Where can you be a crank but not be cranky? See a dewdrop that isn’t wet? Call for rover and not get a nuzzle from a golden retriever? Where? At the Tri-Town Vintage Baseball Game sponsored by the historical societies of Essex, Chester, and Deep River on Sunday, Sept. 18 at Devitt Field in Deep River.

Cranks are fans, a dewdrop is a slow pitch, and a rover is what you call a shortstop. Everything in vintage baseball is the same, but different—even the name. It’s two words, Base Ball.

Batters, called ballists, hit the ball and run, but they can’t overrun first base, as modern players who get a hit do. Overrun first and a tag will bring a classic ruling from the adjudicator: “Yer out!”

The adjudicator? That’s the umpire, but don’t look for him behind home plate. He stands on the sidelines. Not a good place to call balls and strikes? Not to worry. In the vintage game, played under 1857 rules, there are no pitched balls and strikes called. The only kind of strike is a full-out whiff at the ball.

And speaking of the ball, its softer than a modern ball, and gets softer still as it is hit, even changing shape from round to more oval as it absorbs continued pounding from bats that are longer and narrower than their modern counterparts.

Out on the field, the basetenders (as the players at first, second, and third are called) take familiar positions, as do the scouts in the garden. Don’t look for boy scouts pulling weeds. Scouts are the right, left, and center fielders in the outfield. But there’s a piece of equipment that no Little Leaguer would be without that is missing: gloves. Fielders caught the ball barehanded. Gloves were not part of the game. And the fielders under vintage rules have an advantage no modern player has: you don’t have to worry about whether or not you can catch the ball on the fly. A ball caught on one bounce is also an out.

The first year of local vintage classic, a Tri-Town team played a team from a vintage league. For the past two years, Deep River, Essex, and Chester have each fielded their own team and played a round robin format. In previous years, the teams have played three-inning games; this year the games will be four innings. Last year, the team from Deep River took top honors, winning against both Chester and Essex. Chester won one game and lost one and Essex went winless.

This year will be different, according to Essex captain Jay Tonks.

“We’re going to win; last year Deep River only beat us in the final inning,” he said.

Still, win or lose, Tonks pointed out the entire event takes place in a spirit of good will.

“It’s all in good fun. We know the guys on the other teams,” he said.

Tom Miceli, who manages the Chester team, noted that last years’ games were very close. For just that reason, Miceli won’t take a guess about this year’s outcomes.

“What happens as we do this every year, people get better at it,” he said. “The games are very competitive. I’m not making any predictions.”

There are, nonetheless, some predictions that will certainly hold up. The stands at Devitt Field will be full of cranks, shouting huzzahs for the club nine from their town. They will cheer as ballists try to get hits from the bowler standing on the raised pitcher’s point throwing balls over the dish. And, who knows, somebody might become a hero by hitting a four baser!

Tri-Town Vintage Baseball Game

Sunday, Sept. 18 at 2 p.m. at Devitt Field off Route 154, Deep River. Admission is free; rain date is Sept. 25.