Athletic Club's History is Rich with Characters, Charity, Baseball Royalty

At first telling, you might hear the story of the Glen Rock Athletic Club as a tale about your average bar.

But listen closely to the history of this members-only Glen Rock institution and you're likely to discover that familiar faces and one-of-a-kind stories combine to strike a chord which sounds uniquely Glen Rock.

Nestled on the corner of Main Street and Robinson Avenue, the building features three flat screen TVs streaming local sports, wood-paneled walls littered with schedules and beer advertisements, and multi-colored Christmas lights illuminate the U-shaped bar.

Stories are shared and games are debated by each of the inhabitants of the stools, but behind the bar’s unimposing exterior is a history of semi-pro baseball and philanthropy that stretching back through Glen Rock’s history.  

“The typical member of the club is a hardworking middle class guy looking for a place to unwind,” club Trustee Bob Trahan said. “You have to have thick skin though.”

A Club First Focused on Baseball...

The club, which was founded in 1926 and incorporated in 1938, is one of Glen Rock’s oldest operating businesses and was originally purchased by a “group of guys who wanted a place to go,” club President Chris Sefcik said.

Now outfitted with modern amenities such as free Wi-Fi, a large shuffleboard table, a pool table and multiple dartboards, the club has changed since its inception seven decades ago.

The original focus for the club was on the semi-pro baseball team — The Rockers — that competed against surrounding towns.  

The team, which was created largely by the late Capt. John J. Faber, or “Mr. Baseball,” as everyone back then reportedly called him — his obituary in a newspaper clipping from the 1950s referred to him as "Glen Rock's Mr. Baseball."

The team competed on Doremus Oval (now named John J. Faber Memorial Field) against the Midland Park Rangers, Allendale Allendalers, DuMuro Comets of Passaic, Newburgh Jewels and other teams in the neighboring areas.

Over the course of the Athletic Club’s semi-pro history, the team had former Yankees legend Whitey Ford and Midland Park native Johnny Vander Meer pitch for the team. In August 1951, Ford took time off from his duties with the U.S. Army in Fort Monmouth and pitched a shutout for the Rockers – striking out 17 hitters.

Larry Doby, the second African-American player to be signed to play in the major leagues and first to do so in the American League, played for the Rockers under Faber before Major League Baseball integrated minority players in 1946. Doby would enter the major leagues after a stint with the Athletic Club and go on to appear in seven All-Star games and place second in the 1954 MVP voting.

...Then Charity...

“Early on the [Glen Rock Athletic Club] was all about semi-pro baseball,” Sefcik said.

Today, the club is less focused on the team they compete with and has shifted its focus towards donating to charitable associations and supporting the local sports programs while renting the hall above the bar for parties and events, something that has not been easy, Sefcik, who has been president for 13 years, said.

“Like all businesses it’s a struggle to survive these days,” Sefcik said. “The [club] has a tremendous property tax burden along with the other costs of associated with just operating business; we hope to keep the club going for years to come. In this economy nothing is easy.”

Despite this, the Athletic Club has hosted multiple events for both charity and fun throughout the year.  All of the proceeds from the Club’s annual fishing trip are donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation in memory of a member who died from the disease a few years ago, Sefcik said.

“Usually after a member passes we collect money to donate to a certain charity,” Sefcik said.  

The club has donated to the National Search Dog Foundation, Autism, the HERO Campaign and others, Sefcik said.

Through its members, who pay annual dues to support the business, Sefcik said the club is able to offer the Glen Rock community sponsorships and free hall use to multiple sports organizations, including Glen Rock Jr. Football and the Glen Rock Baseball Association. 

Events the club has hosted over the course of this year have included a family picnic, sponsored bus trips to Atlantic City, multiple fishing trips, golf outings and their annual spam cook-off.

...But, Always Community

Besides its philanthropic roots, members said The Glen Rock Athletic Club also offers its supporters a place in the community that brings people together that span multiple generations of Glen Rock and local residents.

“When I moved into Glen Rock, I was looking for social places to meet people in town,” Trahan said.

Trahan, who received his membership as a Christmas gift from his wife — whose father and uncle were both members of the club — said he joined as a place to network and be social, but has since been “more involved” and is currently in charge of the club’s entertainment.

“I wanted to spark interest in the club and get more members,” Trahan said. “A lot of people don’t know about it.”

Ken Biegert, a lifelong Glen Rock resident, said he has been a member for over 20 years but attended the bar for much longer. Biegert said before he became a member he would spend hours talking with the painters and masons he often met at the bar.

“I can remember living within walking distance – over the tracks and through the woods – and I was never a member,” Biegert said. “There have been some characters in this club.”

Sefcik, who became a member with the club the first day he was invited by a friend in 1987, said he joined because of the people and opportunity to meet new friends.

“It’s a place to call your own,” Sefcik said.