File:Frederick County League was formed in 1920 and lasted until 1938..jpg

Summary

The Frederick County League was formed in 1920 and lasted until 1938. Brunswick won 7 straight pennants at one point. This is one of the first teams with pitcher Amos Kaplon 2nd from left and George "Babe" Wenner 5th from the left in the back row. Jim Bowers is also in the picture. Can you name the others? Maybe Zeke Wenner on the lower left.

This photo was taken at Wenner Field, which was on the lot next to the small shopping center in New Addition where the Dollar store (formerly the ACME Market) is located. It was on the farmland of Babe and Zeke's father, William Waltman Wenner, Jr., who sold most of the west end of Brunswick to the B&O Railroad around 1907.

(Courtesy of the Brunswick Heritage Museum)

Reuben Moss: The YMCA's 1929 annual report, titled "The "Y" and How" says this: The frederick County Baseball League 3was organized in 1918 and the town of Brunswick has had a team in this league ever since it was first organized. Up to 1926 the best showing made by the Brunswick team was to finish second in the first year.

In 1926 the Brunswick Team was taken over and handled by the Brunswick Y.M.C.A. and it has given a very good account of itself ever since. In 1926 our team won the pennant. In 1927 our team tied for first place and lost in the play-off. In 1928 we again won the pennant and in 1926 we took the pennant decisively by losing only one game of fourteen season games. This fine showing, we believe, is due in large measure to the management and co-operation of the Brunswick Y.M.C.A.

Early in 1926 the Board of Managers of the Y.M.C.A. appointed an athletic committee composed of one representative of each department of the Railroad and one representative from the town of Brunswick. This committee handles all details of management of baseball activities, appointed the team manager of the league team, and furnished all equipment with money appropriated by the Board of Managers. A suitable field was leased in the west end of town and put in shape for play. It was then decided to organize a Community League to better develop available material for the league team This league was organized in 1926 with six active teams, one from each department of the railroad and one representing the town of Brunswick. The best material thus developed in the community league was selected to represent Brunswick on the Frederick County League team. This system of developing our material, we believe, to be one of the outstanding reasons for the success of our team in the Frederick County League.

For two years all our baseball activities centered about the small field in the west end of the town. In 1928 the interest in our activities had grown to such proportions that the old grounds were inadequate and the Y.M.C.A. started construction of the new athletic field on New York Hill, now known as E.W. Sheer Stadium in recognition of the loyal support and co-operation of our General Manager. This new field was used during the past season and although not yet completed, represents an expenditure to date of approximately $15,000. When completed this will be one of the finest athletic fields in the State of Maryland, of which the Y.M.C.A. and the town of Brunswick may well be proud.

The season of 1929, just completed, was the best we have ever had. In playing the regular schedule of fourteen games we won thirteen and lost but one, this being the game lost to Thurmont by a score of 7 to 5. In the course of the season we shut out three teams; Middletown by a score of 4 to 0, and Emmitsburg twice by scores of 10 to 0 and 8 to 0. In the fourteen games played our team scored a total of 134 runs to 42 runs by our opponents.

The success of the Brunswick team in 1929 was fittingly celebrated on the evening of September 19th when 44 men, including the baseball team, Board of Managers, and others, were guests of Secretary Bickel and Mr. and Mrs. Chas. T. Meyer at "Peri Land" the stately old home of Mr. and Mrs. Meyer.

A bountiful dinner of Maryland Fried Chicken with all the accessories was followed by a short business meeting, and later by cards ranging from Pitch to Bridge. The charming hospitality of "Peri Land" will long be remembered by all those present on this occasion.

Brunswick Schedule, Frederick County League -- Season 1929

June 8 - Brunswick 11, Thurmont 4 June 15 - Brunswick 8, Woodsboro 5 June 22 - Brunswick 18, Yellow Springs 1 June 29 - Brunswick 11, Meyersville 2 July 4 - Brunswick 9, Unionville 3 July 6 - Brunswick 10, Emmitsburg 0 July 13 - Brunswick 4, Middletown 0 July 20 - Brunswick 8, Woodsboro 5 July 27 - Thurmont 7, Brunswick 5 Aug. 3 - Brunswick 9, Meyersville 2 Aug. 10 - Brunswick 7, Yellow Springs 3 Aug. 17 - Brunswick 8, Unionville 7 Aug. 24 - Brunswick 8, Emmitsburg 0 Sept. 2 - Brunswick 18, Middletown 3