The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1952-06-26

ball Day" at their regular luncheoh
meeting, held at the Hotel Alexan-
der on Thursday and the guest
speaker was "Mr. Baseball of Hag-
erstown," ]. V. Jamison, Jr.
Eugene J. c. Raney, owner of the
Hagerstown Braves; Rufus j. Ed
wards, general manager; Dutch Dor
man, field manager; all the members
of the squad; and Judge Joseph D.
Mish, a member of the Field Ath-
letic Association; were honor guests.
The program was arranged by the
Sports Committee, of which Leonard
A. Lushbaugh and Willard F. Slifer,
are co-chairmen.
Mr.. Jamison is a recognized au-
thority on baseball. In addition to
playing the game himself-he was
on the varsity team of his college
and was also a member of the Hag-
erstown Club of the Independent
Baseball League, the first of its kind
in this community. He was pres
ident of the first organized baseball
league in this area-the Class D
Blue Ridge League-and was also a
representative of all Glass D. leagues
on the National Board of Arbitration.
He was also honored by being
named a member of the baseball
Commission that elected Judge
Kenisaw Mountain Lands as the
first Commissioner Of organized ball.
In addition to these honors, Mr..
Jamison was elected president of
our own Interstate League in 1916,
serving until the election of Mr..
Nugent.
In an unusually interesting and
humorous address, Mr.. Jamison took
his audience back to June, 1900-he
was then Is years old - when he
played on the Hagerstown team
financed and operated by the Rou-
lette Knitting Mills, that was spon-
sored by: Colonel Joseph c. Rou-
lSJJG, y. L l dl1h Il1ACliOOl, 1lS111D Ia
Bester Gather of the present Henry
Bester), Harry Crossen, MIR. Jami-
sons father, and several other base
ball enthusiasts.
The speaker then jumped to the
year 1914 when he, with group OF
other baseball fans, held meeting
on the Antietam Battle ground and
formed the Tri-City League, with
teams from Hagerstown, Frederick
and Martinsburg.
In the winter of 1915 the league
was increased to four teams-Hag-
erstown, Frederick, Martinsburg and
Chambersburg-and it was accepted
into the National Association of Pro-
fessional Baseball Leagues as a A.
club, Glass D league, known as the
Blue Ridge League, thus becoming
the first organized baseball league in
this section of the country. In 1916
Gettysburg and Hanover was added,
making it a six-team league. The
Blue Ridge league continued in OPP
Grafton until 1881 when, following
the national depression, it disband-
ed after paying all its debts In full
During the more than Is years
the Blue Ridge league was IN opera
ton it developed many major league
PLAYERS. among whom Mr.. Jamlson
recalled: Earl Mack, Doc Kramer,
Reggie Rawlings, Hack Wilson, Lefty
Grove, and Bill Sherdell, to men
ton lust a few, and it is interesting
to note that the present dean OF
major league umpires, Bill Nc
Gowan, got his start in the Blue
Ridge league also. incidentally, the
first president of the Blue Ridge
league was Charlie Boyer, of Hag-
erstown, who held the position for
lust month, being succeeded by
Mr.. Jamison who remained in Of
flee until the league disbanded.
During his talk Mr.. Jamison re-
called that it was back in 1919, fol
lowing the crooked World Series be-
tween Chicago and Cincinnati, that
William Veeck, president OF the
Chicago Cubs and father of the pres
ent owner of the st. Louis Browns
asked him to serve on the Commls-
sion that did more than anything
else to put organized baseball on its
present high level-the election OF
Mr.. Lands as commissioner.
Being a member of the National
Board of Arbitration, Mr.. Jamisor
became closely associated with the
Judge and accompanied him or
many of his nationwide trips. Cit.
ing the Judges rigid adherence to
the laws of the game, Mr.. Jamisor
told of the case of William Wrigley
owner of the Chicago Cubs and the
Los Angeles Club in the Pacific
Coast League, who bought another
club in the same league, the Port
1I 41.~a ,x,I,;oI, ~ ooy1rcp ic ron