A beautiful Sunday afternoon, 80 degrees and sunny but shaded by trees, maybe a hundred people out with their lawn chairs to experience a baseball game like no other these days at Deep River County Park in Hobart. The score? 12-1 against the Deep River Grinders, but it didn't really matter because everyone was having an amazing time.

The Grinders have the entire game set up to help the audience feel the atmosphere of an old-timey vintage baseball game like they've entered a time machine and teleported back into the early 20th century. Everyone is dressed up - an umpire whose only jobs are to announce the beginning of the game and settle disputes, people handing out homemade cookies to the fans and players walking around to explain the game to fans, answer questions and show off the bats and balls used. Even the game programs look like old newspapers! 
 

Deep River Grinders Newspaper Program Deep River Grinders Baseball players at a game in Northwest Indiana

The best part of the game to me, however, is how engaging the players and all of the people working the game are. Fans can really get into the game when players yell "Huzzah!" whenever someone makes a good play, laugh at themselves when making a mistake or converse with people in the audience mid-game.

Also, food and drink are the only things that require you to pay! Admission is entirely free. Speaking of food and drink, the concessions were top-notch. You can purchase a classic ballpark-style hotdog, polish sausage and much more. The famous sarsaparilla is a MUST try at the game, a type of root beer that comes in a bottle and tastes fantastic.
 

Deep River Grinders Sarsaparilla Vintage Deep River Grinders baseball concessions featuring a hot dog, popcorn, and salted roasted peanuts
 

The games are perfect for kids. After the games, the team allows kids to line up, take a swing at a pitch, run the bases and ring the bell when they cross home plate! I didn't see one kid that wasn't smiling as they rounded the bases. Dogs are welcome and encouraged as well.

Bring your lawn chair or picnic blanket, take a drive over to Deep River County Park, grab a hot dog and a sarsaparilla and cheer on the Grinders at a home game!

Check their game schedule here.

More To Do