Little League started in 1938. Carl E. Stotz was playing baseball in his backyard in Williamsport, Pa., with his nephews when he had the idea to organize the game on a field. With the help from the community, parents and volunteers were able to form three teams. On June 6, 1939, the first official Little League game was played in Williamsport, which remains the home of Little League.

Stotz was a friend of Harry Bottorf’s family and came to Hagerstown in March 18, 1949, to show a promotional movie (the first time it was shown outside of Williamsport). Hagerstown Little League was organized during a meeting at The Herald-Mail in April 1949, and Bottorf was elected the first president of the league in 1949. Greg Callas was vice president; Ed Kemp was both secretary and treasurer; Kenneth Dudley was the umpire-in-chief; the Lightener brothers were the umpires; Sam Strite was the attorney and advisor; and Kirk Middlekauff held the volunteer-for-anything position.

They were able to get four sponsors and approached the Hagerstown Park Board to see if there was any place they could play baseball. The board offered an empty lot on Mill Street and, by carefully placing home plate where it is today, they could play baseball (the field is now American Little League). Registration was held at Hager Park and more than 500 children signed up to play baseball. There were no minor league teams, and each team had 15 players; therefore, more than 400 children were told they did not make a teams. A group of adults organized a “B” League for some of the other players.

Hagerstown Little League (called National Little League) opened in June 1949. There were only two other leagues chartered in Maryland that year, both at Army posts. The Army set up both leagues with beautiful fields. National Little League started with a skin infield, outfield snow fence and benches. For bleachers, they used the bank on the first-base line. National did have a scoreboard, which consisted of 10 light bulbs — three strikes, four balls ands three outs. Even though there were three leagues charted in Maryland, National Little League was the first.

National Little League had a round-robin tournament with the other two leagues and defeated them both. National went to the Region 2 Tournament, where they were defeated by Hammonton, N.J., in the final round, the team that won the Little League World Series that year.

District 1 Baseball has grown to 12 leagues that offer Tee Ball (ages 4-7), Minor League (8-11), Major League (9-12), Junior League (13-14), Senior League (15-16) and Big League (17-18). District 1 also offers softball to girls in Tee Ball (4-7), Minor League (8-11), Major League (9-12) and Junior League (13-14) divisions at Sharpsburg, Halfway, Federal and Hancock Little Leagues. This year, we hope to include West End and American Little Leagues, allowing girls in all 12 league boundaries to play softball and be eligible for tournament play.

On behalf of the Eastern Region staff, I want to thank the Maryland District 1 staff, all league presidents, all boards of directors, managers, coaches, umpires, team mothers, team fathers, concession helpers, field crews and others who volunteer their time to make Little League Baseball/Softball the best youth sports program in the world. So, go to the games, support your children, be positive, eat ballpark food and enjoy the game of baseball or softball. Recognize that Little Leaguers are children, not professional players, and they need encouragement, not criticism. Applaud good plays; ignore errors. Encourage a greater effort, initiative and hustle. Congratulate the winners and encourage the losers. Remember that this is a game for children.

And have a good time this year at your Little League ballpark.

Larry Hammond

District 1 Administrator