Cosmic Baseball Delivers a Galaxy of Entertainment

A different type of baseball game was played at Victory Field this past weekend. A game that emphasizes fun and features black lights, glow-in-the-dark baseballs, mandatory mid-game dance breaks, and plenty of music. The Cosmic Takeover Tour is more of a party than a baseball game.

It didn’t matter to the 10,000-plus fans who packed the home of the Indianapolis Indians on Friday night for the first of two games between the Tri-City Chili Peppers and the Glow-Mojis. Many had been at the ballpark since 4:30 in the afternoon when the pre-game party started inside the centerfield entrance concourse. They were there for the glow-in-the-dark merchandise, live music, player autographs, and anything else that would stick to the plate.

When the Chili Peppers are not touring the country with their brand of unique baseball rules and haberdashery, they are members of the Coastal Plain League. A summer collegiate league club based in Colonial Heights, Virginia. However, just like another former CPL ball club, the Peppers decided to create their own rules, and it's on the road this season to seven different cities around the country.

Indianapolis was the final stop on the tour, featuring dates in Nashville, Tenn., Worcester, Mass., Toledo, Ohio, and Durham, N.C. A few from the staff and crew said that the 10,000 fans were the most boisterous they’ve seen this year and a fantastic way to end the first season’s tour.

The game is played in two halves, one during daylight and the other under the cloak of darkness. The rules are somewhat different for both halves and include no bunting. A walk leads to the batter taking a Fungo swing, and fans can pull out a giant Uno card to change a rule. One night, the players ran clockwise on the bases, and the next night, there was no foul territory (any ball hit was live and felt like a cricket match).

The highlight of the game is when the lights shut off, and everything from players’ uniforms, bats, balls, socks, bases, and baselines glows in the dark. Fans in the stands also shine brightly underneath the portable black lights set up in the outfield. It is a visual that makes the first-time visitor feel like they are in the movie Tron. 

It is truly a sight for the eyes to see the players and fans glow in the dark. Shirts, caps, balls, and socks light up from all around the building. The base paths and bases also glow. It works quite well as players seem adjusted to the game at night. To say you have to be there would be an understatement. It is a game that is meant to be watched live.

However, the game is very busy, and so much takes place on the field and through the PA system. Music is constantly played at every at-bat and in-between innings, player introductions take place with walks through the stands, and random players pop up on the diamond throughout the evening. It can also be a very long game if you arrive at the block party at 4:30 and stay until the end at 10:30 PM.

The game ended with various rounds of home run derby that also included a few rounds of regular baseball played in between. Each homerun counted as a run, and a 12-10 score could quickly rise to 26-21 by the end of the 9 innings. It is an evening where something is always going on, and if you blink, you will miss it.

The Cosmic Baseball Takeover Tour is over for the season, and next year will most likely include more cities across the country. The Chili Peppers' branding is bigger than you think, and its presence on social media is full of color, pop, and revelry. However, the thousands who stayed until the very end had happy faces, and many said that they would return. A gentleman who was in town for the game said the following.

“I don’t understand baseball and don’t watch it, but I know what’s going on tonight. This is fun, and I would like to see them come to my town next year.”

I have a feeling that will happen.

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Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter and his YouTube channel. Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com