The All-Brothers Baseball Team
The Deike family is well known in Hye, Texas, perhaps because they took sibling rivalry to a whole new level. As brothers ourselves, Mahlon and I can relate. In August of 1935, the Deike brothers left their home (which we now care for as our tasting room) to represent Hye and Texas in one of the most unique sporting events in American history: the All-Brothers Baseball Championship.
Baseball in the Texas Hill Country back then was more than just a game. It was part competition, part community gathering. Every town—and some places that barely counted as towns—had a team. On Sunday afternoons, people gathered in the sun, brought food, and watched their neighbors compete. In the heart of the Great Depression, baseball offered a much-needed escape, a brief joy in tough times, and a sense of unity that rural communities clung to. Plus it beat working the family farm, running the general store, and clocking hours at the cotton gin (the stones of which sit in the meadow on our property).
So it was only natural that Fritz Deike’s nine sons, ranging in age from 13 to 32, would build a team of their own—nine brothers, nine positions.
The Hye Baseball Field
The brothers’ ballfield wasn’t fancy. It sat behind the Hye general store and post office, in front of what is now Hye Meadow Winery. The bases were tow-sacks filled with sand, the backstop was made of chicken wire, and Fritz’s sheep kept the grass short (and fertilized). There were no bleachers—just barrels, blankets, and the cheering voices from the community.
Everyone in Hye had their favorite player. Marvin, the pitcher, was said to have the most talent. Clarence and Ernest, the twins, played center and second. Fred was on third, Herman caught, Emil covered first. Victor took left field, Edwin manned right despite being blind in one eye, and Levi—the team manager—played shortstop.
Back in the 1920s, a lanky, serious teen from Johnson City sometimes joined the Deike brothers on the field. Lyndon B. Johnson, years before his presidency, often played first base. According to Fred Deike, LBJ “was a darn good first baseman. Had a lot of reach. Not many ground balls got by him that I can remember. And, he could hit pretty well.”
A Championship, a Coffee Company, and a Long Drive
The idea for the championship came from a salesman with the Nueces Coffee Company. After hearing about the Deikes on a visit to Hye, he pitched the idea of a showdown between them and another all-brother team: the Stanczaks of Waukegan, Illinois. The coffee company agreed to sponsor the event—new uniforms, $600 for travel, and national bragging rights on the line.
The All Brothers Baseball Championship was set for August 18, 1935, in Wichita, Kansas. The Deikes packed into two Model A Fords and made the 600-mile journey over six long days.
When they arrived, Wichita was already buzzing with a semi-pro World Series, and the Deike brothers watched from the stands. Fred recalled being mesmerized by a pitcher from North Dakota—Satchel Paige, who racked up 60 strikeouts in four games that weekend.
Under the Lights
The Deikes had never played under stadium lights before, and it showed. They started strong, scoring three runs in the second inning. But then Marvin’s curveball lost its snap, Fred took the mound but struggled too, and the Stanczaks—helped by a third baseman who was also a Catholic priest—ran up the score.
Final tally: Stanczaks 11, Deikes 5.
But the score didn’t matter. The Deike brothers had played for their town, their family, and for history.
LBJ’s Front Porch Speech
Years later, in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson returned to Hye, now the President of the United States of America. He stood on the front porch of the post office—the same porch from which the Deike boys had once run out to play—and honored Levi Deike, who had become postmaster.
In his speech, LBJ recalled:
“He’s come a long way since he and I played baseball out here in his backyard. At that time we had a team known as the ‘Deike boys,’ and I think they filled every position—didn’t you?—nine positions, all by brothers. And I am glad that we can accept his hospitality and be here on his front porch at his post office this morning.” Read it all here: The American Presidency Project
Today: Coordinates Vineyards Carries the Legacy
The old post office still stands in Hye — and so does the land where the Deike brothers once played. The home where the boys all lived is now home to Coordinates Vineyards, where visitors sip wine in the same space that once rang with the crack of a bat and the cheers of the Hill Country crowd.
Our tasting room is housed in an early Sears kit home, lovingly restored to honor its past. And on the grounds, you’ll still find stones from the original Hye cotton gin, where the Deike brothers once worked between games.
We haven’t forgotten the story. In fact, the photograph of the nine brothers in their crisp 1935 uniforms is proudly displayed in our tasting room—a tribute to the spirit of the place and the family that made it famous.
When you visit Coordinates, you’re not just drinking great wine.
You’re stepping into a story.
Visit Coordinates Vineyards
📍 10120 US-290 W, Hye, Texas
🕒 Open Wednesday–Sunday, 12–7 PM
🍷 Walk-ins welcome | Private tastings by reservation
Read all about it:
Texas A&M University Press – Oh Brother, How They Played the Game By Carlton Stowers
