The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1949-08-25
Around Town With
The Editor

Before Tuesday nights game with
Trenton, Oren E, Sterling, president
of the Hagerstown Baseball Club,
told the press that it was with real
regret that he had to announce that,
due to the poor support afforded his
club, it would be impossible for him
to remain in Hagerstown after the
end of the season.
MIR. Sterling added, however, that
he had received several offers to sell
his franchise in the Interstate League
and that if he decided to accept one
of the offers, then it would be up to
the new owners to decide whether
they would keep the club in Hag-
erstown.
Mr.. Sterling also stated that if
any local group was interested in
buying the club and could meet his
price, he would be more than glad
to talk to them.
In discussing the situation, Mr.
Sterling did not say from whom he
had received the offers to buy the
club, nor did he say where he would
take the club next year, if he de
cided not to sell
Nowadays l can hardly walk ten
steps without being stopped by
someone who is concerned about the
possibility of organized baseball
leaving Hagerstown, and if the feel
ing expressed by these men is any
indication, then 1 feel that the ball
club could and should be com
munity project, in the event that
Mr.. Sterling decides to sell the club.
Last Sunday afternoon l attended
the game at Sunbury, and l learned
a lot about what community owned
baseball clubs could do. Three years
ago the citizens of Sunbury got to-
gether and put up the money to
build a ball park, and they have
without question one of the finest
B-League parks I've seen anywhere,
and the field itself is kept in abso-
lutely perfect condition at all times.
l was also amazed to find out that
despite the fact that Sunbury has
been either in the cellar or seventh
place for the last couple of months
or more, their attendance has kept
up remarkably. They played a
double header with the Owls on
Friday night: another double head
er on Saturday night, and a single
game on Sunday afternoon, and the
total attendance for the three days
was close to 2400, and that's more
than the Owls have in whole week.
Through Sundays game the paid at
tendance was over $4,000
The club has a unique system. Ev-
cry seat in the grandstand is re-
served, and the reservations are all
sold at price of $1,000 a year, be-
fore the season opens, and in addi-
ton to paying $1,000 for the right
to reserve a seat for the full season,
each one buying reserved seat buys
a book of general admission tick
cts for a stated number of games
during the season Then there are
number of boxes that are all sold
before the season opens for 500
each.
Another thing that amazed me
was the announcement during Sun
day afternoons game of the extra
activities that were going to be car
ried on during this week.
mention these facts to show that,
despite the fact that the team is not
up in the first division, it can COM
mand good attendances at the
games providing the whole commun-
ity gets behind the club, all of which
brings me back to my original
thought that if Mr. Sterling does de-
eide to sell the Hagerstown fran
chise, we people in Hagerstown
ought to get together and buy it to
keep organized ball in the commun-
ity
There is still plenty of activity
going on in Baltimore regarding
Democratic candidates for Governor
in next years general election
About two weeks ago there was
flood of post cards stating in bold
type Maryland Wants Lee Elgin
For Governor" And now this week
there is another avalanche of post
cards simply reading-'It's Elgin
Time For Governor.
AS / said a couple of weeks ago
in this column, it is obvious that
this publicity is in the nature of
trial balloon, and I still feel that
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