you become part of a family. 

“We're a very close-knit group. We have an end of the year banquet. We meet up over the winter. We play a schedule of 45 to 50 games throughout the summer,” said Seddon. 

The team recently had the chance to play a game at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the first professional baseball team—the Cincinnati Red Stockings. 

The Muffins was one of the very first vintage teams back in 1981.

Now, there are more than 300 teams across the country in the Vintage Baseball Association. 

Seddon says the vintage game vs. the modern game comes down to work vs. play. 

“The game we're representing is still trying to evoke that enthusiasm of play that I think gets a little lost in Major League Baseball,” said Seddon. 

And Tootle says for fans, it's much more than just a nostalgic trip.

“People can think about how American society--American culture--was like in those days through the lens of baseball,” said Tootle. “They came out to watch an enjoyable baseball game and they end up learning a lot about how people thought.” 

To learn more about the Muffins, you can visit the team's website.