Evening star., 1916-05-28
CLUBS ARE PUNCHED
Blue Ridge League Players
Show Improvement.
HANOVER FIEL0ERS BEST
Martinsburg Loses Five Points, But
Still Heads Organization
With Bat.


MARTINsBURG. W. Va. May IL
1915 schedule of the Blue Ridge League
was marked by a closer punching OF
all six clubs of the circuit-Chambers-
burg, Gettysburg and Hanover. Pa:
Frederick and Hagerstown. Md. and
Martinsburg. W. Va.-not only in the
club standing. but in every department
Of the game. While the fielding dur
ing the first week of play was gen
orally very good. with the single ex-
ception of Frederick, the Improvement
in this department during the second
week has been decided. Every team
shows clearer fielding than at the first
Hagerstown. which lost points from
the week before. and dropped from
first place in team fielding to fourth
position. Gettysburg advanced from
fourth place in fielding to third. while
lChambersburg went from third to sec
| ond place. Hanover went from second
to first place. while Martinsburg and
Frederick remain in fifth and sixth
places. respectively. The average of
team fielding, however. has shown a
gain of at least 10 per cent. indi-
eating that the boys are settling down
to their work and getting into their
stride as the season progresses.
In team batting there has been a
slight loss from the averages for the
first week of the season, although
Gettysburg shows a gain Of 21 points
over the first weeks figures. Mar
tinsburg lost points. but is still very
strong with the stick. Chambersburg
lost 8 points. but still holds to second
position in club hitting Hanover
~o al
Is points. Frederick clings to last
place in this department. as she does
in fielding. The slight loss in the
batting averages is due to the fact
are about through experimenting with
their pitchers. and those who have
made good" are now settling down to
better slab work than during the first
were played during the past week. the
scores, as a rule. being low and close
Cleaner fielding is helping to keep
the scores down and shorten games as
well as better pitching.
At the close of the season Of 1915 there
were eighteen men in the league who
we're hitting 900 or bet better, but the first
veioped but eleven men who have been
able to get within the charmed circle -
although there are at least a dozen others
| tShag) Rawlings. Washington boy who
is playing the outfield for Martinsburg,
| is leading the league with the healthy
average Of $50. while Kid scherdell, the
| league for the season. is second. with
| .444. Pedone. Baltimore boy playing
| the left garden for Chambersburs. is
closely pressed by Percy. Baltimore boy
playing short for Martinsburg, with an
| even 400 for the full quota OF games
thus far
Outhelder Roy Durborow of Oxford.
| Pa. with the Martinsburg team, and
Henry tshort) Long Of Washington: third
baseman for Martinsburg. are both hit
| ting close to the 300 mark as is Bobby
l Orrison. right gardener for Frederick
| Morris. Reggie Rawlings and Orrison
Of the past week, accounting for their
| comparatively poor showing at this time
| These men were the three sluggers of
the league last season and are expected to
has gone much farther. George (Stuffy)
Johnson. Baltimore bay who is back
| stopping for Frederick. also is of form In
hitting. He is natural 800 hitter in
in anything like his last seasons form.
Bugs Snyder of Chambersburg, Mahafie
Of Gettysburg. Chunk Of Hanover Bigler
stroh Of Chambersburg and Billy Starr
| Of Hanover all are hitting below their
last seasons form. but are slowly round
| ln& INTO shape ana are expected to get
| into their stride with the bat within a
short time. 1t is apparent. however that
| the pitching. as rule, Is better in Blue
Ridge circles this year than last and
| this undoubtedly has caused some of the
| batting stars OF last year to fall off in
| their clouting
| Among the pitchers who have been
| showing decided class in their work
| thus far are kid" Scherdell Of Han
over. kid" Stricken Of Chambersburg.
Lefty" Clarke of Maftinsburg. Knauer
Of Hanover. Colley of Martinsburg. NC
Cleary Of Hagerstown. Taylor of Fred
erick. Goodwin Of Martinsburg, Lefty
Baker Of Gettysburg. Ehmling of
Chambersburg and Kunkle of Hanover.
I-Each team in the league has at least
| two pitchers who can be depended upon
| to work consistently game after game:
but the above slabbists have thus far
shown the class of the league. Several
| Of the managers have begun to cut
down their squads. especially in the
pitching STATS, and 1t Is believed that
by next week each manager will know
| pretty well just how he stands in this
F.! depar tment. Abe Welcher. who won
| eight straight games for Hagerstown
| last year. has been released to Freder-
| lex, but has thus far failed to show his
| last seasons form. Frank Hoffecker, q
| Baltimore boy. who was one of the
| mainstays in the box for Martinsburg
| for two years. was knocked out OF the
box in his two starts for Martinsburg