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Tempe Vintage baseball game lets players party like it’s 1887

[Mike Sakal/Tribune]

Vintage Baseball

Baseball Hall of Famers Reggie Jackson (left) and Rollie Fingers (right) were among a group of former Major Leaguers who participated in the Vintage 9/Legends Showdown at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Sunday that was played to baseball’s rules and equipment from 1887. Jackson and Fingers were teammates on the Oakland A’s teams that won three straight world championships, 1972, ‘73 and ‘74. [Mike Sakal/Tribune]

[Mike Sakal/Tribune]

Vintage Baseball

Andrew Talley, 11, of Gilbert and a sixth grader at Centennial Elementary School (center), learns some baseball-playing tips from former San Francisco Giants slugger Kevin Mitchell (far left) before the Vintage 9/Legends Baseball Showdown at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Sunday. The game featured former Major Leaguers and businessmen from around the United States playing the game as it was in 1887. Pictured on the far right is Timmy Madsen, 9, a fourth grader at Madison Simus Elementary School in Phoenix. [Mike Sakal/Tribune]

[Mike Sakal/Tribune]

Vintage Baseball

Ten-time Grammy-award winning singer George Benson preparing to throw out the first pitch for the vintage 9/Legends Baseball Showdown at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Sunday. The game featured former Major Leaguers and businessmen from around the United States playing baseball to rules of the game from 1887. [Mike Sakal/Tribune]

[Mike Sakal/Tribune]

Vintage Baseball

Lanny Ropke, a retired captain for American Airlines who lives in Ahwatukee, dons a Vintage 9 uniform at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Sunday, moments before a group of businessmen from around the United States played against The Legends, a team consisting of former Major Leaguers using rules of the game and equipment from 1887. Ropke, 66, who has played in the Men’s Senior Baseball League for 25 years, was selected as Vintage 9’s Most Valuable Player after going 3-for-3 with two runs batted in. [Mike Sakal/Tribune]

[Mike Sakal/Tribune]

Vintage Baseball

Sporting his trademark handlebar mustache, Hall of Fame pitcher Rollie Fingers was the starting “hurler” for the Legends team against Vintage 9 at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Sunday that featured former Major Leaguers and businessmen from around the United States. The game was played using baseball rules from 1887. [Mike Sakal/Tribune]

[Mike Sakal/Tribune]

Vintage Baseball

Lanny Ropke, 66,, of Ahwatukee, shows off his 1887-style equipment to his grandchildren before playing in the Vintage 9 Vintage Baseball Showdown in the Desert against The Legends at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Sunday. Pictured on the left is Ropke’s granddaughter, Hudson Kopke, 6, and on the right is Jett Kope, 9, holding a “Lemon-pell” baseball that was used for the game. Ropke, a retired captain from American Airlines, plays in three senior baseball leagues throughout the year, and was selected as the game’s Most Valuable Player on sunday after going 3-for-3 with two runs batted in. [Mike Sakal/Tribune]

[Mike Sakal/Tribune]

Vintage Baseball

A leather glove and lemon-peel ball were among the equipment that players used during the vintage 9/Legends Baseball Showdown at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Sunday that featured former Major Leaguers and businessmen from around the United States playing in a game set to rules from 1887. [Mike Sakal/Tribune]