Evening journal., 1917-01-30
all YOU MIDDLETOWN
FANS WHO Want IN A
LEAGUE, SPEAK OUT
BY ~AL.,

MIDDLETOWN, Del. Jan. 30.-A
meeting of more than passing inter
est TO the baseball fans of NIiddletown
will be called for some night in the
near future by James q. Walls. man
ager of the fast Middletown team. This
purpose Of the meeting will be TO get
the opinion OF the baseball lovers Of
the town, as to whether it is their
wish to have team represent Middle
town in the proposed league. Mr..
Walls himself has gone on record as
against the proposed league, being for
Independent baseball He claims that
he can put better nine on the field
to play independent ball. than would
be possible should the nine be ia a
league.
Large numbers of baseball lovers in
MtddletOwn are not anxious that such
a league be organized. They point 10
the fact that the local club is the
equal of any on the peninsula. and
that It is composed Of home boys, with
the exception OF Finn, and Finn lives
here during the summer Should a
team be put in the league it will be
impossible to get the services Of the
members Of last years nine. for the
reason that they are employed tie en-
tire year. either on farms or in some
place of business, and therefore,
would not be available. Those fans
who have followed them during the
past two years, when they made such
an enviable record for themselves. are
loath to do drop them for a team OF
outsiders, TO be hired to play, under
the name of MiddletOwn, in a league.
It is TO get the opinion Of the fans
and those who would be asked to sup
port such a team, that the meeting
will be called, probably some night
this week
At the present time, sentiment in
favor of making the change is not
very strong, but should it crystalize
at the meeting, steps viii be taken to
form such a league at once. Should
such a league be formed. this town,
on account Of its size, and the great
interest shown by the citizens in base
ball. would be the logical centre. This
town was the first one to talk Of
forming a league. the first one to make
Investigations, and the first one to de-
clare the organization of a league im-
l'+t-N -tA'-Ns AAN AAANlNAAAE VI IA uN keNAA~
ed in order that any person in favor
Of such a team could not have the op-
portunity Of later saying that it was
through the efforts or Mr.. Walls that
AIiddletown was kept out Of the
league. AS a general rule, teams COM
posed of hired players who have rep
resented Aliddletown in the past, have
been very poor drawing cards. The
hried team that played against Odessa
last year did not have the sympathy
of any Of the fans here. The Middle
town fans prefer to see home boys in
action, and MiddletOwn has enough OF
them TO make a good showing against
even semi-professiOnals.
1t is only natural that the local citi-
zens should desire to nave an inde-
pendent baseball team here, because,
when Investigations we're made TO get
some data concerning a league such
a scheme was reported to be foolish.
Reasons and proofs of why a league
could not live in New Castle county
were obtained. and the investigation
was dropped Immediately However
a few citizens are still in favor of the
league, and it is up TO Mr.. Walls TO
convince them otherwise at the meet
ing to be called without doubt, the
verdict Will be that this town shall
play independent baseball in 1917