Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-17
"|ZZY" HOFFMAN IN
BASEBALL AGAIN
Former Wilmington "A. A. Star
Returns and is Coaching Team
in Girls League.

The rooters for the Traffic Department
team in the du Pont Girls Baseball
League claim their team is improving IN
form faster than any other aggregation
which is in the fight for the pennant. The
Traffic Department team has the hene-
flt of the coaching Of " G. Hoffman,
better known 20 old Wilmington baseball
fans as "Izzy" Hoffman All the old base
ball fraternity that followed the winning
course Of Jesse frysingers 3 famous IA
baseball team that played over the
bridge" will be Interested to know that
"Igay" il now, and has been, resident 81
Wilmington and employed by the du Font
Company for the last two years. lie has
given up baseball as n profession, but
when the girls teams were organized, the
members of the Traffic Department teafn
asked him il he would take hand m
showing them the real scientific way IT,
run bases. knock out hits and win gaines
Hoffman has been one Of the moving
spirits in keeping alive the interest IN the
game among the girls, and nj every pppur-
tunity has taken his team out ani put
them through their PAGES
DAYS oF THE A As.
"Iy5v" Hoffman has played baseball
from ,oaRt to cuagt in the nitfd states
He was tho famous oonterfielder on the
old Wilmington "AA' and afterwards
wna with Detroit IN the American League
From there he went to Washington ~ the
American League. and also played on the
Montreal team IN tho old ! asteru League
In 1905. when Jesse Frysnger took his
famous collection of stars 60 ltnlypkn,
Massachusetts,. Hoffman was IN the
crowd, These old timers who consti-
tuted, perhaps. the most famous team that
Wilmington ever knew. made "A groat
reputation in the Connecticut League,
winning the pcnnant there and losing
only about l5 gaines out 81 the last 20
played lscsidos Hoffman. Jesse Try
singer took with HIM to flolyoke, Deal
Hartley. Remonter. Met abe, llunmcll
and Farrell All Of these names will
evoke old time memories IN tho minds oi
the mature mon of Wilmington today who
helped cheer this team on 10 victory IN 50
many gamcs ut the old grounds over the
bridge.
Hoffman afterwards went to Boston IN
the National League. and also played
three years NJ Providence III the old
Eastern League His baseball activities
also led him TO the Pacific coast, where,
during the season of 1911, 1912 and a part
ut lblo. ne piaNeu III tiit litih III th' 9tth
land Club OF the Pacific Coast League.
He finished the season of that latter year
with the Hartford Conn. club.
During his baseball career lzzv' Hof-
man also was in the managing game quite
number of times. In 1914 he managed
the Reading club in the TrI-State League
in 1915 he had charge Of the Peoria,
Illinois club in the Three O. League, and
in 1916 piloted the Rldgeway, Pcnnsyl-
vania club in the Interstate League.
Since that time hc has definitely retired
from baseball activities and has been de
voting himself TO business, lie Is now a
member of the traffic department OF the
du Pont Co.
Hoffman believes that baseball is one
of the finest pastimes, not only for boys.
but also for girls. He has been impressed
bv the eagerness and enthusiasm with
which the girls in his department have
entered into the spirit of the game. Some
of these girls have real native ability as
PLAYERS, but the spirit and vim that they
put into their games is pleasure TO man
like Hoffman, who has spent so many
wears in the serious end of baseball.
Hoffman says that the girls show moer
real fighting spirit than many teams that
he has handled. They are good losers,
but they do not want to lose until the last
ball has been pitched and the last run
scored