The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1948-03-04
BEHIND
HOME PLATE
by DOUG STEWART
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to help us. had completely omitted
Jim and Ken Dudley of the Dixie
Press, who perhaps did the biggest
job of all -- printing the pro-
grams for the banquet (and every
body that | have talked to says they
are the best sports programs they
have ever SEEM absolutely free of
charge. My apologies to two fine
men for my very bad oversight.
Basketball
One thing about the Junior Bas-
ketball League is, that you never
know what's going to happen next.
In Division ii of the League,
which plays on Monday night,
Funkstown had been sailing along
since the beginning of the season
without losing a single game, and it
looked as if it was just going to be
a question of who was going to fin
ish in the second and third spots.
But what happens? On Monday
night the youngsters from the Ellks
team pop up and hand the Funks-
town boys the first defeat of the
season, so that now they are only
one game ahead of Alsatia and two
ahead of the Lions.
In the No Division, the three
way tie between the Boys Club,
the Independent AC's and the OPP
timist Club is going to be definitely
broken tonight, when the Optimists
and Boys Club tangle in the first
game of the triple-header at Wood
land Way High School Gym at GAS
p. m. The youngsters on these two
teams are really keen rivals, and if
you want to see some real action,
with every kid playing as if the
championship of the United States
depended on it, drive out to Wood
land Way Gym tonight at GAS
pep" Rambert's job with the 1948
edition of the Hagerstown Owls is
going to be a cake-walk compared
to the task facing my old friend,
Joe Kuhel, who takes over as man.
ager of the Washington Senators.
Joe, who l knew very well in the
days when he played first base with
the Nashville Vols in the Southern
Association, has got to build an en-
tirely new team with the exception
of Mickey Vernon on first base and
his pitching staff.
Of course, we know that the
pitching staff goes long way to-
wards making ball club, but when
you've got to build up practically
complete new infield, an entire out
field and catching staff, with moth
ing to choose from but bunch of
rockies, then you can really say
that the managers got headache.
| hear from Mr.. Sterling that
quite a number of ball players are
coming in from the Detroit Farm
System, and as matter of fact,
several of them have already been
sent contracts.
l know you are all interested to
know what the 1948 Owls Team is
going to look like, but until such
time as some of the signed contracts
start to come back to Mr. Sterling,
there isn't much use in guessing as
to who will, or who will not, be on
the squad. Mr.. Sterling, however,
is really keeping closely in touch
with all the sportswriters and broad
casters in Hagerstown and giving
us all information as fast as he gets
it, and you can bet your life that
the minute l get some concrete in
formation, will pass it right on to
you. In the meantime, keep talk
ing up the Owls, for the more peo-
pie we can get behind them, the
better ball club we are going to
have.
I had quite talk with Gene
Crumling the other evening, and he
assured me that he has not yet made
up his mind regarding his future
in baseball. l sincerely hope that
Il
tract to Mr.. Sterling, because he is
not only likeable chap, but he is,
in my book, one of the best catchers
in the league.