To the former tag "Mr. Baseball in Ellsworth, Bill Silsby Jr. of Sullivan can add, "Member, Maine Baseball Hall of Fame.”
It's been 17 years since Silsby starred for the Blue Hill Badgers of the Eastern Maine League.
Nineteen years after starting with the Aurora Cubs in 1937, at age 11, Silsby was the hottest baseball property. At the midway mark of the 1956 campaign, Sharp-fielding third baseman Silsby led the league with a .462 batting mark. Included were three triples.
Silsby began playing for the Ellsworth Redwings when he came to Ellsworth in 1938 to attend high school. Early in World War II, Silsby joined the Badgers.
In 1947 and ‘48, Silsby took his deft Glove and authoritative bat to Pittsfield AC in the Old Tri-County League. He had the good fortune to work closely with Maine H of F pitcher Wilson Francis. Veteran baseball-basketball-football official Harry Dalton of Brewer tapped Silsby for two-year duty with a fast Bangor club.
Francis and Silsby joined playing managing forces in 195l at Ellsworth for a three-year run.
From 1955 to ‘59, lt was a return tour with the Badgers.
About 1961, after a quarter-century of close association with baseball, Silsby Switched sports interest to candlepin bowling.
He became a respected competitor and, perhaps more importantly, an important link to the administrative side of the game.
Silsby recalls fondly his association with the EML as president and his ties with Such standout area baseball figures as Harry Morrison, Charles Denney, Donald Gates and Dalton, all of Brewer, Edward Thomas, Bangor, Clifford McLaughlin, Bucksport, and Kermit Allen, Sedgwick. His grips on a baseball bat and bowling ball have suffered in recent years because he‘s discovered golf. Silsby wielded the clubs skillfully enough June 30 at Bar Harbor's Kebo Valley Club to card a two over par 73.
His law partner, the victim of that sensational shooting, is pressing Kebo pro Fred McPheters for a full investigation of Silsby's --- for the moment --- eight handicap.