The Westfield Wheelmen and the Tradesman of Westfield Vocational-Technical High School will square off at Bullens Field.
Action from a Westfield Wheelmen vintage base ball game.WESTFIELD – It’s being billed as the “game of the century.”
The Westfield Wheelmen and the Tradesman of Westfield Vocational-Technical High School will square off at Bullens Field on Saturday night in a “vintage base ball” game to benefit the high school.
“We’re celebrating our 100th anniversary this year. One of our biggest events is the vintage baseball game; we call it ‘the game of the century,” said Clement D. Fucci. Fucci, a member of the school’s 100th anniversary committee who also serves as baseball coach.
“We’re going to be playing vintage rules. Players will be decked out in vintage baseball clothing and old-style gloves,” he said. There will also be vendors with concessions to bring an old-time feel to the fund-raising event.
With the Tradesman of Westfield Vocational Technical High School featuring an alumni roster, Fucci said, he expects the event to be well attended and a hit for the whole family.
The Wheelmen are part of the Western New England Base Ball League and plays games all season long at Bullens Field.
There will be a home run derby in which the public will be able to participate; $10 for 10 swings, and the winner will receive a vintage baseball bat, Fucci said.
The game, in addition to providing entertainment for baseball aficionados, will also benefit two important scholarship funds, he noted.
One is the Michael Gonzales Scholarship Fund which helps students buy tools or help them further their trade, and the other is the Scott Prefontaine Scholarship Fund which helps students cover the costs of their athletic fees at the school, Fucci said.
Already, the game has some major sponsors, including Westfield Bank and Lane Construction Corp., which donated $1,000 each, according to Fucci.