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