"HOUSE OF DAVID ECHOES" BASE BALL TEAM
A vintage base ball team that will play historic base ball games from the pre-Civil War era (1858 rules).

 In 2008, the House of David Echoes
Won 11, Lost 12*, & Posted 2 Ties!

(*) But we're practicing this year!

House of David Echoes 2009 Base Ball Schedule
All home matches will be played on Eastman Field, Mary's City of David.  All dates are single matches unless scheduled as double-headers.  PLEASE refer back to this page for up-dates, changes in time and schedules.  ALL HOME matches will begin at 1 PM, Michigan time unless otherwise noted. (*) Denotes an annual match.

For further information or to check cancellations/rescheduling:
(269) 925-1601 M-F, 1-5PM

The House of David Echoes Base Ball Club had a 2001 premiere season with a perfect record of no wins and 8 losses. Practicing every Friday evening from April through the season ending; "practice makes perfect" as was demonstrated by the results of first year.

 The House of David Echoes Base Ball Club
gives tribute to the great Negro League Players:
Theodore "Doubleduty" Radcliffe and Lloyd "Pepper" Bassett.

On September 21, 2008, the final home match for the House of David Echoes at Eastman Field, the House of David with the guidance of Bill "Santa" Swank, honorary second baseman for the club and Historian for the San Diego Padres, and 112 year old (???) Richard Nelson of Carol Stream, Illinois, paid tribute to the legendary Theodore "Doubleduty" Radcliffe, team mate of Satchel Paige and Lloyd "pepper" Bassett. "Doubleduty" got his name from his performances of pitching a first game and catching Paige in the second game. "Pepper" Bassett received his title by catching the game in a rocking chair.

Playing the Deep River Grinders from Hobart, Indiana, "Santa" Bill played an occasion second base positioned on a chair and pulled off the famous House of David antic of the hidden ball in the beard, which yield a Grinder dead at second base.

112 year old ??? Rich Nelson, using a colony provided wheel chair tossed an inning from the hurler's position and in the second match, caught the ball for an inning as the behind in a rocking chair.

It was "Jesus boys" (a label that Satchel Paige gave to the House of David club in the 1930s) again at their gentlemanly best as they graciously conceded both matches to the Grinders, 17 to 10 and 12 to 4.

It was "Doubleduty" that cleared the history books by confirming, "the House of David invented pepper" (the pepper game).

"How many have ever seen a three run home run ball get caught for the final out of the inning?

It was shades of Ponce de Leon Park in Atlanta, Georgia. A mammoth magnolia tree that grew in right-center field is all that remains of the home of the Atlanta Crackers. Babe Ruth and Eddie Matthews both hit home runs that got stuck in the branches.

But the ground rules at Eastman Field are a little different than they were at Ponce de Leon.

A Deep River Grinder launched a drive that found a hard wood tree whose branches extended into fair territory in left field. The ball didn't exit the other side. A House of David fielder spotted it wedged between the highest limbs and another David immediately began to climb the tree. He shock a large branch as the puzzled Grinders watched. Ten dramatic minutes later, two players (ballists) were waiting below as the ball gently dropped from its hiding place. It was caught. The second player (ballist) was on a knee to catch the bounce, if necessary. The umpire ruled the striker dead and the tallies did not count."

Bill "Santa" Swank
Historian, San Diego Padres
Honorary second baseman, House of David Echoes BBC
21 September 2008

All home matches will begin at 1:00PM unless prior notice is listed on this page and published in the local newspaper. Admission is $3.00 for all over 10 years of age. DONATIONS are gladly received to help in field maintenance costs, Thank you for your support.

Refreshments and a light selection of concession items will be available. In keeping with "historically correct", it is a bring your own seating. There are a number of olde timey stump and plank-bench seats, which is for the younger crowd.

CANCELLATIONS and ADDITIONS may yet appear on this listing, please keep a look out periodically. There are no advanced ticket sales. All admissions are paid at the gate upon entry.

Prior to attending any games, interested parties might double check this web page or call (269) 925-1601 for particulars of each game: starting times or, if necessary, rescheduling.  We do not anticipate any schedule changes; as all teams have confirmed their participation, however, any last minute changes will be posted on this page. Thank you ... see you at the ball game.

Playing on the Harry and Elizabeth Eastman Field at Mary's City of David ... The Eastman field is an historic athletic site going back into the 1890s, in fact Benton Harbor High School football and baseball teams used this field for practice and games in their Sensational 1903 State Championship Season. After the Eastman Springs Company sold the property to the Pugh family in 1920, the field remained open and mowed but relatively unused as an athletic field. The City of David purchased all 54 acres of the original Eastman Springs properties in 1945, and would begin again to clear and use the field for local sporting events  with children's leagues. From the end of the 1950s through 1999, the field lot remained unused and became over grown with 40 years of brush and trees. In the Spring of 2000 it was decided by Mary's City of David to clear the property for again, another athletic field, at the request of the Berrien County Historical Association, looking for a home field for its vintage base ball team.

Not only was a base ball playing field re-created, but the colony decided to also field a team using a name suggested by one of the colony sisters: The House of David Echoes.

Please refer back to this page for more up-dates and further scheduling of base ball games and family fun at Mary's City of David, in conjunction with its Museum and Tours.

Admission to ball games is $3.00 for 10 and older.