Local Baseball Historian Researches Roots of Baseball in HV
A new season of Major League Baseball kicked off this week, the favorite time of year for fans of the National Pastime, including local baseball historian Bob Mayer.
Mayer, a resident of PutnamValley, has been connected to the sport in many capacities for more than 50 years. The retired financial manager is a collector of vintage baseball memorabilia, and in 2005 began researching the roots of baseball in Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess and Orange counties.
“It was always a thrill to take my nickel and buy a pack of Topps card and see if I got any Yankees,” Mayer said of his days as a child when he first became interested in the hobby during a recent presentation on Early Hudson Valley Baseball before the Van Cortlandtville Historical Society.
However, Mayer’s love of the history of the game began when his father gave him a pocket size baseball encyclopedia.
“It was like a virus that stayed dormant for many years,” he said. “I’ve gotten a lot of enjoyment out of it. I love setting up displays. As you start collecting, you don’t know what you’re looking for. It really is my opportunity to play detective and it leads to interesting stories.”
Mayer had an elaborate display at the YorktownMuseum last year from May to October and in April 2011 shared his knowledge with the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. His research in the local area revealed several Peekskill teams in the 19th Century with names like The Mohegan Club and the Westchesters of Peekskill.
After World War II, there was a major expansion of baseball teams throughout the country and the HudsonValley. From 1946 to 1950, the Peekskill Highlanders played on a field off Welcher Avenue where the A&P Shopping Center is now located. In fact, home plate was where McDonald’s now stands.
There was also a baseball field at Bear Mountain, and the Brooklyn Dodgers played spring training games at West Point. Meanwhile, the Mountain Athletic Club, formed by the Fleischmann family, featured such legendary players as Honus Wagner and Miller Huggins before their Hall of Fame careers in the majors.
Mayer, who has owned and managed Spring Fever, a vintage baseball memorabilia company for the last 19 years, can be reached at (845) 528-0726.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/