Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1923-04-07
NEWS IN THE
WORLD OF SPORTS

arClcle appeared LII laSC sundays GUN.
"That the Eastern Shore Baseball
League is getting down to bedrock
foundation on which to further it's
aims in producing better pastiming on
the Maryland, Delaware and Virginia
peninsula was indicated at the annual
schedule meeting held recently at
Salisbury. While, Of course, the cir
cult is not patriarch in point Of age
in the game, it nevertheless is taking
advantage of experience gained by
other leagues and is rapidly gaining
more than ordinary foothold upon the
populace. From predictions made by
every representative of the eight-club
loop a prosperous year is in store for
the three-State league.
The real basis of a Class D league
is the strict adherence to the salary
limit. One Of it's chief purposes, theo-
retically at least, is the development
Of young players into possible big
league material, for it is in the min
ors that the major scouts are continu-
ally searching for "ivory".
Scarcely any advance was made on
the latter proposition during the sea-
son of 1922, but it is planned that by
hewing to the line little more close
ly the peninsula circuit will show
greater strides in this line during its
second year.
Perhaps the greatest step forward
was the unanimous adoption of Au-
gust as the final date on which players
might be acquired for the remainder
of the 84-game schedule. While APP
preciating the fact that the player
limit is IA, it is thought that every
team must "stand upon its own" when
it reaches that part Of the baseball
year with but month more in the
title race.
The question was not new, but the
Shoremen felt that definite solution
must be made to one of the problems
which it had to faced last year. Cam
bridge, in fact, finally discovering it.
self in last place toward the end of
the season, gained new lease on
life with a wholesale exchange of
players, and in the last few weeks
jumped from sixth to second place.
While not frowning upon any towns
ambition for the gonfalon, the Shore
magnates felt that some clear,cut UNI
derstanding should be had upon stu
alton ffaught with dangers to the life
Of the league. Had no other question
come up the settlement of this one
would have justified the conference.
Other leagues have had their troub-
les in this respect. In recent years,
with easy purse-strings Of ambitious
owners, the New York Yankees have
made some notorious deals of the late
season variety in order to win the
American League pennant and posi-
bly, the worlds series.
To curb this spirit of making base
ball over in mere buying and SELL
ing" game, the Ban johnson circuit
banged such tactics and moved back
the date when the final trades could
be made. The Eastern Shore officials
naturally felt their way was clear to
protect their lesser baseball interests,
and at the same time foster better
spirit among the fans of the eight
peninsular towns directly interested
in their league.
Addition of two more towns, Mil
ford and Dover, the latter the capital
of Delaware, greatly widens the
sphere of influence of the Eastern
Shore League. Not particularly for
titled previously with towns which will
support teams that have not been
particularly successful in the baseball
campaign, the selection Of Dover, it
is believed, will rally large group of
fans to the standard, the State CAPT.
tai being of sufficient size to ably
support league baseball. To a certain
extent, the wheel still remains in the
transition period and other changes
are quite possible within the next few
years, until the circuit feels itself
fairly stabilized.
There is at least one town in Mary
land which, it is said, would like a
berth in the Eastern Shore League. 1t
is Easton. This Talbot town was
deemed too far from the hub of the
wheel when it was first organized, a
little more than a year ago. Long
jumps for the players, especially on
days when double-headers were stag
ed in towns widely separated, was one
thing to be avoided.
Good roads prevail all over the cir
cult, but it was felt that Easton was
too far north. With the enlargement
of the league to eight clubs, this OBJ
stacle does not present the same diff