Each spring, the crack of the bat echoes through Warren Ballpark in Bisbee, just as it has for over a century. But during the Copper City Classic Vintage Base Ball Tournament, the game looks and feels different. Players take the field in 1860s-style uniforms and adhere to rules that predate Major League Baseball.
On Saturday, April 5, and Sunday, April 6, players and fans alike will step back in time as teams from Arizona, California, and Colorado gather to play a game that once emphasized honor and sportsmanship over competition. This event isn't just a game; it’s a journey through time, transporting attendees to an era before home run derbies, television broadcasts, or even baseball gloves.
“Well, we do that because we use the original rules from 1860,” explains Mike Anderson, historian and founding member of The Friends of Warren Ballpark, the nonprofit group that organizes the event. “We have copies of those rules, and we continue to follow those rules.”
The spirit of the game is also different from today’s highly competitive, professionalized version. Anderson describes it as a sport once played by middle-class businessmen and professionals, where winning was less important than camaraderie.
“There was a sense of camaraderie and good sport,” Anderson said. “You know, whoever won — that was well and good — but that wasn’t what it was about. It was about getting together and playing a game and then having a meal afterward and enjoying the fellowship.”
Over time, baseball has changed. It has become faster and more competitive, but vintage “base ball” (yes, this was spelled as two words back in the day) preserves its original spirit.
The Copper City Classic takes place at Warren Ballpark, one of the oldest continuously used ballparks in the country. Built in 1909, the field has been home to everything from minor league teams and outlaw leagues to rugby, soccer and high school sports.
“Just like everything else in Bisbee, Warren Ballpark is a time capsule,” Anderson said. “It’s frozen in time.”
The ballpark has a fascinating connection to baseball history, including the infamous 1919 Black Sox scandal. After being banned from Major League Baseball for fixing the World Series, some of the Black Sox players found work in outlaw leagues, including teams that played in Bisbee.
Additionally, Warren Ballpark played a role in Arizona’s labor history. It was the site where striking miners were detained at gunpoint before being deported during the Bisbee Deportation of 1917. This connection to both sports and social history makes it a truly unique venue for an event like the Copper City Classic.
This year, the tournament will honor Roy Partee and Ted Sorich, two figures with deep connections to the region.
Partee, a former Bisbee Bees and Boston Red Sox catcher, played in the 1946 World Series and was behind the plate during Enos Slaughter’s famous “mad dash” that secured the St. Louis Cardinals' championship.
Sorich, a Bisbee High School alumni, was a standout athlete in football, baseball, basketball, and track. He continued his athletic career at Northern Arizona University, where he quarterbacked the first four-year college to play for a national championship.
Copper City Classic
WHEN: 10 a.m. Saturday, April 5, and Sunday, April 6
WHERE: Warren Ballpark, 99 Arizona Street, No. 73, Bisbee
COST: $10 for one day; $15 for two days. Proceeds support ongoing renovations and improvements at Warren Ballpark
INFO: friendsofwarrenballpark.com
