Evening journal., 1917-01-10
BASKETBALL
IT'S ALL HERE
HIGH SCHOOL LEASES OLD BALL GROUND;
BRANDYWTNE EXPECTS TO GET SUITCASE
VANDEVER TALKS OF ENCLOSED FIELD

Front and Union field will be a
baseball diamond again this year.
All-wilmington League magnates
will get together the latter part of the
present month to shape their plans for
the seventh consecutive year OF the or
ganization.
New Castle will be member Of the
All-Wilmington this year.
Vandever, Brandywine and East
lake are determined to stick TO the
league.
Brandywine expects to sub-let the
Front and Union streets field.
Browntown wants in the big league
again.
The Church League will come back,
forming a new organization around
the Central, Second Baptist and the
Madeley teams.
Wilmington is not likely to be rep
resented in the county league which
Delaware City promoters are trying
to launch.
NThis Is all up-to-the-minute local
baseball dope. fans and it's all true
What do you think OF the layout?
Pretty good? We guess, yesl
With the close of the game in the
old town last year rumor said that If
any more baseball was to be played
at Front and Union the diamond would
have to be laid out on housetops, for
the same rumor bug had It that the
field was to be laid out i'm building
lots. But no so--this year John +.
Whitehead, the big boss OF the VII
mingtOn High School team, scrubbed
his signature on a 1917 lease for the
old playing ground a day or two ago.
Prince A. Mousley has been assured
that If the field is sub-let he will get
it. Guess that double leasing stuff
ties up the old diamond for another
year at least High School will use
the field for its fourteen mid-week
games. and the Brandywiners will hit
'em out there on their home Satur-
day games.
Vandever Has Big Ideas.
The All-Wilmingtons are beginning
% get real busy. Although BrOwnson,
Pioneers, Brandywine. Vandever East
lake, Bancroft, Newport and South
Side Eden retain their league fran
chises. II is likely that a new brace
of teams will start the 1917 season.
Newport is almost certain to be among
the has-beens, and az present baseball
arguments aren't disturbing anybody
in BrownsOn Hall II was said some
time ago that Vandever had filled its
bag, but the Ninth Warders arc again
holding midnight conferences with
Doc Gradwohl, and you know what
that means. Indeed, Vandever may
come back with an enclosed field
Backers OF the team are thinking OF
passing the hat in the Vandever ave-
nue. section until il contains enough
money to build a regular ball park on
the present site. One Vandever en-
thusiast says that II the plan goes
through, the club will fight for a six
club league playing Thursday, Satur-
day and holiday ball on the enclosed
Vandever, Front and Union and New
Castle fields. 1t sounds all right-all
right, but none OF the outsiders will
admit the feasibility OF the plan at this
particular time. Everybody on the In
side wants to see an enclosed VAN
dever field. That would mean good
business all around and give Ben
Mitchell and the Brownsonians a sec
ond think Even George Winter and
Jack MCGOWAN say it's a pleasant
dream.
However, this much is certain. New
port is not likely to be aroused by
the Vandever enthusiasts six cluh
dream. The club will not come back
Jack McDevitt is ready to hang VI
the New Castle outfit on the Newport
rack and il Brownson doesn't kick In
for the second year either Parkside
Browntown or Chesrook will get the
vacancy. Already Harris Merrill has
filed the Browntown bid. As Jack Nc
Devitt's application was filed last
wear New Castle will get the first va
cancv. Should there be only the New
port gap to fiji Browntown and Ches
rock would be on the outside unless
the league agreed on q ten club or
organization. That, too. would be goot
for some of the managers want EN-
all in, the more the merrier
Two Teams In Ninth Ward.
Concerning the Ninth ward situa
toni Several weeks ago there was Z
movement on foot to consolidate th'
Brandywine and the Vandever teams
giving that section of the town tw,
teams in Brandywine-Vandev an'
Eastlake. The injection of fresh hop
into the Vandever organization ant
the intention to use Front and Uniol
field by Mousley. however. means tina
the Vandever and the Brandywin
teams will go it alone another yeal
Vandever playing on its new, or old
lot. and Eastlake continuing to ca
wort on the twenty-ninth and Marke
streets diamond. Brandywine is sal
isfied to drop out of the three cornel
ed ward fight under the new cond
lions. A Brandywine Eastlake anna
gamation is probable.
Church Leaguers Busy.
President Collision will keep III
Church Leaguers going despite r'
ports to the contrary. The organizS
ton has been wobbly before but ha
always recovered. It will recove
again. Get that? The Central, Made
lev and the Second Baptist boys ar
already practicing with their mouth
and when reorganization night roll
around at least six clubs will b
scrambIing for places in the league
Harry Jacobs, Bill Wintrup and Shan
Cloward are already in. Prexy Coll
son or the sporting editor of TIL
EVENING JOURNAL will WELDON
applications from either three or NV
more teams. AS the first in are likel