It’s time to play ball — vintage style.

Players will be in 19th century rewind mode when they hit the basepaths with the Seattle National Adult Baseball Association (NABA) and its Beavers Ball Club at Aubrey Davis Park on Mercer Island.

Beginning July 1, they’ll be turning back the clock on the national pastime by implementing 1864 rules that include underhand pitching, one-hop catches counting for outs, no gloves and more. Seattle’s first vintage club will go old school on the park’s large grass area from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays in July, and there is no cost for this initial month.

Ben Bradley, a Seattle resident who runs the modern-baseball Beavers club, possesses a master’s degree in history from Southern Illinois University and is leading the way with the local vintage squad.

Bradley said that vintage ballgames are popular in the Midwest and on the east coast and he’s thrilled to get things rolling out this way. He’s played vintage ball in the past, fell in love with the retro game and started a team at his university.

“I think it’s a really fun way to play the game of baseball,” he said. “Most of our folks that are coming out are part of the Seattle NABA. We play the modern rules, obviously, but there’s so many more people that I think would be interested in playing the historical side of it, too.”

On the uniform front when he first played, Bradley recalled sporting rolled-up jeans, a button-down shirt, suspenders and an old-school hat. He said that players can wear whatever they can find that is adjacent to that look.

They’ll start out on Mercer Island by learning the rules, tossing the ball around and seeing how things progress from there.

“I’m really just trying to build a foundation and build enough interest so that we can grow it into something. So, obviously, we would hopefully get two teams going in the Seattle metro area,” said Bradley, adding that he feels Mercer Island is a good spot to make this happen. “When you read the early documents, it was all about we’re creating a game that unites people. (We) want to have this space where we can explore what the game was like, what the rules were like back then and how it’s changed, and hopefully appreciate baseball more.”

Since NABA teams play some of their games on the Island at Island Crest Park, Bradley said it makes sense to unveil vintage ball locally.

“Mercer Island has a really generous and accessible website to book fields, so props to the folks over at the Mercer Island parks department,” he said.

City of Mercer Island Recreation Coordinator Jeremy Jasman said they’re excited to welcome the players to the Island’s park for some summer ball: “Having a vintage baseball team play here using 1860s rules will bring history to life in such a fun and interactive way. It’s a unique opportunity for the community to experience the roots of America’s pastime.”

Jasman and his staff wish the players great success and hope to continue seeing them playing on the Island in future days.

For information, email Bradley at woodlandparkbeavers@gmail.com.