Milford chronicle., 1949-09-16
Sho League Closed 40
Season In Good Shape
CONTINUED from f,rss page,

stated that the independently op-.
Grated clubs, Rehoboth and Feder-'
alsburg, would not last out the sea-
son. Still others claimed that in
dependent and semi-pro baseball,
together with the attractions offer
ed by Delmarvia's beach resorts,
would "wean away" many sport
lovers from the professional brand
of baseball. Fortunately, more of
these productions came trne.
OF course, the Sho' League lost
some fans when Milford and Dover
withdrew from the circuit, but
more extensive promotional pro-
grams and closely-contested
pennant chase drew new fans" to
those parks still offering pro base
ball. Rehoboth and fredericksburg
fooled the would be experts" by
weathering all the storms, and
coming up with clubs good enough
and strong enough to make first
division and playoffs berths. At
tendance at the beaches increased
and Independent baseball made
some gains, but none of this was
apparently at the expense of the
Eastern Shore League.
Fred Lucas, league president
and the man who deserves most
credit for the encouraging year en-
loved by the Glass d circuit, said
recently that the 1949 Eastern
Shore League, with six clubs, came
awlfully close to drawing as many
through the turnstiles as did the
194S version, which had eight
clubs. This, naturally, would indi
cate that gains at the boxofflce
were enjoyed by majority of those
clubs who are holdovers from the
1948 circuit. Lucas is we'll pleased
with the 1949 records and is conf
dent. not only that the league will
operate again in 1850, but also that
it will be much stronger.
The Seaford Eagles rate a ybig
assist on Rehoboth's reaching the
playoffs, as it was the Eagles
clean sweep of a Labor Day double.
bill with Cambridge, while the Sea.
hawks were splitting pair will
Salisbury, that dropped Cambridge
from fourth to sixth and yenableC
the Seahawks to climb into fourth
i Seaford. itself, only missed a ti'
for fourth by one-half game, tn,
Egales finishing with the sam,
number of wins as Rehoboth, bu
with one more loss. The then Mil
ford Red Sox missed a first divis
ion berth and the playoffs by th
same margin in 1947, Federalsbur'
slipping into fourth, by a one-hal
game margin, on the final day o
play.
Most lower Delaware fans hav
been pulling for Seaford, RehobotI
and fredericksburg all season, hop
ing that each would make the play
offs. They were naturally partia
to Rehoboth and Seaford inasmuc
as these teams were Delaware
|, only entries in a -six-club circui
that included four Maryland clubs
and they "rooted" for Federals
burg, because the Feds, like tn
Seahawks, were independently or
Grated. Anyhow, two of these thre
favorites made it, and it looks a
if these two have an EXCEPTIONAL
good chance of making the finals
> The fact that the. leagues tw
independently operated clubs SUI
: vived and reached the playof
should do the league, as a Who'll
much good, and should serve to ell
courage fans in Milford, Dover, an
Z other towns to give thought to til
possibility Of attempting indepent
ent operation of Sho' franchises
the future.
a The Eastern Shore Sportswritel
' Association, the semi-official pul
licity agency" for the Easter
Shore League, turned in anoth,
= steller performance this past Sh
- League season, and did much
stimulate and sustain fan interes
h The Association climaxed it's pc
formance with the award of tt
phies to the league pennant-wi
ners, the "Most Outstanding Ma
ager," and the "Most Valuab
Player" Last Saturday night wee
handsome and suitable engrav
trophy was presented by the ASS
/ citation to Gene Corbett, Salisbu
pilot, who was recently honor
with selection by the scribes as t
leagues 'Most Outstanding Ma
. ager." The past Wednesday ev
ming, the Easton Yankees receiv