This annual event, held in mid-September since 2014, features three teams from the Lower River Valley of the Connecticut River – the Chester Squirrels, the Deep River Haz-Beenz, and the ICE Elephants (comprised of players from Ivoryton, Centerbrook, and Essex). They play a round-robin tournament of three games using the rules of 1857. The first two years the games were 3 innings each, in 2016 the games were extended to 4 innings each.
The tournament is sponsored by the historical societies of Chester, Deep River, and Essex.
Former Middletown Mansfields player Tom Miceli is the coach of the Chester team.
- Baseball: It Ain’t What It Used To Be – Rita Christopher/The Day (3 Sep. 2014)
- – Rita Christopher/The Day (3 Sep. 2014)
- Vintage Baseball, Classic Rain – Rita Christopher/The Day (24 Sep. 2014)
- Historical societies to play ball – The Day (15 Sep. 2015)
- Remember: The name is ‘Base Ball’ – Rita Christopher/The Day (12 Sep. 2016)
In 2013, a the Ivoryton Nine played an 1864 match against the Lyme Taverners on Comstock Field in Essex in the Ivoryton Base Ball Classic. Jim Wyman (Thames BBC) served as the umpire. This success of this game led to the start of the Tri-Town tournament the following year.
- Ivoryton Base Ball Classic (Essex Historical Society)
- The Ivoryton Nine Take the Field – Rita Christopher/The Day (11 Sep. 2013)
- The Ivoryton Nine Versus the Lyme Taverners – Photos by Gary Komoroski/The Courier
Chester Squirrels (green/white) and ICE Elephants (black/white) – Tri-Town Game 2016 (Photo by Essex Historical Society)