Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-07-08
BASEBALL FEVER
DOWN the PENINSULA
Sussex Towns Stirred Up as
Well as Points in Maryland
and Virginia.

ottu vHSuho.
Special Correspondence Every Evening.
Seaford, July S.--Basehall is having
a boom in the, lower end of the penin-
sula. as well es in the northern ard
central sections AT present there are
at least a dozen towns in the lower
section of the peninsula represented
By fast teams. mostly hired players.
The fastest all-home aggregation is
located-at Newark, Md. a little viii
lage between BerpSa and Snow Hill,
Md. This team is making a big name
for itself and putting Newark ON the
map. They have already trimmed sew
eral Of the hired teams.
The "old timer was at Federals-
burg, Md, yesterday. and saw Man
ager Hansen { Horsey's Centerville
team trim the Caroline boys to 5.
Notwithstanding fredericksburg had Sc
cured the services of Jess Legar. Of
Milford, and Hoch. of Bridgeville. In
conversation with several Of the play
ers of both teams. he was given a line
on some of the teams down the penin-
sula, and given TO understand that the
game had tai ken on new life on the
Shore
He was told that record breaking
crowds are attending the games. es-
pecially at Princess Anne, Cristield.
9'ocomoke city. Parksley and Cape
Charles. Va. Snow Hill. Newark and
Salisbury. the latter town having
played their first game on July 4.
when they split a douhle-header with
the soldieHS4 team from Hampton
Roads.
Snow Hill has secured = coach from
Johns Hopkins University. Baltimore.
% coach the team. Several members
Of this ieam are former members of
the Blue Ridge League, Hummer and
Jones. the crack battery with Fed
eraisburg last season, are with Prin-
cess Anne. Johnny Clayton, college
star. also with fredericksburg last
year. is with Salisbury, as is also
sunny" Truitt, formerly with Mardel-
la.
Crisfeld. 'parksiey and other Of the
clubs down that way, have secured
the best eml-professional and college
players they could find. There was
strong talk of organizing a league.
hut this feli through, and all the teams
are playing independent ball. Sails
bury was strongly in favor OF orgauiz-
ing a league. and the Chamber Of
Commerce Of that city got busy and
appointed a committee 70 look into
the baseball situation. They wrote
10 the president of the Blue Ridge
League. asking his advice in the mat
ter. and received a reply urging them
To form a league, II possible.
He stated that after 20 years ex-
perience in organized and indepen-
dent baseball he considered league
baseball far above independent play
ing. But the league was not organiz-
ID. and IL does not look as though
], will be. One OF the great ob5ec-
tsons TO league down this way is
the fact that 1t would be hard work
10 set all the clubs TO live up to the
by-laws and regulations,
The "old timer" was asked yester-
aay Cow he thought the teams Of TO-
day down the peninsula, compared
with the teams OF the old days and his
reply was that he did not considerl
thenS as fast by far. OF the teams he
has veen play this season. ne says
he fails TO discover any Home Run
RakerS Jack Townsends, Herzogs.
DykesS Floyd Clunns or Rommells on
them. All these, and many more, got
their start down here.
Speaking OF these old-timers brings
his mind back 10 a great series of
those days that was being played
between Seaford and Laurel Jack
Townsend. undoubtedly the speediest
pitcher ever down the peninsula was
doing mound duty for Seaford and
.NA" Clark. Of Dover, one of the
best tyirlers in the State in his hey
dsSt was pitching for Laurel. Carr.
wH4 afterwards became manager of
the Indianapolis, Ind American As
sof.iarion team. was covering first base
fof laurel. and Cub" Stricken. at one
time one Of the greatest second sack
efs in the National League, was COW
cring second base for Seaford
Al the other members of these two
ttams were in a class with these play
stsg
That was some series. and the "old
timer" does not think that any team
LII any section Of the peninsula today
would stand a ghost of a show with
those boys az that time Then there
was a great series between Seaford
and Cambridge. when Home Run
Baker, first came into prominence.
and when such stars as three-fingered
Brown. Of Cambridge, Joe Stidhan.
Ratcliffe. Manners. Brooks, all of
Cambridge, and Jack Townsend was
pitching and Dick" weand catching
for sesford.
Al that time Seaford had also Matt
kilroy covering first base. Bruce. the
Indian at second, and the two Schoe-
nut boys. Of the University OF Penn
syivania playing short and third base.
These two teams were the equal OF
any that ever played in a. series on
this peninsula. and could show the
way 20 any aggregations gotten to-
rether by any town on the peninsula
lodsy. After Jack Townsend left
Seaford ne joined the PhilIies and
made good from the start.
In the old days Seaford used to
hook-up sometimes with the fast,
wilmington teams. The "oId timer
remembers when the Americus and
Quick Steps of Wilmington used 10
come down. They were some games
ana witnessed by big crowds. The
late Gen. ". NJ. Ross was a great
baseball fan at that time. and on one
occasion, while he was managing The
team, the Americus were shut .ut
here, 10 o. Seaford imported
battery from Baltimore-Gardner and
Iaddock--for this game. Gardner
NIL. Haraae