Ohio Cup vintage baseball festival set

COLUMBUS – A total of 21 clubs representing seven states will attend the 10th Ohio Cup Vintage Baseball Festival Sept. 1-2 at Ohio Village.

Started by the Ohio Historical Society in 1992, this annual event is the largest and oldest gathering of vintage baseball clubs in the United States.

New to the festival this year are special presentations and performances relating to early baseball.

Three fields will be used – the meadow in Ohio Village and two fields on 17th Avenue near the Ohio Historical Center. Play begins at 9 a.m., Sept. 1, and 10 a.m. on Sept. 2. Play concludes at 5 p.m. on both days.

Everyone wins. Matches will begin on the hour and last for 50 minutes. There is no declared winner of the Ohio Cup – it is a festival to celebrate the glory and history of the game.

Most matches are played by the interpreted written rules of 1860, and according to the customs of the times – players do not wear gloves.

As most clubs wish to emulate the mannerly behavior of the first true club, the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York, sliding and bad behavior by players is prohibited. Players also wear uniforms similar to what was worn at the time.

Baseball exhibit. In addition to the vintage baseball games, visitors to Ohio Village can enjoy a variety of other displays and entertainment.

While recreated bats and balls of the period and a collection of baseball memorabilia will be displayed throughout the day, there will also be ongoing presentations in honor of the history of baseball in the afternoon.

All events at Ohio Village are free with admission to the site, which is $5 per adult and $1.25 per child 6-12. The admission fee also includes entry to the adjacent Ohio Historical Center, where exhibits on the state’s history, archaeology and natural history are displayed, including the exhibit, Kilroy Was Here! The 1940s Revisited.

Both sites are located at the intersection of Interstate 71 and 17th Avenue in Columbus.



Pet experts name purrfect cities

Columbus selected as third pet healthiest city in the country by the Healthy Pets 21 Consortium. Denver is tops.

ST. LOUIS – Senior citizens might choose Phoenix. Politicians might choose Washington, D.C. But where would your dog or cat live if he had the choice?

According to the nation’s leading pet experts, he might be a mile high. The Purina Pet Institute’s Healthy Pets 21 Consortium, a think tank of leaders in the pet health and welfare community, has announced the first-ever list of the Pet Healthiest Cities in the country.

The top 5. These cities exemplify superior care, services and legislation for pets’ health and well-being. According to the consortium, the top five Pet Healthiest Cities are:

1. Denver, Colo.

2. Minneapolis, Minn.

3. Columbus, Ohio

4. Philadelphia, Pa.

5. Seattle, Wash.

To determine the Pet Healthiest Cities, the consortium developed an extensive list of 23 objective criteria in the areas of canine/feline health, legislation and services. Criteria was then weighted according to its importance in furthering pet health.

“This is the first comprehensive, qualitative and quantitative evaluation of factors that impact pet health,” said veterinarian Aine McCarthy.

Why Denver? Denver rose to the top as the Pet Healthiest City because of its veterinarian-to-pet ratio, with one veterinarian for every 1,200 pets, as well as its 47 American Animal Hospital Association accredited hospitals with 119 AAHA affiliated veterinary professionals – more affiliated professionals than any other city in the report.

“There are more than 141 million dogs and cats in the U.S. – that’s almost half the human population in the nation,” said McCarthy. “We want to honor cities, such as Denver, that champion health and well-being for these animals as well as inspire individuals and city officials to work together to create better communities for their pets.”

And the prize? In recognition of its Pet Healthiest City status, the consortium presented Denver’s mayor, Wellington E. Webb, with a special “Wagging Tail” award and a check for $10,000 to be used by the city to promote pet health.

Minneapolis, Columbus, Philadelphia and Seattle received certificates in recognition of their pet health efforts.