Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-07-23
BIDDING HIGH FOR
FAST BALL PLAYERS
Lower Peninsula is Supporting
Expensive Teams With High
Prices for Stars.


high for ball players down the penin-
sula these days. players that can de-
liver. and from reports they WIFI con
tinue to bid high as the season adj
vances and the games get hotter. The
Seaford "old timer has been Keeping
a close tab on the games played in tho
peninsula towns. and by close obser-
vation he finds new face almost
every day on the teams now engaged
| in the battle for supremacy.
The games have progressed rapidly.
until now 1t takes pretty fair ball
player to hold down a job on any of
the teams. In fact the several towns
now in the race. including Salisbury.
pocomol<e City, Princess Anne, Girls
field and Snow Hill. Md. and Dover
and Laurel. in this State are securing
the seini-professionai ranks of the
cities to secure players.
Only this week Rockrock OF the
John y. Stctson team, Philadelphia,
Joined Salisbury. Rockrock was con-
sidered the best pitcher on the Univer-
kity of Delaware team the past sea-
son, and it was reported that several
big league teams were flirting with
him. There are now on the peninsula
teams scores OF Baltimore semi-pro-
fessionai players who are drawing
down big weekly wages. and from re-
ports the semi-professlonal ranks Of
Wilmington have been depleted 10
such an extent that there Is n notice.
able falling off in attendance at the
games in that city.
How different. from the old days.
The "old timer has In mind a really
great left-hand pitcher. who came 10
seaford from MilIyilIe. y. r.. for $50
per week and Dor 4. This same pitch
er today. IL he was in his prime. could
command four times that amoupt per
week with all expenses thrown in and
a score of costly presents that would
be handed him on the side. There is
n pitcher now working in one of the
towns down this way that last year
could have been hired at SIS a week at
the most. Today. the "old timer" Is
told he Is getting SOS per week and all
expenses Another instance is a
catcher, graduate OF n high hool
near here. who Is pulling down s55
4 week and all expenses for his first
year out.
II has not been SO many years ago
since n big league. then great ball
player, was suspended by his manager
without pay for a month. This same
player came TO Seaford, played an in
field position and managed the team
TOR $50 per week and board. Seaford
has had as many good ball players as
can be found on any of the peninsula
teams today that they only paid $40
per week and expenses. Today this
class of player Is drawing down at least
$40 per week and expenses.
The games today. though, are run
much on the same principle as in the
old days-that is. the financial end Of
it. The Peninsula fan viii come
across with his money. but he wants
to know the going of it. He wants
results. 1t is said that in one OF the
towns now engaged in the struggle
that $1,000 was needed only a short
time ago, and II was raised in a jiffy.
The "oid timer" has attended games
down here this season where he is
satisfied the receipts were close 70
5000 per game.
With attendance like this. the towns
can afford to bolster up the salaries
and reach out and hire really good
ball players. In the old days a $3.50
crowd was rare. But the admission
is about twice as much now. 1t used
TO be Is and IS cents and about 10
cents extra for grandstand. Now it
is 30 cents general admission and so
cents for grandstand.
While the managers are securing
the semi professional ranks of the
cities for players. there are still scores
OF just as good ball players on this
Peninsula as the city player ever
dared to be. An instance of this kind
WAS brought to light only this week,
when Princess Anne. recognized to be
one of the strongest clubs down this
way, secured "Vicn Goslin of Federals-
burg, Md. Goslin had been waiting for
a chance and when that chance came
he era bbed il with the result he
pitched the Princess Anne team to a
81 victory over the strong Newark,
Md, team, said to be one of the best
home teams ever gotten together on
the Shore. Goslin let them down with
two hits.
There are others on this Peninsula
who can make coed with these crack
teams now-ail they need is a chance
and a little encouragement. This
Peninsula is noted for its good ball
players, and the crop today is just
as large, If not larger. than it was in
the old days. The old timer" Is of
the opinion that there are some more
Home Run" Bakers and Herzogs
down this way. The trouble is they
don't get the opportunity. East New
Market has a young player in Piggy
Moore who has the making of a fine
baseball payer. He is terrific hit
ter and a corking good fielder. With
the proper manager to coach him he
ought to make good in fast company.
The germ" which is working over
time In many towns of the peninsula
has struck the fans of Cambridge
Md. and that city has decided To en-
ter the fun, playing their first game
yesterday with the Snow Hill, Md.
team, as its opponents. The strain
is also beginning TO tell on the fans
here, and they too are talking base
bali. The prospects are not bright
here for a team this wear 10 com,