Playing base ball the way it was meant to be played
The Great Black Swamp Frogs Base Ball Club plays Civil War Era base ball matches using rules codified in 1860. In that time, base ball was an amateur sport played by respectable gentlemen. The Frogs—with their families, friends and worthy adversaries—recreate these social and recreational events.
Though the game played by the Frogs is fundamentally the same as baseball today, there are differences in rules, strategies and equipment, which are portrayed as accurately as possible. For matches, the umpire and players wear authentic period attire. The Frogs’ appearance is modeled after uniforms donned by two historic teams: The Baraboo, Wisconsin Base Ball Club (uniform of 1866, as seen at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York), and The New York Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of 1859.
The club’s history began in 1991 with a match against the Ohio Village Muffins and its name pays homage to northern Ohio history, as a great black swamp once spanned the region and nearby Toledo was known as Frogtown.

  • First Game - Saturday, April 18

    • Our first game of the season is the University of Findlay's America250 Vintage Baseball Celebration. Festivities begin at 1:00pm at Rawson Park in Findlay OH. 2026 Upcoming Schedule:
    • April 18 - Game, University of Findlay, Rawson Park
    • May 16 - Game, Veteran's Memorial Park, Sylvania
    • June 7 - Game, Pemberville

  • 2026 Ohio Cup - Mark Your Calendars

    • The Great Black Swamp Frogs have attended every Ohio Cup Tournament and 2026 will be no different! The Tennessee Association of Vintage Base Ball's annual tournament will be held on September 5, 2026 at 12:00pm at the Westerville Sports Complex in Westerville, Ohio. https://tennesseevintagebaseball.com/event/2026-ohio-cup/

1860 Base Ball Player Rules

The Great Black Swamp Frogs Base Ball Club plays by the elementary instructions of the American game of base ball as published by Beadle's Dime Base Ball Player in 1860. The full text is published by the Vintage Base Ball Association and can be found here: https://www.vbba.org/1860-beadles-full-text/
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