DANVILLE — Shawn Rife was hooked on base ball when he saw his dad and uncle play when he was young.
As he grew up, Rife — who is known as Ripper for the Vermilion Voles base ball team — has seen it where his brother, Dylan — Known as Big Dog and daughter Scarlet — known as Arrowhead — is playing with him.
“My father (Keith Rife, known as Ice Wagon) joined the team two or three years in its existence,” Rife said. “Being the typical dad, he didn’t want me sitting on the weekends playing video games, so he drug me out to join.”
In the last 16 years, Ripper has been involved with the team and even when he had breaks away, he would come back.
“My father got my uncle to play and a couple of my other uncles did some one-off games and it was always nice to bring your family in and get involved,” Ripper said. “Our sister was named Half-pint because she was the shortest of the three of us. It was a family affair to come out and play baseball together.”
In the last three years, Arrowhead decided to make base ball her activity over playing prep sports.
“I was a kid, and he would take me and my brother and it just looked so fun,” Arrowhead said. “One week, they were short of players and I volunteered. They let me play and I have been part of the team every since.
“I think that sometimes they go easy on me, but aside from that, it is fun for me. I play if for fun and it is very enjoyable. It is a little community and it is very fun.”
Arrowhead was also able to bring her friend, Lily Smith, into the mix. After watching some games, Smith — nicknamed Flowerpot — wanted to be part of the team.
I dragged her into it. I go to school and I enjoy me time here and somehow I convinced her to watch a game and she was like “Could I play next time?’ and we let her play and she enjoys it and it is very fun.”
The Voles play base ball with rules that were set back in 1858.
“No gloves in the field, the pitcher throws underhanded and balls caught on the first bound is an out,” Ripper said. “Fair and foul is not modern at all, it is where the ball hits the ground first. If a ball is hit on home plate and goes into the benches and the weeds, it is a fair ball because it hit fair first. In 1880, the rules of baseball came in with the overhand pitching and a glove for extra padding.
“It was a gentleman’s game with the farmers coming together to have fun and compete with one another and it is for the love of the game, sportsmanship and comradery.”
It was the brotherhood that brought Jack Doan in. Doan, known as Scrambler, joined the team a few years ago.
“Playing with the Voles team is a brotherhood and a sisterhood and with the other teams, it makes it more fun because it is a gentleman’s and a gentlewoman’s game,” Scrambler said. “The competitiveness is there but there is also respect.
“I would see it on the flyers and hear about it and see it on Facebook. I came out and watched a few games and I started to play and I really enjoy it. My first time playing was a real eye opener is that it is 90 feet between the bases and that’s a long ways and that was hard to get used to.”
Scrambler also loves the travel and to not only play, but talk to the other teams during and after tournaments.
“We get to play teams in Ohio and Tennessee and all over,” Scrambler said. “When we go out of town we go to have dinner together and hang out with the other teams.”
While there is no league, Ripper said that the team does make trips all over the Midwest.
“There is no official league, we play in tournaments mostly and they have prizes and some just have bragging rights,” Ripper said. “We are going to St. Louis in a couple of weeks for the St. Louis Cup, which is going to have nine teams in three fields. Teams from Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri and Kentucky that comes down for that. It is baseball from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on both days.
On Saturday, the Voles played the Champaign Clippers and White River at Kennekuk County Park. While the Voles lost to the Clippers in the finale, Ripper said that the stress-free action is what keeps a lot of the players playing the game.
“The will to win is always there and we do keep score, we cheer athleticism and we don’t keep track outside of how much,” Ripper said. “A majority of our players have a desire to win, but the older players want to keep playing as much as they can and our younger players enjoy playing because of the sportsmanship and it is not high stress. It is for the love of the game.”
Jim Knoblauch, who was one of the original members of the Voles in 2003, is now the umpire — which is more than calling balls and strikes.
“The umpire usually is the master of ceremonies and keeps the game light. It is difficult when it is hot out but it is a good time,” Knoblauch said. “We have always had a fun crew. Players have come and gone and we try to keep the roster going. Some have aged out ,like myself or left for health reasons. Families like the Rifes have been able to keep things going. Shawn and his brother Dylan, they dad brought them here and they stuck with it.”
The Voles will have three more home dates at Kennekuk before the season is up. On Aug. 8, the Voles will host Uncle Joe Cannon Jamboree, while on Aug. 29, they will host the Lemont Quarrymen and on Oct 10, the Razor Rumble will take place. All events start at noon.
Ripper said that his family will be a part of the Voles to continue the play and what the team means for the community.
“We have been doing our best to stay together for Vermilion County and give the opportunity to share the history of the game,” Ripper said. “We made it work because of the will to win, being active and being a driving force in community. You are celebrating history and it is about coming together. We want to give back to the community as much as the community has given to us.”
Other members of the team include Mark Janesky, known as Super; Greg Green, known as Legs; Eric Waterstradt, known as Zip; Mike Weaver, known as Shoes; Kirk Gilbert, known as Fingers; Mike Camarata, known as Bug and Alex Hull, known as Popeye.