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 to 1941, and the third from 1946 to 1949. 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 Founding 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 1890s. 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. 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.
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.
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. 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. 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.
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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
1922 Season The opening game of the inaugural season was played on June 9, 1922, between the Laurel Blue Hens and Cambridge Canners in Laurel.
Cities represented Cities representedTeamsYear(s) Cambridge, Maryland Cambridge Canners 1922–1928,1940–1941Cambridge Cardinals 1937–1939 Cambridge Dodgers 1946–1949 Centreville, Maryland Centreville Colts 1937–1939Centreville Red Sox 1940–1941Centreville Orioles 1946Crisfield, Maryland Crisfield Crabbers 1922–1928,1937 Dover, Delaware Dover Dobbins 1923-1926Dover Orioles 1937–1940Dover Phillies 1946–1948 Easton, Maryland Easton Farmers 1924–1928Easton Browns 1937Easton Cubs 1938Easton Yankees 1939–1941,1946–1949 Federalsburg, Maryland Federalsburg Little A's 1937–1941Federalsburg A's 1946–1948Federalsburg Feds 1949Laurel, Delaware Laurel Blue Hens 1922–1923 Milford, Delaware Milford Sandpipers 1923*Milford Giants 1938–1941 Milford Red Sox 1946–1948Northampton, Virginia Northampton Red Sox 1927–1928Parksley, Virginia Parksley Spuds 1922–1928 Pocomoke City, Maryland Pocomoke City Salamanders 1922–1923*Pocomoke City Red Sox 1937–1939Pocomoke City Chicks 1940 Rehoboth Beach, Delaware Rehoboth Beach Pirates 1947–1948 Rehoboth Beach Sea Hawks 1949 Salisbury, Maryland Salisbury Indians 1922–1928,1937–1938Salisbury (MD) Senators 1939Salisbury Cardinals 1940–1941,1946–1949Seaford, Delaware Seaford Eagles 1946–1949
The Milford team disbanded on July 3, 1923 The Pocomoke City team disbanded on August 21, 1923
Standings & statistics 1922 to 1928 1922 Eastern Shore League Team 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 Team Dover Dobbins 51 24 .680 Cambridge Canners 47 26 .644 Laurel Blue Hens 42 30 .583 Salisbury Indians 34 39 .446 Pocomoke City Salamanders 27 37 .422 Parksley Spuds 31 45 .408 Crisfield Crabbers 26 47 .356 Milford Sandsnipers 7 14 .333
1924 Eastern Shore League Team 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
1925 Eastern Shore Leagueschedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Cambridge Canners5138.573- Ted Smith Parksley Spuds4842.5333½ Thomas Whalen Salisbury Indians4644.5115½ Homer Smoot Dover Dobbins4644.5115½ Jiggs Donahue Crisfield Crabbers4248.4679½ Marty Breslin / Herb Armstrong Easton Farmers3653.40415Frank "Home Run" Baker / Charles Gault / Buck Herzog No Playoffs Scheduled. Five State Championship: Hagerstown (Blue Ridge League) 4 games, Cambridge 3.
+Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Victor St. Martin ParksleyBA.363Ted Firth ParksleyW21 Victor St. Martin Parksley Runs78 Ted Firth ParksleySO131 Phil VoylesSalisburyHits119 John Trippe CambridgePct.783; 18–5 Victor St. Martin ParksleyHR25 Charlie FitzbergerSalisburyHR25
1926 Eastern Shore Leagueschedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Crisfield Crabbers6321.750- Dan Pasquella Salisbury Indians5729.6707 Jack White Dover Senators4046.46524 Jiggs Donahue Parksley Spuds4046.46524 Win Clark Cambridge Canners3254.37232 Thomas Whalen Easton Farmers2460.28639 Buck Herzog 34 Easton wins reversed August 16; 19 Parksley wins reversed August 22; 23 Dover wins & 22 Cambridge wins reversed September 2. Reversals due to salary limit violations.Five State Championship: Hagerstown (Blue Ridge League) 4 games, Crisfield 2.
+Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Tony RensaCrisfieldBA.388 Ted Firth ParksleyW21 Bill HohmanEaston Runs69Ted Firth ParksleySO143 Floyd McDougall ParksleyHits113 A.L. Carlton EastonPct.765; 13-4 Red Aikens CambridgeHits113 Eddie Stack ParksleyHR22
1927 Eastern Shore Leagueschedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Parksley Spuds6028.681- Lester Bangs Salisbury Indians4838.55211 Thomas Whalen Crisfield Crabbers4443.50615½ Dan Pasquella Cambridge Canners4147.46619William JohnsonEaston Farmers3648.46222Ted Cather / Jiggs Donahue Northampton Red Sox3055.35328½ Jack Sauter Five State Championship: Parksley 4 games, Chambersburg (Blue Ridge League) 2.
+Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Bill Bickham ParksleyBA.361 Cecil Rose CrisfieldW17 Mike McCallister Parksley Runs71 Stephen TonerSalisburySO132 Bill Bickham ParksleyHits119Clint BrownParksleyPct.800; 16–4 Paul RichardsCrisfieldHR24
1928 Eastern Shore Leagueschedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Northampton Red Sox229.710- Lester Bangs Salisbury Indians2210.688½ Thomas Whalen Crisfield Crabbers1417.4528 Billy Lush Cambridge Canners1319.4069½ Jiggs Donahue Easton Farmers1320.39410 Dan Pasquella Parksley Spuds1221.36411 John Pasquella League disbanded July 10. No Player statistics are known.
1937 to 1941
1937 Eastern Shore Leagueschedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Salisbury Indians 5937.615-Jake Flowers Easton Browns5641.5773½ Doc Jacobs Cambridge Cardinals5343.5526 Fred Lucas Centreville Colts5243.5476½Patsy O'Rourke Federalsburg Athletics5245.5367½ George Short Pocomoke City Red Sox4255.43317½ Vic Keene Crisfield Crabbers4057.41219½Dan Pasquella / Bob Clark Dover Orioles3265.33027½ Bob Roetz / Jiggs Donahue Salisbury 21 wins reversed June 19 due to veteran player limit violationsPlayoffs: Salisbury 2 games, Cambridge 1; Centreville 2 games, Easton 1.Finals: Salisbury 3 games, Centreville 2.
+Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Jerry Lynn SalisburyBA.342Joe KohlmanSalisburyW25 Alex PitkoCentreville Runs103Joe KohlmanSalisburySO257 Frank Treschock SalisburyHits131 John Davis CambridgeERA2.02 Frank Treschock SalisburyRBI84Joe KohlmanSalisburyPct.962; 25–1 Alex PitkoCentrevilleHR20
1938 Eastern Shore Leagueschedule Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Salisbury Indians6547.580-Jake Flowers Cambridge Cardinals6151.5454 Joe DavisMilford Giants6052.5365 Val Picinich Dover Orioles5854.5187Wes Kingdon / Walter Millies Federalsburg Athletics5656.5009 Charley Moss Easton Cubs5556.4959½ George Jacobs Centreville Colts5160.45913½Joe O'RourkePocomoke City Red Sox4171.36624Joe Boley / Wes Kingdon Playoffs: Salisbury 2 games, Milford 0. Cambridge 2 games, Dover 0.Finals: Salisbury 3 games, Cambridge 1.
+Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Sid GordonMilfordBA.352John BasslerSalisburyW17 George Reisinger Dover Runs110Joe Davis CambridgeW17 Sid Gordon MilfordHits145Bill Yarewick MilfordSO207 Jim Conlan SalisburyRBI99 Joe DavisCambridgeERA2.02 Bill Phillips FederalsburgHR31Joe Davis John Bassler CambridgeSalisburyPCT.773 17-5.773 17–5
1939 Eastern Shore Leagueschedule