Following the Bovina Dairymen collecting four wins on Long Island last weekend to begin their 2023 campaign, other clubs in the Delaware County Vintage Base Ball Association (DCVBBA) get their seasons underway this weekend at home.
On Saturday, May 20 at noon, the Delhi Polecats welcome the Saugerties Base Ball Club for an 1864 doubleheader at Crawford Field on Launt Hollow Road in Hamden. The Saugerties club is an outgrowth of the DCVBBA’s marketing efforts supported in part by the Delaware County Tourism & Promotion grant program.
Saugerties’ captain, Will Quigley discovered the phenomenon of vintage baseball in Delaware County through Facebook ads delivered with the grant funds over the last two seasons. Quigley quickly went to work getting onto a team in Kingston last year, then starting his own team over last winter.
“After helping out with my son’s little league a couple years ago, I remembered how fun baseball can be, then found out about what was happening out here (in Delaware County) with historical games and got hooked,” Quigley said in a recent interview for a vintage baseball podcast.
On Sunday, May 21 at noon, the Fleischmanns Mountain Athletic Club welcomes the Providence Grays to the historic M.A.C. Grounds at Fleischmanns Park. The Providence Grays - now in their 26th consecutive season - are a throwback to the famous 1884 team of the same name. This will be the Grays first time at Fleischmanns.
Prior to the first pitch, the M.A.C. will unveil some repairs to their scoreboard and Wall of Fame that pay tribute to the major leaguers and other figures important to the team’s illustrious past. A fundraiser for a new, permanent MAC-related exhibit at the Skene Memorial Library will also kick off during the pre-game festivities. Refreshments of ball park fare will be available for purchase.
Learn more about all the clubs and see their full schedules at www.delcovintagebaseball.org
