The Wilmington morning star., 1946-02-09
POLLOCK, STEFANO
HEAD CITY'S NINE
BY EDWARD SACHS
j. Star Sports Editor


Class D Tobacco State league will
be operated as a tWo-man concern
composed of L. M. Pollock and V
A. Stefano running the affair with
Bert Kite acting as manager, the
Star learned last night from 9
source which can not be named.
J. E. L. Wade frequently named
in this city's baseball dealings has
no connection with the Wilmington
club though he was selected as
temporary chairman of the league
at its meeting Thursday night in
Clinton's Rufus King hotel.
Other "sidelights'' on the opera
ton of the local club revealed to
the Star include:
The leagues offices may be
moved to Wilmington as the logical
center of circuit activities.
A 120-game seven-day a week
operation is planned with the
Shaugnessy playoff system con-
Guiding the league season.
A feature of the season will be
a league All-Star game between
the first place team as of date
to be selected and leading players
Of the other five teams.
Wilmington club will probably
operate under the name Of Pirates.
While the check covering the
necessary 1890 deposit for Will
mington was signed by Pollock, he
and Stefano will have equal au-
thority in making local decisions.
League clubs have not Official
ly'' contacted players but various
club owners expressed at the
meeting that from the plentiful
supply of players available, one
of the fastest Class D clubs in
the country is possible.
Pollock and Stefano plan to op-
crate their club as an independent
operation. While they may accept
player help from any higher clas-
sification league member they
will not attempt any working
agreement or any form of subsida-
ton from a major or higher clas-
sified minor league team.
The duo have priority rights on
all baseball operations in Whining
ton. In other words if they make
success of their club this sum-
mer they have the right to keep
control of any organized baseball
operation here next year. Which
means if the duo makes a success
of the operation, no Johnnie Come
Lately can steal their baseball
priority in Wilmington.
Improvements" in the Arneri-
can Legion stadium are planned
by the local owners but their plans
are still in the formulative stage.
One possibility may be the erec-
ton of an outfield fence.
Kite and Doc Smith, who played
for Wilmington in the old Pied
mont league operations are the
only two managers named for
league operations this year. Smith
will head the Angler operations.
Both Pollock and Stefano are
natives of Wilmington. Both have
15-year-old daughters.
Pollock, who raises full-blooded
Boston Bull terriers as a sideline,
will be remembered by old-time
cage fans as member of the
championship Brigade Boys club
cage team of 1924-23. Another
of that squad was Shuney
Britain, present manager of the
Montgomery Southeastern club.
The Tobacco State league will
start operations during
the second week in May.
However, all final details will be
made at the league meeting here
in about a month.
The Stars source pointed out
that a ''quick" meeting of the
league may be called at anytime
# operations in any of the cities
being considered for the sixth
became "crucial."
The cities being mentioned for
he sixth spot are Dunn, Erwin,
and Henderson with Dunn consid-
cred having the best chances.