The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1950-08-24
BEHIND
HOME PLATE
BY DOUG STEWART

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See keeping Up With The
Braves" page 6, for the Interstate
League standings, postponed games,
schedule for the week, double plays,
and a review of the Braves games
of the past week. including the box
scores of Saturday nights game at
Allentown.
| wonder what has happened to
all the wolves who were bowling for
Dutch Dorman's scalp and predict
ing that the Braves would finish in
the second division? When we were
in that terrific losing slump these
wolves buttonholed me at every
corner and howled and yowled, but
during the last few days, with the
Braves really back in the running, |
haven't seen or heard from any of
them
AS this is written TUESDAY after
noon) the Braves have won seven
straight games and they won them
by playing the type of baseball that
put them so far out in front in the
early part of the season-in other
words, the team, evidently spanked
by the new players that owner Raney
dug down in his pocket to buy, sud-
denly came to life and started play
ing heads-up baseball again.
The fans of Hagerstown and
Washington County have been be-
hind this ball club and its manage
ment ever since the season opened.
Even in those days when it was OBJ
vious that some members of the club
were logging it, most of the fans
never swerved in their loyalty and
it's good to see the boys on the
team repaying that loyalty by again
playing heads-up baseball until the
last man is out in the last inning.
=
And while l am talking about
loyalty" the Boston Braves Ger
tainly gave Hagerstown a raw deal
when they sent their major league
club to play an exhibition game in
Wilmington, particularly as during
the spring training days down at
Myrtle Beach the Braves manage
ment promised Gene Raney to do
everything they could to get the
club into Hagerstown for an ex-
hibition game.
If Al Bennett wants to move up
he has got to learn to keep on bear
ing down whether or not his team
mates make errors behind him. In
the second game against Lancaster
here last Thursday night, Bennett
was pitching in his early season
form. He had struck out six men
and had only given up three hits up
to the seventh inning, but after Lind
made an error on the first batter in
the seventh, Bennett gave up three
hits in succession, including home
run, and was then taken out of the
box.
1t doesn't seem possible that a
pitcher could lose all his stuff as
quickly as that, does it?
1t is just my luck that the Little
League champions are playing in the
semi-fnals up at Williamsport, Pa,
on the very day that I have to be at
the plant getting out the paper. But,
although l can't be there, am hop
ing and praying that they will come
through and get into the finals, for
these kids and the men who run the
league, as well as the sponsoring or
CARNATIONS that made the league
possible, have all done wonderful
job and are a credit to the COM
munity.
There is a ding-dong battle right
down to the wire in the ''Y'' County
Softball League pennant race. After
last Sunday afternoons double
headers West End was on top by a
half game over the second-place
Friendly Market, with Pinesburg a
game and half off the pace in the
third slot. The league season ends
on Sunday afternoon when the fir
will really fly at Reservoir Park dia-
mond number one, where West End
and Friendly Market meet in a
double-header, with the champion
ship of the second half resting on
I,o