Baseball may be America’s pastime, but this weekend teams from all over the country came to play it in a way that isn’t typically seen these days.

The Ohio Vintage Base Ball Festival has been a Labor Day weekend tradition in central Ohio for the last 27 years, and when the organizers say “vintage base ball,” they mean it. The teams play in old-timey uniforms and original gear, and they don’t use gloves. They play according to the 1860 rulebook, and baseball gloves weren’t invented until the 1870s.

“The first style of glove that came along was fingerless gloves and the reason why was to give them the opportunity to grasp the ball with their hands,” said Tracy Martin a vintage base ball collector. “As the gloves evolved and changed over the years they went to a long finger glove then later on added a pocket between the thumb and forefinger and the glove on the end is from the 1920s.”

The Ohio History Center and Columbus’ own Ohio Village Muffins hold the Vintage Base Ball Festival every year to educate people about when and how the game began.

“We do that as authentically as possible by using the equipment, the rules and uniforms that would have been used at the time they were played on the field,” said Ohio Village Muffins player and historian Jim Tootle.

The festival started with just four teams, and now 30 teams from eight different states come out to play ball, making it the largest annual event for vintage teams.

“Baseball is a wonderful blend of your interest in baseball and your interest in American history,” Tootle said.

The appeal of vintage base ball spans generations. Eight-year-old Owen came to watch the games on Sunday.

“My dad gets to play old-timer baseball,” Owen said. “Playing baseball is fun because you get to hit it and run the bases and catch the ball.”

Right now, the Muffins are encouraging younger people and women to join in on the fun.

“Come on out try it out you never know you might enjoy it,” Ryan Boggs said. At 29 years old, he is the youngest player on the team. “It actually shows the history of how the game was played and a gentleman’s game and it makes you earn more respect for baseball as it was played back in the day,”

Planning for next year’s game is already in place and there’s actually a waiting list for teams who can’t wait to play in the 28th Cup.