Eastern Shore League

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The Eastern Shore Baseball League was a class D minor league baseball league that operated on the Delmarva Peninsula for parts of three different decades. The league's first season was in 1922 and the last was in 1949, although the years were not consecutive, and featured teams from Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. The first incarnation lasted from 1922 to mid-1928 (disbanded in July), the second from 1937–41, and the third from 1946–49. Though the level of play was competitive and many future major leaguers gained experience in the ESBL, funding the league remained a constant problem for the rural franchises.

Future major leaguers who played in the ESBL include notables such as: Frank "Home Run" Baker, Mickey Cochrane, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Vernon, and Don Zimmer.

The Eastern Shore Baseball Hall of Fame at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium in Salisbury, Maryland, pays homage to ESBL players and locals who made the major leagues. Perdue Stadium is the home of the class A Delmarva Shorebirds, an Orioles farm team.

History

The class D "Eastern Shore League" was started in 1922 using teams from the pre-existing Eastern Shore League, a group which had been playing baseball since the 1890's. The first meeting of the class D league was held on October 8, 1921 in Salisbury, Maryland where it was decided that the seven teams that completed the 1921 season would be joined by an eighth team for the 1922 season. The seven teams that completed the 1921 season were Cambridge, Crisfield, Laurel, Pocomoke City, Princess Anne, Salisbury, and Snow Hill. Four towns attended the meeting to seek expansion teams; Dover and Milford in Delaware, Berlin in Maryland, and Parksley in Virginia. Dover and Milford withdrew their request after it was decided that only one new team would be added for 1922. The Parksley team was nominated by Pocomoke City and the Berlin team by Snow Hill, with Berlin winning the vote 4 to 3.[1] At this meeting, a $1,750 a month salary limit was put in place and it was decided to divide gate receipts 50/50 with a guarantee of at least $60 per game. It was also announced that three town, Berlin, Cambridge, and Princess Anne, would build new ballparks.[2]

The Board of Directors met on October 22, 1921 and elected Walter B. Miller of Salisbury as the first President of the league. It was decided upon a 70-game schedule, five games at home and five games on the road, versus each team in the league for the 1922 season, with the final day being Labor Day. A general admission fee of 40 cents, including war tax, was set, and it was decided that each team should post an $875 guarantee by March 1, 1922 in order to assure the team would finish out the season. At this point, it was decided that having three teams in Worcester County would be too many. The director for each of the three teams, Berlin, Pocomoke City, and Snow Hill, volunteered for their team to withdraw. A vote was held and Snow Hill was eliminated, with the opening for the eighth team in the inaugural season being offered to Parksley, Virginia.[3] [4]

A meeting of Snow Hill residents was held shortly after where resolutions were passed protesting Snow Hill's removal from the league and it was reported that President Miller would call the Board of Directors back together to reconsider Snow Hill's removal.[5] By early November, it was reported that the residents of Snow Hill were so angered by their team being removed from the 1922 season, there was concern of it affecting elections in Worcester County that fall, as Snow Hill residents stated they would not support any candidate from Pocomoke City due to the Pocomoke City delegation not supporting Snow Hill to remain in the league.[6] This was refuted later, stating it was merely the opinion of a few young men in the heat of anger and the story had been spread to affect the election.[7]

In mid-November, President Miller announced that the Eastern Shore League was admitted by the National Association of Professional Baseball Clubs and that arrangements were being made for the winner of the league to face the winner of the Blue Ridge League.[8] By November 29, Snow Hill fans had threatened legal action, requesting an injunction to prevent the league from playing any scheduled games until Snow Hill was allowed to return to the league, saying that the league's organizational meeting was held at Snow Hill's suggestion. [9] On December 13, it was announced that Princess Anne was dropping out of the league because it could not find an adequate location for a new ballpark at a reasonable price, and that the former ballpark at Washington High School was too small for the league.[10] Speculation then began that Snow Hill may re-enter the league, that Princess Anne could be replaced by Milford or Dover in Delaware, or Easton, Maryland, who had been invited to the first meeting and declined, or that the league could contract and play as a six-team league for 1922, with Cambridge being mentioned as a possible contraction candidate.[11][12] At a meeting on January 5, 1922 it was announced that the decision by Princess Anne to withdraw was final and the representative of the Berlin team offered to withdraw, since Berlin was the last team added to the league. The league accepted the withdrawal under the terms that if the league expanded to eight teams again, Berlin would be added back.[13]

Host cities, teams and years

Cities represented Teams Year(s)
Cambridge, Maryland Cambridge Canners 1922–1928,
1940–1941
Cambridge Cardinals 1937–1939
Cambridge Dodgers 1946–1949
Centreville, Maryland Centreville Colts 1937–1939
Centreville Red Sox 1940–1941
Centreville Orioles 1946
Crisfield, Maryland Crisfield Crabbers 1922–1928,
1937
Dover, Delaware Dover Senators 1923–1924,
1926
Dover Dobbins 1925
Dover Orioles 1937–1940
Dover Phillies 1946–1948
Easton, Maryland Easton Farmers 1924–1928
Easton Browns 1937
Easton Cubs 1938
Easton Yankees 1939–1941,
1946–1949
Federalsburg, Maryland Federalsburg Little A's 1937–1941
Federalsburg A's 1946–1948
Federalsburg Feds 1949
Laurel, Delaware Laurel Blue Hens 1922–1923
Milford, Delaware Milford Sandpipers 1923*
Milford Giants 1938–1941
Milford Red Sox 1946–1948
Northampton, Virginia Northampton Red Sox 1927–1928
Parksley, Virginia Parksley Spuds 1922–1928
Pocomoke City, Maryland Pocomoke City Salamanders 1922–1923*
Pocomoke City Red Sox 1937–1939
Pocomoke City Chicks 1940
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware   Rehoboth Beach Pirates 1947–1948
Rehoboth Beach Sea Hawks 1949
Salisbury, Maryland Salisbury Indians 1922–1928,
1937–1938
Salisbury (MD) Senators 1939
Salisbury Cardinals 1940–1941,
1946–1949
Seaford, Delaware Seaford Eagles 1946–1949
  • The Milford team disbanded on July 3, 1923
  • The Pocomoke City team disbanded on August 21, 1923

Standings

1922 Eastern Shore League[14]
Team W L PCT
Parksley Spuds 42 25 .627
Cambridge Canners 37 32 .536
Crisfield Crabbers 36 32 .529
Laurel Blue Hens 34 35 .493
Pocomoke City Salamanders 29 41 .414
Salisbury Indians 27 41 .397
1923 Eastern Shore League[15]
Team W L PCT
Dover Senators 51 24 .680
Cambridge Canners 47 26 .644
Laurel Blue Hens 42 30 .583
Salisbury Indians 34 39 .446
Parksley Spuds 31 45 .408
Crisfield Crabbers 26 47 .356
Milford Sandsnipers 7 14 .333
1924 Eastern Shore League[16]
Team W L PCT
Parksley Spuds 46 34 .575
Cambridge Canners 45 35 .563
Salisbury Indians 44 36 .550
Crisfield Crabbers 41 39 .513
Dover Senators 41 39 .513
Easton Farmers 23 57 .281

Notable Players


Selected bibliography

  • The Eastern Shore Baseball League by William Mowbray (1989) remains the most comprehensive source for ESBL history.
  • Mike Lambert has published the Eastern Shore League with Arcadia Publishing in April 2010.

Sources

References

  1. ^ "Class D Baseball League Is Assured Eastern Shore". The Baltimore Sun(Baltimore, Maryland). October 9, 1921.
  2. ^ "Class D Baseball League Assured Eastern Shore". The Daily Banner(Cambridge, Maryland). October 12, 1921.
  3. ^ "Miller To Pilot Eastern Shore League Next Season". The Baltimore Sun(Baltimore, Maryland). October 23, 1921.
  4. ^ "Miller Heads Shore League". The Evening Journal(Wilmington, Delaware). October 24, 1921.
  5. ^ "Snow Hill People Are Indigant". Democratic Messenger(Snow Hill, Maryland). October 29, 1921.
  6. ^ "Baseball Feud Seen As Election Factor". The Baltimore Sun(Baltimore, Maryland). November 3, 1921.
  7. ^ "Baseball Propoganda A Political Trick". Worcester Democrat and the Ledger-Enterprise(Pocomoke City, Maryland). November 5, 1921.
  8. ^ "Eastern Shore League Enters Organized Ball". The Baltimore Sun(Baltimore, Maryland). November 20, 1921.
  9. ^ "Snow Hill Threatens Court Action Over Game". The News(Frederick, Maryland). November 29, 1921.
  10. ^ "Princess Anne Out Of League". The Evening Journal(Wilmington, Delaware). December 13, 1921.
  11. ^ "Princess Anne Jolts Shore League". The News Journal(Wilmington, Delaware). December 15, 1921.
  12. ^ "Shore League Is In Muddle". The Evening Journal(Wilmington, Delaware). December 19, 1921.
  13. ^ "Shore League To Be Six-Club Affair". The News Journal(Wilmington, Delaware). December 7, 1922.
  14. ^ "Cambridge Ends Season In Second Place". The Daily Banner(Cambridge, Maryland). September 5, 1922.
  15. ^ "Eastern Shore League". The Baltimore Sun(Baltimore, Maryland). September 4, 1923.
  16. ^ "Eastern Shore League". The News Journal(Wilmington, Delaware). September 2, 1924.


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