December 6, 2010- For Immediate Release

The Mid Atlantic Vintage Base Ball League has announced that it welcomes its newest member to the League for 2011.  The New York Mutuals who are one of vintage base ball’s most storied clubs has agreed to join the league for the upcoming campaign.  They will be in the Northern Division along with the Brooklyn Atlantics, Elizabeth Resolutes, New York Gothams and Flemington Neshanock.  

Old Bethpage Restoration Village, which is the current home of the Mutuals, started playing vintage base ball in 1980.  The Mutuals began playing in 1999 there and have been one of the most successful clubs in all of the land.  Never fearing a challenge, they have barnstormed all across the country playing in festivals, tournaments and exhibitions all over the United States and Canada.  They have even been featured on the Conan O’Brien show.  The Mutuals are a reorganization of the original club that started in 1857 as the Mutual Hook & Ladder Company  Number 1 which was financed by “Boss” Tweed.   After many years in the National Association including mythical championships, the Mutuals jumped to the newly formed National League in 1876.  They were kicked out of the league at the end of the year along with the Philadelphia Athletics for not completing their schedule out west and finished with a 21-35 record.  They shortly disbanded after that campaign. 

With the addition of the Mutuals to the MAVBBL, every major standing 19th century base ball club is now part of the league.  If you would like further information on the Mutuals or the MAVBBL contact us at admin@mavbbl.com.

In other MAVBBL news, there has been a slight re-alignment in the eastern and southern divisions.  The Eastern Division will now be made up of Philadelphia, Delaware, Elkton, Chesapeake City and Havre de Grace while the southern division is composed of Arundel, Mechanicsburg, Potomac, Talbot, and Chesapeake.  

 The Bohemia Eurkeas have changed their name to more historically reflect their actual club name from 1867.  The Eurekas will now be known as the Cecil Base Ball Club of Chesapeake City which was one of the finest clubs in rural Maryland in the 1860s challenging and sometimes defeating famous clubs from Baltimore and Philadelphia .  They will share their new home field with the Elkton Eclipse at the Terrapin Station Winery located just north of Elkton. 

All of the MAVBBL Presidents met on November 14th at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia to discuss rules and regulations for the 2011 season as well as to draw up schedules.  Each individual club schedule should be released in the first week of January.

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