I could have been in a time warp. I was sitting in Phil Welch Stadium in St. Joseph, Mo., the other night watching a professional baseball game.

What year is this? Was there a clue anywhere in this ancient neighborhood ballyard built in 1939 that this was really the year 2006?

Then it hit me. The only difference between today and 50 years ago at Phil Welch Stadium was the fast-food-franchise signage on the outfield fences.

And maybe Roobie, the Phillie Phanatic-like mascot of the St. Joe Blacksnakes. I doubt the St. Joseph minor-league baseball teams of the 1940s and 1950s had mascots.

All right, your next question is: Who are the St. Joe Blacksnakes?

First of all, they are NOT the St. Joseph Blacksnakes. Folks in this former Pony Express-departure-depot town seem to prefer the shortened version of their city’s name – something I do not foresee happening here, incidentally, because somehow the Larry High Lions just doesn’t cut it.

Anyway, the Blacksnakes are an expansion team in the American Association, an independent pro league formed last winter when several Northern League teams pulled out. One of the teams that remained in the Northern League was the Kansas City T-Bones.

Thus, the T-Bones and the Blacksnakes are both independent-league baseball teams, but they’re in different leagues, so, even though they’re only about 40 miles apart, they don’t play each other.

Ah, well, I guess that’s not unusual. Until interleague play, the Cubs and White Sox never tangled during their regular season. Neither did the Yankees and Mets. Or Dodgers and Angels, Giants and A’s.

When it comes to facilities, the T-Bones are light years ahead of the Blacksnakes. CommunityAmerica Ballpark is a contemporary fan-friendly place with wide concourses, spacious restrooms and a children’s playground.

Phil Welch Stadium is what you would expect from a structure built in 1939. Heck, the light standards in the outfield are in front of the fences, and so is the flag pole in center field. Also, typical of that era, the entire grandstand is covered, but most of the 3,600 seats are benches. The rest rooms? Uh, they’re functional.

American Association baseball isn’t bad. The Blacksnakes have the league’s leading home run hitter in outfielder Wil Quintana. And the Sioux Falls Canaries – that night’s foe – have the league RBI and slugging-percentage leader in outfielder Chad Hermansen, a former first-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The winning pitcher that night – Sioux Falls won, 5-2 – was left-hander Tony Cogan. That’s the same Tony Cogan who pitched in 39 games for the Royals in 2001, posting an 0-4 record and a 5.84 earned-run average.

On the night I was there, club officials announced the attendance as 1,328. I would have guessed around 500.

Regardless, the Blacksnakes probably won’t be in St. Joseph long – could the next stop be Wichita after the Wranglers depart? – so, if you long for a dose of retro baseball, the drive from Lawrence to the Blacksnakes’ home is only about 75-80 minutes.