Appalachian Centennial Base Ball League

The inaugural game of the Appalachian Centennial Base Ball League was held Saturday, June 10, at the Norton Little League Field.

Norton has always been a baseball town. We can track our love of the game back to the early days of coalfield baseball where the city team played against the powerhouse teams of the surrounding camps. In the small world of baseball, some famous names spent time in the coalfields. One early player was Mose Solomon, sometimes referred to as the “Jewish Babe Ruth” because of his powerful hitting. He played for the Norton team in 1920 before signing with John McGraw’s New York Giants. Norton fielded teams in the Class D Mountain States league for five years in the late 1940s and early ‘50s. Our groundbreaking 1951 little league team was the first in the South to integrate, defying segregationist policies to win the state championship.

Because we love baseball, Norton celebrated the early game by organizing the Appalachian Centennial Base Ball League, in which participants played by the 1876 rules in 1876 uniforms using 1876 equipment on June 10, 2023. 

About the Appalachian Centennial Base Ball League Game

The inaugural game of the Appalachian Centennial Base Ball League was held Saturday, June 10, at the Norton Little League Field. The game was played by 1876 rules, with 1876 equipment and in 1876 uniforms. The game was also highlighted by a bit of vaudeville and a soupçon of the region’s finest mountain music. 

More Information

For more information about the recent Base Ball League game and baseball's history, check out this flyer.

Game Day Images

Check out some images from the recent game below.