Evening star., 1932-09-04
CHAMPS HARD PUT
TO REMAIN ON TOP
virqinians Battle Wednesday.
! BrentWood's New Courts
Boon to Game.
HIC DARR of BallSton,
plucky little chap who won
~ the Northern Virginia

" the Northern Virginia
horseshoe C h ampionship
last year, and Long Joe Merry
man of Bladensburg, Southern
Maryland title holder, will make
what promises to be a desperate
defense of those honors this week
in two of the four big tourna-
ments to make up The Stars
fourth annual Metropolitan cham
pionships.
Darr will pitch at Falls Church We'd
nesday night in the northern Virginia
tournament and Merryman at Brent
wood Friday night in the Southern
Maryland affair, both events to get
under way at 7:30 o'clock.
The Washington and metropolitan
tournaments will be held the following
week.
WOUNG Darr is up against it hard,
i He will have at least three and
possibly four rivals who figure to
take his scalp. Principal among these
is George C. Thompson of Falls
Church, who recently won the Fairfax
County championship and on whose
splendid pitching layout the tourna-
ment will be staged. Another is Thomp-
sons townsman, Ed Henry, who fought
it out with George c. for the county
crown in a final that kept the pegs
hot and a mob of spectators on pins
and needles.
Darr's third formidable foe will be
Cloytsn S. Henson, whom he de-
throned as State champion. Henson has
been pitching with irregular skill, as
witness his failure in the classic Nc
Lean, Va. invitation event, but in sew
eral independent matches has been
wizard.
EOR instance, it is reported he tossed
i "a ringers in 26 shoes the other
night against Raymond Brown,
a candidate for the Washington title.
Brown averaged so per cent ringers, but
scored only % points. Then there was
a battle with Thompson a short time
before in which the Arlington youth
pitched AZ innings in only seven of which
he failed to make ringer Thompson
missed only six, but lost the game, 50
to 46. The pair totaled los ringers.
A dark horse at Falls Church will be
one Cockerille, who. unhe-alded, made
a fine showing in the Mclean invita-
tion. He came within point of elm
mating the formidable Ed Henry.
If Chic can get past these the crown
that now adorns his blond noodle will
remain there for at least another year
THE horseshoe situation in Maryland
+ l. is looking up as never before. There
: are more and better pitchers than
ever, but new factor which has helped
lot is the enterprise shown by the
town Of Brentwood in boosting the
sport With w. N Mahaffey, member
of the City Council, taking a leading
! hand, the town has established horse
shoe layout in Bartlett Park that
promises to become something of a
center for the game in Southern
Maryland.
Three courts have been clustered in
a grove of towering trees. an ideal set
ting, with ample room for spectators,
and the layout will be well lighted. The
courts, meticulously measured and
leveled, have pegs extending about five
feet into the ground and the clay, while
firm enough to hold shoe no matter
how it grounds, does not cling to the
iron.
HORSESHOE pitchers who have seen
4 i the new layout eagerly await the
official christening in the State
, tournament next Friday night. In
cidentally, the horseshoe courts are a
forerunner of other recreational facilities
planned for Bartlett Park by Mayor
James Sampson and the City Council.
Tennis courts are in the making and
ambitious citizens of Brentwood look
|, to a day when swimming pool will
be available. That, however, is in the
indefinite future.
In the meantime, Brentwood is con-
centrating on the horseshoe business,
which promises to be plenty exciting.
sMerryman spreadeagled the field last
year, but not even his most ardent sup
1 porterS. including the stancheSt Of all,
his young daughter, Strawberries" can
see a rosy path ahead for the Bladens-
burg beanpole.
AHERRYMAN himself is most con-
lVl cerned over Lee Fleishman of
Decatur Heights, whom he has
met lately in number of tune-up
matches.
"Fleishman, most of the time" says
the champ, has pitched ringer for
some pitchers in Southern Maryland
!who haven't played in the tournament
before who will make it hot for any,
body"
OF the pitchers of known ability
Merryman's principal rivals appear to
be, besides FleiShman. Frank Bauman
and Ray Ward of Mount Rainier, much
improved over last year; Merle Heilman,
Elwyn Woodward. j. D. and Rolph
FARRELL of Hyattsville and several from
Montgomery County.
Little has been heard this season
from the former metropolitan cham
pion. Millard E. Peake of Bethesda and
If he completes Friday night his status
will be that of dark horse.
"A LARGE gallery is assured for both
~ the Northern Virginia and South
ern Maryland events. each of which
will qualify five players for the metro
roolitan finals instead of four as orig
inally planned. The semi-fnalists OF
each State will qualify with the fifth
position to be competed for by the de-
feated semi -finalists. With the defend
ing champion. Harry F. Saunders, auto
rnatically eligible, this arrangement will
give the grand play-of the ideal field
of l6 and eliminate byes.
Those desiring to play in the North.
ern Virginia event should communicate
with George C. Thompson, East Fall'
Church, and If by telephone at Falls
Church 286.
Entries for Southern Maryland play
should be sent to Chairman Mahaffe!
at 36l6 Fenwick street, Brentwood. o.
telephoned to him at Greenwood 1908
The horseshoe editor will assist il
making the pairings for both tourna