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CHAPTER 13

Sports The Brunswick team played without salary. However, there was gambling on the games and when Brunswick won, the gamblers would pay the pitcher $10. How good was this team? So good that when Lynchburg, champions of the Virginia League, were barnstorming, Brunswick shut them out- nine to nothing. Another time, the Nebraska Indians came to Brunswick, sending a man ahead to make arrangements. They traveled by private cars and collected big gates. Brunswick beat them also. And so good that the Baltimore Sun gave Brunswick columns in their coverage. Eight of Kaplon's players became semi-pro players. Kaplon had his own brush with fame. Johnson City, Tennessee, of the Appalachian League came for Amos. He also had an offer from Clark Griffith of the Washington, D.C., American League team. Amos was a pitcher. Once, a player wouldn't pitch because of cold feet, against the Washington Nationals of the American League. The fellow who recomm~n~ed Amos had been pitching for Washington. Gnffith asked to see Kaplan, who recalled being around fifteen or sixteen years old at the time. His parents would not permit him to go, of course. Amos told of refusing another offer to play professional baseball because he was needed to help operate the family department store when his brother was in ill health. With the change of managers, the Brunswick team's "golden age" seemed to slip away, awaiting another decade and another team. There must have been other teams, but BHC files have no record until the Frederick County League was organized in 1921. Brunswick, Thurmont, Middletown, Emmitsburg, and Yellow Springs belonged. In the 1940's there was a Tri-County League, then Frederick County League and Maryland State League. In 1959 in Sunday baseball games Brunswick went unbeaten with 18 wins. Billy Merriman pitched

Garel Hauver's many news releases and numerous conversations with the writer provided details for the sports articles, except those with attributions.

ADULT BASEBALL BRUNSWICK DEFEATS THE ORIOLES

Brunswick has always been known asa baseball town. As early as the 1890's Brunswick had teams, although they did not play in leagues. AmosKaplon, who died in 1987 attheageof98, was a leader in the town's baseball action in the early 1900's. A snapshot of the town team of 1909 to 1911 identifies Bob Orrison, Bill Wenner and George Wenner(ofW. W. Wenner),JohnnyMcMurry,Myer Kaplon, Amos Ka pion, Bill High tman, Harry Ayres, Carroll Marker, Beryl Beacht, Jim Bowers, Zeke Heaton Wenner, and a player named Long. Although Kaplan didn't play at Brunswick High School, he did play with top-notch town teams and made close encounters with baseball fame. He recalled that they played on Wenner' s Field, near the Acme. There were no salaries, but they played notable traveling clubs; so outstanding were they, that the Baltimore Sun sports editor used to call Mr. Kaplan for box scores. Kaplan managed the team; they were known as "Captain Kaplan and his Squad." Brunswick played in the Blue Ridge League, which also included Hagerstown, Cumberland, and Frederick. The team also played in the Western Maryland League and won the championship in their class. The Maryland League, Mr. Kaplan asserted, died when Brunswick's team dropped out. In 1911, the Orioles played in the International League. Brunswick played the Orioles in Baltimore and WON - eight to four - in the Orioles' own park.

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