Civilian Conservation Corps Vintage Base Ball scheduled for July 18
This summer four local Tennessee state parks are re-creating this legacy with the inaugural season of the CCC Vintage Base Ball League.
In 1933 the Civilian Conservation Corps was formed to put young men to work in the fields and forests fixing environmental problems such as erosion and deforestation, and to build infrastructure like our state parks.
While this story of CCC boys doing such hard work throughout the 1930s is well known to us, less remembered is what they did on their off-time.
This was the golden age for baseball, and each camp was issued with gloves, bats, and balls for the company to form teams and play in the afternoons after work.
Very quickly they began forming tournaments between camps and the local folks would come out to watch the national pastime.
This summer, four local Tennessee State Parks are recreating this legacy with the inaugural season of the CCC Vintage Base Ball League.
Norris Dam, Frozen Head, Cumberland Mountain and Pickett state parks are all furnishing teams dressed in period 1930s uniforms to travel among the parks and play matches just as the Civilian Conservation Corps companies who built their respective parks did some 90 years ago.
There are countless stories from men who served in the CCC of times traveling from camp to camp playing baseball and of all the local people who came to watch a fun afternoon game in the midst of the Great Depression.
Even the famous Cardinal hall of famer Stan Musial got his baseball start during his time with the CCC.
The home field for Norris Dam State Park will be the Norris Commons, with the first home game to be played on Sunday, July 18.
The first pitch will be thrown at 2 p.m., and spectators are encouraged to bring chairs, enjoy a bit of history, and cheer on their favorite teams.
The full schedule of games is available on the Tennessee State Parks website at tnstateparks.com/about/special-events/ccc-vintage-baseball.
You may also contact Norris Dam State Park at 865-425-4500 or reach out to the park on Facebook for more information.