The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1948-08-19
BEHIND HOME PLATE
By Doug Stewart

Manager Benny Culp has develop
ed the Hagerstown Owls into the
hottest team in the league, and they
are now proving the old adage that
"The team that won't be licked can't
be licked"
The fans are showing their APP
probation of the heads-up ball be-
ing played by the club by coming
out to the stadium in somewhat
larger numbers for the home games,
but the way the Owls are playing,
the stadium should be filed every
night, and it is my sincere hope that
when the team comes home on Tues
day night to meet Harrisburg, that
there will not be a vacant seat.
For the plans to make Tuesday
night the biggest night of the sea-
son, see story elsewhere on this page.
1t seems to me that the president
of the minor leagues should have
something to say when major league
clubs make a so-called working
agreement with the minor league
clubs and then simply forget that
such an agreement is in existence.
The treatment that the Hagerstown
Owls have had at the hands of the
Detroit Farm System is in my book
a disgrace to baseball Whatever
arrangements Mr.. Sterling may
make next year, it is my guess that
he will certainly never tie in with
Detroit again.
A striking illustration of the I'M
fairness of their attitude toward
Hagerstown was the recalling of
Lou Fauth to Buffalo, who was sent
here on option. There was nothing
wrong with Lou getting his chance
in higher company, but there was
everything wrong with Detroit's
action after he was recalled. Earl
Ter in the season, Max Corless was
sent to jamestown by the Hagers-
town Owls on option, and when
the loss of Fauth reduced the Owls
pitching staff to five, Mr. Sterling
Immediately requested the Detroit
Club to send Corless back to Hagers-
town to take Fauth's place, but
Detroit completely ignored the re-
quest. And not only that, but they
have also completely ignored every
plea of Mr. Sterling's for help for
his ball club, and were it not for the
fine spirit of cooperation shown by
the Washington Senators organiza-
ton in sending us both Hal Keller
and Cal Ermer, the Owls would have
been in a hopeless position
Barney Schultz is much better
pitcher than his record of this year
and he can truly be labeled "the
1948 hard luck pitcher of the In
terstate League"
Monday nights game at the stad-
ium is a perfect illustration of the
tough luck that Barney has been
playing in With the score tied in
the ninth inning and his team
mates just starting to hit the York
pitcher, the breaks of the game
caused his removal in favor of
pinch hitter, with the result that the
relief pitcher got credit for the win,
and so far as the record is concern
ed, Barney just had a wasted nine
innings
While the willing right handler
has been knocked out of the box
several times, he has also lost more
close games than any other pitcher
on the team, and his bad luck start
ed with his first appearance of the
year against Harrisburg on May 2,
when he pitched a four-hitter and
was beaten 81.
Barney has pitched more complete
games than any other pitcher on
the team, and but for the bad
breaks, would have very much
better won and lost record than he
has.
If the Owls had had Cal Ermer
on third base when the season open
ed, what different story it would
have been, for Cal, who came to
the club late in the season from the
Washington Senators Charlotte
Farm, is another reason why the
Owls are the hottest team in the
league right now. His work a
round the third base bag has been
bordering on the sensational, and as
I heard one fan put it, "He just
never makes bad throw"