The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1951-06-28
BEHIND
HOME PLATE
By DOUG STEWART


second baseman, really crossed up
Wilmington in the seventh inning of
last Wednesday nights game. With
two men on and nobody out, the
Wilmington infeld, recognizing jim
my as one of the best hunters in the
league, came in expecting bunt -
in fact they were practically down
his throat II but Jimmy, after let
ting the first ball go by, smacked
into the next pitch and sent it deep
into leftfeld for a double, to drive
in two more runs.
$50
For several weeks l have been
doing everything in my power to get
the Interstate League All-Star game
which will be played on Monday,
July 9-held in Hagerstown.
AS you know, the game will be
played in the town that has the
largest paid attendance and through
Sunday night, according to my I'M
official figures, we have had paid
attendance of 28,004.
Unfortunately, however, the pres
ident of the league has given the
Sportswriters' Association-of which
Frank Colley is president and I am
secretary-no information whatever
concerning the attendance Of other
clubs or, for that matter, any other
information on the All-Star game,
and when I asked Rufus Edwards,
general manager of the Hagerstown
Braves, if he had any figures on the
home attendance of the other clubs,
he told me that the only figures he
had were those released by Mr.. Nu-
gent as of June l.
You also know that we are voting
here in Hagerstown for the players
we want on the All-Star team, but
here again there is no information
available as of how the voting stands
at this date.
That's the first time I've ever
heard of promoting an All-Star game
by keeping the fans entirely in the
dark as to what is going on.
Any day that you pick up Met
ropolitan Daily you will find plenty
of news about the Major All-Star
games, with each days voting on the
players prominently displayed, and
to be perfectly frank, there are
lot of fans here in Hagerstown who
at the present time are taking a
whole lot more interest in the Major
leagues A1l-Star game then they are
in ours-and frankly l can't blame
them much.
Apart from the pitching of Andy
Bush, who has hung up remark
able record of eleven straight wins
without loss, and the fact that AL
len has a record of 7 and 2; Miller
Z and 3; and Levinson 8 and 4
through Monday night, it is the real
team spirit of the club that is keep
ing us on top of the heap.
It's been a long time since have
seen a Hagerstown ball club that is
any happier than the 1851 squad.
There isn't a sign of dissension any
where and the boys hate to lose a
game even more than the fans do.
Dutch" Dorman, like any other
manager, gets his share of razzing
from the fans when things just don't
go to suit them but he, in my book,
deserves a world of credit for the
job he is doing and the way he is
teaching his boys the tricks of the
trade.
The Braves have had their share
of injuries since the season opened,
but someone has always bobbed up
to fill in and one of the good points
of the team, that a good many fans
overlook, is the fact that there is
potential hitting strength right
through the batting order, from top
to bottom, whereas a good many
clubs have their power either at the
top or in the middle only
The Braves may not win the pen
nant-but it is my guess that they
will-but where ever they finish on
Labor Day they will be. in there
fighting until the last man is out, in
the last inning, of the last game, of
the season.
Keep it up boys = you are all
doing a fine job.