Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-17
BY FRANCIS e. STAN.

- ANDLOT efficiency experts have
been wrestling for the last tive
years In an effort to explain the
sudden downfall in interest
since 1922 and equally sudden rise In
the fortunes OF 10 many sandlot clubs
this season.
Sandlot base ball is in for one Of its
biggest years, 1t seems, judging from
the large crowds that have thronged
the EllipSe, the Terminal "Y" Park and
the various other fields.
Old-time fans and players well re-
member the throngs who daily trekked
to the Washington Barracks some seven
or eight years ago to watch SUCH teams
as the Mohawks and Dominican Lyceum
play in the old Independent City series.
AS many as 5000 spectators packed the
barracks field at times.
Since that time, however. there mas
been q general let-down in the interest
and until this season a Sandlot team
was lucky to draw 500 fans.
Perhaps the underlying reason Tor
the sudden increase of interest In sand
lot ball is the formation Of well or
ranized leagues. True, there were one
Of two loops functioning only q rev
years back, but they were hardly run
OF with the machine-like precision that
the six week day and two Sunday
leagues are being now. Daily the Gov
eminent and the Terminal ~" League
games are watched with intense interest
by from $500 to 2,000 followers, and
the Industrial, the Departmental ana
the Church Leagues are not far behind.
Weekly the Capital City and the 1nde-
pendent Leagues pack in the patrons.
An example of what match play can
do for sandlot base ball Is the interest
manifest in the opening game OF the
newly organized Independent League
last Sunday, when the Northern REQ
Birds and the Silver Spring Giants met
at Silver Spring.
Only one other game drew Q crowd
comparable to this one and that was
the Bloomer Girl-Giant farce q rev
A couple Of Sundays ago the North
erns and Trenches put on game AT
the Griflth Stadium, the winner OF
which was supposedly to become
the city independent unlimited champ:
Every one knew that 1t would be q good
game, and even the fondest hopes Of
the most optimistic were exceeded IN
this respect. Yet only 1877 fans attend
ed the game. The reason was, of
course, that it was only another ball
game, with no particular title at stake.
But watch those crowds that will
come out for the next meeting between
these two clubs, or any Of the clubs
entered in the newborn loopl Then
these teams will be battling for some
thing-the District independent unlim-
tied championship!
A little live wire battery, with ends
positive and possessing no negative ele-
ment at all, turned on all the Juice at
its command and Short-circuited the
Government Printing once yesterday.
And with this short-circuit G. p. o.
was jolted out of second place and
the tiny battery of "Peewee" Hamilton
and Jimmy Pearson put the in-and-out
Interstate team into undisputed second
place in the Government League.
Hamilton must have had number
6 on his mind. He allowed q. p. o.
8 hits, struck out 6 and won his game,
6 to !.
Wesley Mcdonald, Interstate's psy-
Geological singer and memorial man
ager, has been signed by Bill Flester to
Independent League,
Flester now has two hurlers on his
club, Bob Lyon and Mcdonald. Each
is scheduled to take care OF one game
next Sunday when the Frenchnen hook
UP with the Seat Pleasant Red Sox in
double-bill at Mount Rainier.
Watch out there, Joe Tucci!
Bob Lyon evidently covets the honor
Joe hcldeHes being. the most versatile
player on the sandlots, 30, despite the