Catch a Game This Coming Season

Picture this– a cloudless blue sky, green grass, the smell of a warm summer breeze, and base ball players catching the ball with bare hands. The warm weather is here and so is Vintage Base Ball. Sporting three fantastic teams, Delaware County is home to the Bovina Dairymen, the Delhi Polecats and the Fleischmanns Mountain Athletic Club (MAC). Stepping back in time, three local teams pay tribute to the history of baseball by donning the uniform, rules and baseball philosophy of the 19th Century. 

 

Photo courtesy of Delaware County Vintage Base Ball Association

What is vintage base ball? Vintage base ball (yes, in the 19th century it was two words!) is an ode to the way base ball was played in the 1800s, when rules were changing yearly and only the catcher wore a mitt. Most vintage base ball teams play by a set of rules from a specific year, the Bovina Dairymen playing by the rules of 1895. Carrying on a long legacy of base ball, the Fleischmanns MAC were originally founded by Max and Julius Fleischmann in 1895. The team played until 1914 and was resurrected in true vintage base ball fashion in 2007. The game is competitive and fun, focused on bringing the community together for an exciting afternoon!

 


Photo courtesy of Delaware County Vintage Base Ball Association. Photo by Jason Martin.

The teams are preparing and the schedule is here! But it isn’t vintage base ball without a lot of community support. Feel free to pack a picnic, grab your friends, sip something refreshing and cheer on your favorite team. Start planning your adventure to participate in this vibrant tradition! 

Vintage Base Ball Schedule

Delaware County 

2023

Sat, May 20 12pm           Delhi Polecats vs Saugerties VBBC           Hamden NY

Sun, May 21 12pm          MAC vs Providence Grays           Fleischmanns, NY

Sat, June 10 12pm           Delhi Polecats vs Little Falls Arts           Meredith, NY

Sat, June 10           MAC vs Rising Sun BBC           Fleischmanns, NY

Sun, June 11 10am           Bovina Dairymen vs Rising Sun BBC           Bovina Center, NY 

Sat, June 17 7pm           Bovina Dairymen vs MAC           Stamford, NY

Sun, June 25 12pm           Delhi Polecats vs MAC           Fleischmanns, NY

Sun, July 9 2pm           Delhi Polecats vs Bovina Dairymen           Hamden, NY     

Sun, July 22           MAC vs Kingston Guards           Fleischmanns, NY

Sat, July 29 2pm           Delhi Polecats vs Bovina Dairymen           Bovina Center, NY

Sat, August 12           MAC vs Saugerties BBC           Fleischmanns, NY

Sat, Sept 9           Bovina Dairymen vs MAC           Fleischmanns, NY

Sun, Sept 10           …Potential Delhi Polecats Game…           Stay tuned!

Sat, Sept 30 11am           Cowtown Scramble           Bovina Center, NY    

Sun, Oct 1 9am           Cowtown Scramble           Bovina Center, NY

Teams Playing the Cowtown Scramble:

Bovina Dairymen

Fleischmanns MAC

Delhi Polecats

Kingston Guards VBBC

Saugerties VBBC

Westfield Wheelmen

Brooklyn Atlantics

Connecticut Bulldogs

Dirigo VBBC of Maine

Monmouth Furnace of New Jersey

Providence Grays

Springfield Base Ball Club    

Sat, Oct 14 12pm           Delhi Polecats vs MAC           Hamden, NY            

 

 

Make a day of it! Coming to a game, here are a few places to eat and drink while you are in the area:

 

Bovina, New York

Russell’s General Store 

Brushland Eating House

 

Fleischmanns, New York

Goatie Whites

Aegean Flavors

The Village East Cafe

Bebert’s Cafe

LaCabana Restaurant 

 

Hamden, NY

Hamden General Store

Hamden Inn