| Laurel Blue Hens | |
|---|---|
| Minor league affiliations | |
| Class | Class D (1922–1923) |
| League | Eastern Shore League (1922–1923) |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Team | None |
| Minor league titles | |
| League titles (0) | None |
| Team data | |
| Name | Laurel Blue Hens (1922–1923) |
| Ballpark | League Park (1922–1923) |
The Laurel Blue Hens were a minor league baseball team based in Laurel, Delaware. In 1922 and 1923, the Blue Hens teams played exclusively as members of the Class D level Eastern Shore League. Laurel hosted home minor league games at League Park.
Minor league baseball began in Laurel, Delaware with the 1922 Laurel Blue Hens. Laurel became charter members of the six–team Class D level Eastern Shore League. [1] The Cambridge Canners, Crisfield Crabbers, Parksley Spuds, Pocomoke City Salamanders and Salisbury Indians teams joined the Laurel Blue Hens as Eastern Shore League charter members. [2] [3]
The use of the "Blue Hens" nickname corresponds to regional history. A company of soldiers from Delaware, known for their courage, who acquired the nickname of "The Blue Hen's Chickens" or "Sons of the Blue Hen." The Blue Hen Chicken became the official state bird of the state of Delaware. [4] Relatedly, beginning in 1911, the athletic teams at the University of Delaware became known as the Blue Hens, a moniker that continues to be used by the university today, updated to the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens. [5]
The Laurel Blue Hens began play when the Eastern Shore League schedule started on June 12, 1922, with the team hosting home games at League Park. [6] Laurel ended the 1922 season with a record of 34–34, placing fourth in the six–team league, finishing 8.5 games behind the first place Parksley Spuds, who finished with a record of 42–25. [7] The Crisfield Crabbers (36–32) and Cambridge Canners (37–32) finished ahead of the Laurel Blue Hens, who were followed by the Pocomoke City Salamanders (29–41) and Salisbury Indians (27–41) in the final league standings. [8] Laurel was managed by Sam Frock and briefly, Ducky Davis. [9] [10]
The Laurel Blue Hens continued play in the 1923 Eastern Shore League, in what would be their final season. [11] The Blue Hens placed third in the eight–team league with a 42–30 record. The Laurel Blue Hens finished 7.0 games behind the first place Dover Senators while playing under manager John Whalen. [12] [10] Two other league teams folded during the season, as the Milford Sandpipers team withdrew on July 14, 1923 rather than forfeit all of its games due to an ineligible player and the Pocomoke City Salamanders disbanded on August 21, 1923. [13] [14]
On July 19, 1923, in front of a crowd of 4,000, major league baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis threw out the first pitch at a game in Salisbury while wearing a Laurel Blue Hens cap to mark the occasion. [15]
After the 1923 season, the Eastern Shore League remained at six teams for the 1924 season. Laurel did not return to play in the 1924 league as the newly formed Easton Farmers franchise replaced Laurel and joined the five returning members. [10] Laurel, Delaware has not hosted another minor league team. [16] [8]
The Laurel Blue Hens teams were noted to have played home minor league games at League Park. [17] The ballpark reportedly no longer exists, with the site becoming residential. It was reported that the Laurel High School band played at home games. The ballpark was located on West Street, between 7th Street and 8th Street in Laurel, Delaware. [18] [19]
| Year(s) | # Yrs. | Team | Level | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922–1923 | 2 | Laurel Blue Hens | Class D | Eastern Shore League |
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | 34–34 | 4th | Sam Frock / Ducky Davis | No playoffs held |
| 1923 | 42–30 | 3rd | John Whalen | No playoffs held |
Laurel is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. The population was 3,708 at the time of the 2010 census. Laurel is part of the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. It once hosted the Laurel Blue Hens of the Eastern Shore Baseball League.
The Eastern Shore of Maryland is a part of the U.S. state of Maryland that lies mostly on the east side of the Chesapeake Bay. Nine counties are normally included in the region. The Eastern Shore is part of the larger Delmarva Peninsula that Maryland shares with Delaware and Virginia.
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, 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.
The Parksley Spuds was a Class D minor league baseball team based in Parksley, Virginia, which had a population of just over 600 people at the 1920 United States Census. They played in the Eastern Shore League between 1922 and 1928, the entire run of the league's initial incarnation. The Spuds won multiple league pennants during that span. The league encountered financial difficulties during the 1928 season and the owners of the teams voted to disband the league.
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The Crisfield Crabbers were a minor league baseball team based in Crisfield, Maryland. The Crisfield Crabbers teams played as exclusively as members of the Class D level Eastern Shore League from 1922 to 1928 and in 1937, winning the 1926 league championship. Crisfield hosted home minor league games at the Crisfield Ball Park and their final season at Clarke Park. The 1937 Crisfield Crabbers were a minor league affiliate of the New York Giants.
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