Baseball players scrap gloves for game's origins

An increasingly popular sport called vintage baseball is getting athletes across the US to scrap their mitts and adorn themselves in 19th Century garb.

The sport, originally developed in the Midwest in the early 1990s, follows the rules and customs established early in baseball's history, like ringing a cow bell and eating a mint each time an "ace" is scored.

"It's a gentlemen's game," says Doug "Moonlight" Otlewski, adding that it is typical to see poems read on the field and songs sung in honour of the visiting team.

The game also follows a rule established in the 1850s that prohibits players from using baseball gloves.

"I had a couple of occasions where I closed my fingers a bit too soon and took a blow right on the end of the finger. That finger was broken twice," Mr Otlewski says.

Produced by the BBC's Matt Danzico