Baseball fans got a glimpse of Bainbridge hardball history on July 4, as the Island Reds and the Winslow Greys suited up for the first time since the 1920s.
In replica wool uniforms reminiscent of the glory days of “The Babe” and Mickey Mantle, the two teams took the field at BHS to play a fund-raiser game for the Bainbridge Island Historical Society.
And of course, for some good old-fashioned fun.
Captain of the 1947 Bainbridge High School baseball team Reid Hansen threw out the first pitch of the day, the umpire dusted off the plate and bellowed the two words that embody summertime for young and old alike: “play ball!”
The hosting Reds may have had age and experience in their favor, but the Greys proved that youth and fresh legs usually win when it comes to competition on the diamond.
The Greys scored 16 runs on 17 hits against four Reds pitchers, with Trevor Monette and Gavin DeWitt crushing two-run homers. Greys player/coach Jeff “Highpockets” Giblin added three singles and scored twice, earning him an MVP award for the game.
Winning hurler Brian Shimmin threw three scoreless innings for the Greys before University of Washington southpaw Jamie Hawkins took to the mound — displaying his usual mix of heaters and off-speed pitches to the Reds hitters.
In the seventh inning the Reds finally found a rhythm and brought home five — but with the Greys already into double-digits on the scoreboard, it was too little, too late.
With a final score of 16-5, the Greys took the contest, but it was the Historical Society, and Bainbridge that won as well. The game was successful enough to draw a capacity crowd of more than 350, and to raise $1,500 for the upcoming BIHS move downtown.
“We sold more than 200 tickets at the street dance and ran out of hot dogs by the fourth inning of the game,” Giblin said. “Helping the Historical Society make the move downtown seems to us like just doing the right thing.”
The event was documented for the Historical Society on video by PMX5, and will be released in the fall as “Baseball on Bainbridge.”
As Reds veteran right-hander Walt Ball walked off the mound after the game, he was already musing on his next meeting with the Greys.
“We’ll get ‘em next year.”
A repeat performance is planned for next July 4 at 5 p.m.
