Mountain Athletic Club Vintage Base Ball

This grainy and elusive circa 1890 photo reveals the home of one of the wealthiest families in Cincinnati history: the Fleischmann’s. It was surprisingly diff...icult to find this photo, and I have long wondered what the house looked like. This French Second Empire mansion once stood at the northwest corner of Forest and Washington Avenues in Avondale, and I believe was the work of architect Samuel Godley or, perhaps, James McLaughlin. Godley seems more likely as he worked on several projects for the Fleischmann family and their employees. Today the site of house is part of the Cincinnati Park Board and is known as Fleischmann Gardens. Charles Fleischmann, a Hungarian, came to Cincinnati right after the Civil War and was frustrated by the lack of good, locally made bread. Back in the old country, Charles worked for his father, who had been a yeast maker and distiller, and so Charles had yeast shipped to Cincinnati and began to manufacture it himself to improve the quality of American bread. In 1876, Charles and his partners showcased their product at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia under the name Vienna Model Bakery. So successful were they that it launched an empire and Fleischmann’s Yeast became a household name still available in groceries today. In addition to yeast for baking, the Fleischmann’s operated distilleries for gin, whiskey, and also made vinegar. Charles and his wife, Henriette, herself a Prussian immigrant, had four children. When Charles died in 1897 at the age of 62, the Avondale estate became the home of his son, Julius. Julius also assumed control of the Fleischmann business interests, as well as becoming involved in politics. He was elected Cincinnati’s youngest mayor in 1900 at the age of just 28. Julius and his brother, Max, also became part owners in the Cincinnati Reds in 1902. Julius indulged himself in the life of luxury, and was a bit of a playboy whose exploits made him a celebrity of the society columns. He enjoyed yachting, thoroughbred horses, and was married three times. At the end, Julius was doing one of the things he loved most. Julius died of a massive heart attack during the fourth chukker of a polo match in Miami at the young age of 53. When Julius died in 1925, his estate was said to be some $60 million. The old Fleischmann home was torn down, and the acreage was donated to the City of Cincinnati for the park we know today. Max took over the Fleischmann Yeast Company, but apparently did not have the interest in it that his brother had, and sold it in 1929.

Happy belated Birthday to Cincinnatti slugger and former NL home run champ (1889, 1892) James Wear Bugg Holliday who played for Fleischmann’s M.A.C. in 1899 following his retirement from pro ball. https://www.macvintagebaseball.org//on-this-day-in-m-a-c-h

Jen Biruk, wife of our own Archie Sawmill Biruk, a 20 year veteran of Catskills vintage base ball, has been stricken with a major debilitating illness and is fighting for the ability to regain feeling in her lower extremities. Please consider a donation to the family to support their recovery efforts.

A very muddy but Merry Christmas from Fleischmanns, NY. We’ll need some clean up work in the Spring for a grand opening-day historical marker dedication. But until then, off-season’s greetings to you all!

Happy to have my article on the Fleischmanns Mountain Athletic Club featured in the Rooster Tails section of Vol.3 No.2 Fall 2020 issue of Catskill Tri-County Historical Views. The issue also features another baseball related piece by Particia Millen on baseball and boarding houses of the Catskills. The bi-annual magazine is available at local historical societies, many stores in the Hobart Book Village and online at https://www.catskilltricounty.org/about-us/

Happy Hanukkah from the Fleischmanns Mountain Athletic Club!

The grandstand for our historic athletic grounds on Wagner Ave can be seen right of center in this 1920s postcard of Fleischmanns. Looking closely, it appears that the poles they used for hanging netting to protect the spectators, had fallen into some disrepair. Image courtesy of Roger Davis, Memories of the Town of Middletown (FB Group).

"In this somewhat remote place, determined individuals and families who love the old ways are working to be sure of the past; the extent of their success will i...ndeed predict the future of Fleischmanns and so many other communities whose histories, if properly understood and conveyed, are their principal assets." - an excerpt from Mangled Forms (2004), a personal essay and homage to Fleischmanns, NY by John Thorn, Official Historian of MLB And so it is official...our ballfield is now listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. Not too shabby of a way to celebrate our 125th anniversary. Many thanks to the "determined individuals" that have and continue to help me with this project.

This Veteran’s Day, it is with great sadness to learn of the passing of Paul Quick Step Salamone - a Veteran himself, founder and player for twenty seasons on the Elizabeth Resolutes Vintage Base Ball Club and an elder statesman for 19th century base ball re-enactment in the Northeast. Our hearts are heavy tonight for your family and all of us who had a brush with you in the game we love.

Yours truly on WRIP 97 this morning discussing Fleischmanns M.A.C. Vintage Base Ball history, resurrection of the M.A.C. and other clubs in the region, 19th cen...tury rules & equipment, plugging our new card set and next year's exciting plans! Runs about 13 minutes...Click on the first link on the following page to give it a listen... See more

Just picked up this antique sign for our Club archives. Though it’s likely from the 1930s-1940s, it matches the color scheme of our uniforms quite nicely!

Out this week in local papers... Mountain Athletic Club Debuts Baseball Cards to Mark 125th Anniversary Set pays tribute to team’s 19th century roots and will help raise funds... FLEISCHMANNS, New York (Oct. 29, 2020) The Mountain Athletic Club (M.A.C.), a vintage baseball club based in Upstate New York, is marking its 125th anniversary with the release of a limited edition set of 19th Century-style player trading cards. A limited run of 250 sets featuring the team’s current members are available on the M.A.C.’s online store (https://www.macvintagebaseball.org/souvenirs) and in-person at the team’s 2021 games. Sets cost $25.50 and will support the club’s ongoing expenses including buying and repairing antique baseball equipment and uniforms. Support for the card set was provided by AB Mauri North America a global leader in yeast and baking ingredients. The company owns the iconic Fleischmann’s Yeast brand and has a connection to the region. Fleischmanns, New York, was named after the Fleischmann family who were longtime summer residents and benefactors of the area. At one time, the family had a 160-acre property consisting of multiple homes and outbuildings and was the largest employer in nearby Peekskill, New York, for more than 75 years. Fleischmann’s Yeast, as well as the family’s connection to the Catskill Mountains and baseball is a rich part of our company’s history, said Rick Oleshak, vice president of marketing for AB Mauri North America. We are happy to support the M.A.C. as it keeps the intriguing history of this area alive for future generations to enjoy and be proud of. The design of the baseball card set was inspired by a 104-card release of black and white baseball cards produced in 1916 by the Fleischmann Bakery of New York and Ferguson Bakery in Boston. Attached to the bottom of each card was a coupon redeemable at their respective bakeries for a leather card album made by Kodak. Those cards are quite rare and sell for thousands of dollars, said Andrew Aronstein of The Card Memorabilia Associates, Ltd., the designers of the M.A.C. anniversary set. I thought the M.A.C. took advantage of a nice opportunity to re-connect with the Fleischmann’s baseball cards of old. The vintage design of the M.A.C. set includes a smaller card reminiscent of early twentieth-century tobacco cards and a team composite that was popular in the late 1800s. The set also includes a postcard of the M.A.C. in 1900 that features future Hall of Famer, Miller Huggins and other future major leaguers next to their owner, Julius Fleischmann. All the cards feature a retro Fleischmann’s Yeast advertising slogan. We’ve received a lot of financial support from the community in the past, said Colin Miller, manager of the M.A.C. While it can be difficult to return to the same organizations looking for support, we thought this was a new, creative way to honor our past while supporting our future.