On the Road Again

The Shorebirds play in Salisbury, Md., at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium, named
for the man who built a chicken empire. Inside, the press box is named
for his son Frank, who made their brand a household word.

I’m heading for Florida, but on the way there’s baseball. My first stop is in Salisbury, Md., to see the Delmarva Shorebirds, Low A Minor League team of the Baltimore Orioles facing the Carolina Mudcats (Milwaukee Brewers) based in Zebulon, N.C. The Shorebirds play in Arthur W. Perdue Stadium, named for the father of Franklin P. Perdue, the man we all know as Frank from his chicken commercials. Arthur’s name is engraved on the outside of the ballpark, and inside is the Franklin P. Perdue Press Box. 

I didn’t know that the Perdues were from Salisbury, but sure enough, you can see the corporate headquarters on the other side of the highway as you leave the stadium. I was astonished to find out that Frank’s middle name is Parsons, from his mother Pearl Parsons Perdue. It’s not likely that I’m even remotely related. My family is from Pennsylvania and I’ve pretty much accounted for all my kin for generations backwards and forwards. 

It’s funny though, because my mother’s family all came from Maryland’s Eastern Shore and southern Delaware. There were plenty of memories today on my trip down the length of Delaware. I stopped by the house in Wilmington where my mother lived (me too when I was a baby), the church down the street where she and Dad were married, and my other childhood homes. I also visited the graves of my grandparents as well as those of some other relatives. The ride south is always familiar. We made the trip many times from Wilmington to visit Mom’s Uncle Allan in the little village of Middleford near Seaford. 

A seemingly solid outfield wall hides a boardwalk that lets fans walk all the way around
the field. At right, what sorcery! The scoreboard is visible behind the see-through ads. 

So it was an extra special treat for me to come to Salisbury for tonight’s baseball game. We saw another of baseball’s experimental rule changes, a limit on pickoff attempts, that is being tested in all 30 Low A class teams this season. Last week I saw the larger bases being used in AAA games. You can read more about the larger bases by clicking here. Two weeks ago I watched some fancy footwork from the AA infielders, who have to have both feet in the dirt as each pitch is delivered. The infielder rule is an attempt to restrict defensive shifts, and to give batters a better chance of getting base hits. Infielders can still shift, at least for now, they just can’t be in the grass until after the pitch is delivered. 

In tonight’s game, the pitchers are limited to two pickoff attempts per plate appearance. They can make a third attempt, but if the runner gets back to first safely, a balk is called and runners advance a base. In fact, I only counted two pickoff attempts the entire game, and it seemed like the rule made the runners more aggressive. 

The crabby dog. A big hot dog with crab dip and macaroni & cheese. 

I’ve now been to Orioles’ ballparks in Baltimore, Norfolk, Bowie and Salisbury, with just one left, Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium, home of the Aberdeen Ironbirds. On opening day in Reading, I finished off the tour of Phillies ballparks, the rest being in Philadelphia, Allentown, Lakewood and Clearwater. 

Lots to see in the Eastern Shore Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
That's a White Sox jersey from Harold Baines in the center cabinet.
And is that an Orioles No. 8 jersey on the right wall?

If you have a chance to see a ball game in Salisbury, make sure to arrive early so you can spend some time in the Eastern Shore Baseball Hall of Fame Museum. It’s a substantial collection of memorabilia and a chronicle of the many professional players who came from and played on the Delmarva Peninsula. It's free, but you can chip if you'd like to add your support.

 

Jimmie Foxx and Don Zimmer are among the many legends found in the museum.
Norma Truitt Murray? Oh, no. Truitt was my mother's name before she was married.

It was a good game. Tonight, the visiting Mudcats brought a relief pitcher named Lemons, who put on a good show, but the Shorebirds made lemonade. Final: Delmarva 7, Carolina 4.