The 1930 Season

VARSITY BASEBALL

(No names were available in the 1930 Torch.)

The beginning ...

Baseball Team Plans Activities

                On Monday, March 17, about twenty-five candidates reported for the initial baseball practice, including nine of last year’s varsity men.  The workout was light and restricted to batting, throwing, and six laps around the field.  For the twirling job, over which there has been more or less anxiety, Morret, Stansfield, Kaley, and Spahr have announced their candidacy.  The practice featured several “over the fence” wallops by Mike Spahr.

                Manager Mercer reported the purchase of new equipment - ten new uniforms, a dozen bats, a dozen balls - and published the following “heavy” schedule.  Despite the schedule, however, Mercer’s boys bid fair to carry away the pennant.  They will open their season on March 27 against the Mechanicsburg Semi-Pros.  They will also play Mercersburg Academy, Marysville, Lemoyne, Camp Hill, Enola, New Cumberland, Gettysburg and Carson Long Academy.

(March 28, 1930 Torch)

M.H.S. Nine Off to Good Start

                The Mechanicsburg High diamond aggregation is making a splendid showing and promises to give its county rivals a merry chase for high honors.

                The first league game was played with Marysville at home on Friday, April 11, to the tunes of the Junior Band.  The Steel and Maroon emerged on the long end of a 14 - 3 count.  The visitors presented a good brand of hurling from Homer Dice, southpaw ace, but his ragged support proved his undoing.  For Mechanicsburg, Stansfield twirled his usual steady game, allowing only three scattered hits and issuing only one free ticket.  The game was featured by Messinger’s circuit clout to deep centerfield in the first inning.

                The following Tuesday at Lemoyne, Hermy crashed through with another air-tight exhibition when he retired eleven out of fifteen batters facing him by the strikeout route, while his team piled up a 15 -- 0 score.

                The next clash was with Camp Hill on Tuesday, April 22.  The result was Mechanicsburg 5, Camp Hill 4. We then beat New Cumberland 5 -- 4.  According to her present standing , Mechanicsburg has a big chance to come out first in the West Shore League.

(April 25, 1930 Torch)

Title Game Set For Tomorrow

MHS Wins Coin Toss

                Plans have been finalized for tomorrow’s game when Mechanicsburg and New Cumberland will play for  the West Shore League championship.  Both teams have identical 6 - 4 records.  The time of the game was set at 4:45 to allow pupils from both school to attend.  George Guswiler, former high school star at MHS, has been agreed on as the umpire for balls and strikes while New Cumberland will furnish the base umpire.

(June 4, 1930 -- The Patriot News)

Mechanicsburg Wins League Title

                The MHS baseball team won the championship of the West Shore League by defeating New Cumberland by the score of 4 - 3.  Cook and Stansfield pitched for their respective teams, the former allowing the winners only four hits and New Cumberland collected one more.  Both teams scored in the first inning, with Mechanicsburg adding one run in the second inning and two in the third. 

                New Cumberland then tallied runs in the fifth and seventh innings to reduce the opposition’s lead to one run, but this margin was defended successfully.

(June 5, 1930 -- The Patriot News)

Review from the 1931 Torch

                Instead of getting spring fever last year, the 1930 baseball team pitched and batted its way to victory and fame in the West Shore League and brought fame and a silver cup to Mechanicsburg High School.  With all bases ably defended, a good pitcher and catcher, and dependable outfielders, it is no wonder the boys came thru (sic) the season successfully.  Besides, Coach Mercer has as much ability in training a baseball team as a football team, so victory was bound to come our way.

Baseball Scores Season Of 1930

Lettermen:  Westhafer, Linn, Houser, Messinger, Stansfield, Gelwicks, Moyer, Culp, Morrette, Kaley

The May 24, 1930 Patriot News also contains an interesting article about a recent junior high school game:

Shiremanstown Junior High Wins in Last Inning

                With two outs in the final stanza of a seven inning game and a  tie score, Shiremanstown scored on two timely singles to gain an 8 - 7 victory over Boiling Springs yesterday.  The winners outhit the Boiling Springs nine 13 to 9, pounding Raffenberger off the mound early in the game, Hess taking his place.  Stansfield went the distance for the winners.