Honoring Countys Base Ball Past

FLEISCHMANNS- Last Sunday, while thousands of baseball fans awaited the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies at Cooperstown, a more modest crowd of amateur ball players and fans of the early game assembled at Fleischmanns Village Park for an exhibition of what baseball may have looked like in 1825 followed by a spirited match of A-B-C baseball in 1864. 

In the first game to honor over 200 years of baseball history in Delaware County, a circuit of posts was placed in a rough circle spread apart by roughly 70 feet or so and batters hit a softly-tossed, hand-made baseball (much smaller than what is used today). Balls were to be batted in any direction - usually as far from any fielder they could - to attempt to reach a post safely before being put out. There was no fair or foul territory, no balls or strikes called. The intention of the pitcher was to enable the ball to be put into play by the batter for the action to begin. Sides (innings) were retired when all players on the team were put out by either getting hit with the ball (“soaked”) or the ball being caught on the fly, or by one or two bounds. The team to bat first on this day was composed mainly of men of the Hamden Nine. They tallied 21 points to secure the victory after the other side of men of the Mountain Athletic Club and some additional batteries from the Kingston Guards were all put out having scored just 12 points. 

The game that followed featured 15 players with some members of the crowd including a father and son from Brooklyn that were in town for the 150th anniversary of Margaretville celebrated on the day prior and one gentleman from San Francisco still about the County having visited for his family’s involvement in the Hamden Bi-Centennial two weeks prior.  The group was split into three equal teams of five players where five bat, nine play the field and one player umpires. Each team rotates from field to bat every three outs. It was a glorious way to make do with limited participants - a rather common issue in the fledgling days of baseball in the early to mid 1800’s. 

The M.A.C. will continue their season-long celebration of the famous team of 1900 with another home game in Fleischmanns on Saturday August 9 hosting the Atlantic Base Ball Club of Brooklyn - among the oldest amateur baseball franchises in history. Despite many more dates on their schedule throughout the region and beyond, this will be their final home game of the 2025 season. First pitch is at noon. Admission, as always, is free. For more, visit macvintagebaseball.org.