A History of Baseball in Ocean City
By Newt Weaver
Ocean City Baseball Team circa 1930
Baseball has always been a part of Ocean City’s illustrious history starting back on July 20, 1877 when a club from Snow Hill challenged a team from Wilmington, Delaware as reported in the “Wilmington News Journal”. The game was scheduled to be played in Ocean City on August 2nd.
On August 5, 1882 an organized team from Salisbury played in Ocean City featuring a sure-handed picked “nine” from the Congress Hall. Despite the talented bunch’s efforts from the hotel, they went down in defeat 5-0.
Guests from the Atlantic Hotel entered a group from Company C, Engineer Corps of the District of Columbia National Guard who were on a 10-day summer encampment at Ocean City. Camp Gilbert Thompson was the name given to this area. This attraction took place on a ball field just west of the Congress Hall and according to research and notes gleaned from acclaimed historian and well-known author, Gordon Katz, this field was located at present day Oceanic Motel. Just three innings were played on August 15, 1894 because the gang from the Atlantic were ahead 14-0 and the engineers called it quits.
The newly designed ballpark with benches, grandstand, locker/dressing rooms for the players are now nearly completed. This field features an enclosed, high fenced-in area for baseball and other athletic events. The park opened on July 13, 1900 and was located near the terminus of the railroad. The first game played featured employees from the Atlantic Hotel verses the laborers from the Congress Hall Hotel. The game was closely contested and well-played as the Congress Hall workers edged the Atlantic players 3-2.
One of the better organized teams of this period (1902-1905) was the Plimhimmon Stars who were composed of both guests and employees of the Plimhimmon Hotel and local talent from the rooming houses nearby. Beating most of the local area hotel teams…they did have problems winning against the Berlin Indians. This was a well-rounded and highly skilled club.
From 1906-1909, Ocean City re-organized and a competitive team was formed which defeated the Berlin Clubs on several occasions.
On July 6, 1909 Ocean City Club beat a talented Berlin team twice by scores of 4-3 and 9-3. The first game was played in Berlin; the second one in Ocean City. Both games were well attended according to Gordon Katz’s thoroughly documented notes.
Before the turn of the century, baseball was played not just in Ocean City and Berlin, but throughout the lower shore and Delmarva in general. Quite a few of the players were skilled enough to make it to the semi-professional level and continuing all the way to the major leagues.
A total of 43 Major Leaguers have called Delmarva home. Roughly 44% (19) of these players were pitchers.
John Besson “Brewery Jack” Taylor is the first native of Delmarva to pitch in the Major Leagues. On September 16, 1891, Taylor playing for the National League New York Giants became the first and only native of Worcester County to perform in the majors.
Snow Hill native All-Star, MVP, and hall of Fame William Julius “Judy” Johnson played in the Negro League from 1921-1937.
“Brewery Jack” was born May 3, 1871 in Sandy Hill, later renamed Stockton, located 10 miles Southeast of the County Seat in Snow Hill, Maryland. Taylor would later become the ace of the pitching staff for the National League Philadelphia Phillies from 1893-1897. In 1898 pitching for the St. Louis Browns, he lead the National League in innings pitched (397.1), games started (47), complete games (42) and games pitched (50).
Although no athletes hailing from Ocean City managed to play in the big leagues, that doesn’t mean there weren’t talented individuals playing baseball. Some were scouted and even made it as far as a call-up or tryout with the nearest major league team. Most of those gifted players were competing at the high school level.
The 1926-1927 Ocean City High School Baseball squad, under Coach Ralph Reverdy Dennis (High School Principal and first fireman in the O.C. V. F. D to die in a fire, George Washington Hotel in 1937), consisted of Levin David “Dave” Lynch, catcher; Erdman Crozier Jones, left field; Edmund Chester Pusey, right field; Joseph Warren Carey, pitcher; Hugh Thomas Cropper, center field; Daniel Trimper III, first base; Edwin Charles Ludlam Calhoun, Jr., second base; Owen John Mumford, pitcher/right field; Robert C. Anderson and Charles Thomas “Tommy” Cropper, substitutes. Professional scouting teams were closely following Carey, Trimper, and Jones. However it was Joseph Warren “Moxie” Carey, the fast-ball pitcher with a knee-bending “rainbow” curve and wicked change-up that got most of the attention.
The 1928 team added John Stanton Laws, first base; Lincoln C. Townsend, right field; and James Samuel Thomas, left field. But it was “Moxie” Care again that carried the team by allowing the competition few, if any, scoring opportunities through outstanding pitching. By 1929, Carey signed with the Baltimore Orioles of the International League.
Instead of continuing his professional career as a baseball player, “Moxie” Carey became the ace pitcher for the Chestertown Washington College team from 1930-1933. The Philadelphia A’s tried to lure him away from his college studies in 1931. Instead the left-handed strikeout artist became the star pitcher for Rock Hall Club in the Chesapeake Bay League. He also played briefly for the Hagerstown Club of the Blue Ridge League.
Carey was inducted into the Washington College Athletic hall of Fame for baseball, football, and lacrosse in 1991.
Left to Right, Bottom Row; Harry Kelley, Charles Parker, James Ennis, Wallace Scott (Captain), Joe Elliott, Charles Lynch, Alfred Harmon. Top Row; Charles Meredith, Bill Simpson, Charles Burbage, John Sacca, Robert Connor. Seated front; Harry Bunting (Bat Boy).
The 1934 Ocean City baseball team consisted of Charles Edward Lynch (Dave’s younger brother), second base; Harry William Kelley, right field; Winfield Scott Wallace, short-stop; Meredith Herbert Chandler, catcher; Robert Francis “Bob” Connor, first base; Charles Lee “Mike” Burbage, pitcher; Alfred Everett “Al” Harmon (Clinton’s younger brother), left field; James Henry “Jimmie” Ennis, third base; John Joseph Francis Sacca, left field. Burbage, Sacca, Connor, and Lynch were the standouts, but the scouts leaned toward Sacca, Chandler, and Connor. This team easily captured the Worcester County High School Championship. Lynch later went on to the University of North Carolina where he played college golf.
Ocean City in 1935 went undefeated as Charles Alfred “Pinky” Parker, left field; Joseph Sire “Joe” Elliot, center field; 15-year-old William Joseph “Bill” Simpson, right field; and Harry Timmons “Tims” Bunting, substitute; were added to the roster. Both Bob Connor and John Sacca were called up for a two day tryout with Philadelphia A’s. Connor was known for his slick fielding and clutch hitting. Sacca had a rifle for an arm, a great glove, and a powerful swing at the plate…noted for his long homeruns.
Harold Jackson “Lefty” Rayne, Jr. of Ocean City played in shore league competitions in the mid 1930s. Rayne was a lefty who threw hard and kept hitters off balance with his outstanding pitching, winning numerous ball games. He is in the Eastern Shore Baseball Hall of Fame in Salisbury. William Addison Gibbs, who played for Ocean City in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s was perhaps the best all around athlete on the diamond playing in one time or another all positions on the field.
On May 11, 1939 Ocean City High fell to a more mature team from Beacom College of Wilmington, Delaware 8-4. The Ocean City team felt confident in challenging the college team. This club featured Gibbs who played left and right field and pitched a few innings. Joining him was Samuel Eugene Villani who also pitched and played left field. William Edward Kelley was saddled with centerfield duties. Oscar Leonard Bergman guarded the hot corner at third base. Ernest Leroy Hastings played first base and had two base hits. William Tunnell Bunting performed flawlessly at shortstop and garnered two hits. The catcher handling both Gibbs and Villani was William J. Griffin. William Joseph “Bill” Simpson played second base. James Hastings was added to the roster as a right fielder and substitute. The team up until the defeat by the Beacom men were playing exceptional baseball.
Over the years, teams from Berlin, Snow Hill, and Pocomoke continued into the late 1940s rivaling Ocean City for the County Championships and school trophies.