Discover our own local vintage baseball team!

Step back in time with the Champaign Clippers Vintage Base Ball Club as we explore the origins of America’s pastime. Discover how they play by the original 1850s rules: no gloves, underhand pitching, bound outs, and wood bats, preserving the sport’s history while fostering fun, community, and camaraderie. Learn about the roles beyond the field, including arbiters, historians, and photographers, and find out how you can join the fun. Whether you’re a history buff, a baseball fan, or simply curious, this presentation will bring the past to life, one pitch at a time.

Doug “Boomerang” Burgett and Jed “Jester” Willard are baseball enthusiasts, friends, and founding members of the Champaign Clippers, Champaign-Urbana’s vintage baseball team.