Alabama State League

Alabama State League
FormerlyAlabama-Florida League
ClassificationClass D (1940–1941, 1947–1950)
SportMinor League Baseball
First season1940
Ceased1950
Replaced byAlabama-Florida League
PresidentCharles T. Laney (1940)
J. Eric Ballard (1941)
Jack Hovater (1947–1948)
Charles T. Laney (1949–1950)
No. of teams11
CountryUnited States of America
Most titles2
Dothan Browns

The Alabama State League was a minor league baseball league that played between 1940 and 1950, with an interruption due to World War II. The Alabama State League was a Class D level league. The Alabama State League consisted of teams based exclusively in Alabama, evolving from and into the Alabama-Florida League, as that league added and reduced Florida based franchises.

History

In 1940, the Alabama-Florida League changed its name to the Alabama State League after the Florida based Panama City Pelicans franchise folded, leaving the league with only Alabama based franchises.[1][2] After two years, the league shut down due to World War II, but resumed activity in 1946. After another five years of operation, the Alabama-Florida name was brought back for the 1951 season, when the Panama City Fliers franchise joined the league.[3] The Alabama State League was a Class D level league for its duration.[4]

The Alabama State League began play as a six–team league in 1940, with the Andalusia Rams, Brewton Millers, Dothan Browns, Greenville Lions, Tallassee Indians and Troy Trojans as charter members.[5]

Cities represented

Standings & statistics

1940 Alabama State League schedule

Team standings W L GB Pct. Manager
Tallassee Indians 84 45 .651 – Steve Bysco
Greenville Lions 71 59 .546 13.5 Dick Luckey
Dothan Browns 67 62 .519 17.0 Cat Milner
Troy Trojans 66 63 .512 18.0 Ellis Johnson / Harold Fehrenbacher
Brewton Millers 51 79 .392 33.5 Yam Yaryan
Andalusia Rams 49 80 .380 35.0 Bruner Nix / Oscar Mosley

Playoffs: Greenville 3 games, Troy 2; Dothan 3 games, Tallassee 2.
Finals: Dothan 4 games, Greenville 2.

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Emory Lindsey Tallassee BA .350 John Travis Greenville W 20
Felix Jurwiak Dothan Runs 121 Steve Bysco Tallassee W 20
James Persons Tallassee Hits 172 Royce Lint Andalusia So 166
Johnny Ostrowski Troy RBI 120 John Travis Greenville ERA 3.18
Gordon Goodell Tallassee HR 31

1941 Alabama State League schedule

Team standings W L GB Pct. Manager
Dothan Browns 79 40 .664 – Cat Milner
Tallassee Indians 75 45 .625 4.5 Steve Bysco
Andalusia Rams 60 60 .500 19.5 Ralph McAdams
Brewton Millers 49 68 .419 29.0 Lee Head
Troy Dodgers /
Tuskegee Airmen		 48 71 .403 31.0 Pudge Powers
Greenville Lions 45 72 .385 33.0 Ernie Wingard / Herb Thomas

Troy (37–50) moved to Tuskegee July 31.
Playoffs: Dothan 3 games, Andalusia 1; Tallassee 3 games, Brewton 1.
Finals: Dothan 4 games, Tallassee 1.

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Luther Gunnells Dothan BA .395 Joe Rivers Dothan W 20
Luther Gunnells Dothan Runs 143 Francis Mannheim Tallassee SO 184
Ray Knowles Tallassee Hits 199 Cy Moore Tallassee ERA 2.84
Forrest Austin Tallassee RBI 149 Forrest Austin Tallassee HR 32

1946 Alabama State League

Team standings W L GB Pct. Manager
Dothan Browns 72 58 .554 – Frank Martin
Geneva Red Birds 69 61 .531 3.0 Charles Holly
Greenville Lions 67 62 .519 4.5 Dan Miller / William Anderson
Brewton Millers 63 65 .492 8.0 Ben Catchings
Troy Trojans 60 68 .469 11.0 Norman DeWeese
Ozark Eagles 55 72 .433 15.5 Ray Knapp / Dick Coffman

Playoffs: Geneva 3 games, Brewton 1; Greenville 3 games, Dothan 1.
Finals: Geneva 3 games, Greenville 1.

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Emil Bozick Troy BA .354 James Atkins Geneva W 20
Melvin Schwab Ozark Runs 128 Max Peterson Greenville W 20
Emil Bozick Troy Hits 178 Carl Johnson Dothan ERA 2.46
Harold Walther Green/Gen RBI 124 Earl Johnson Dothan SO 271
Harold Walther Green/Gen HR 17 Melvin Schwab Ozark HR 17

1947 Alabama State League schedule

Team standings W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Greenville Lions 90 48 .652 – 40,000 Sam Demma
Brewton Millers 78 59 .569 11.5 42,000 Norman Veazey
Enterprise Boll Weevils 77 61 .558 13.0 53,000 Ben Catchings
Dothan Browns 69 70 .496 21.5 50,000 Frank Martin/
Woody Coombs / Emory Lindsey
Andalusia Arrows 67 71 .486 23.0 62,000 Robert Engle
Ozark Eagles 65 74 .468 25.5 45,000 Dolly Lambert
Troy Trojans 58 80 .420 32.0 37,000 Bob Benish
Geneva Red Birds 49 90 .353 41.5 35,000 Jimmy Francoline / Francis Welker

Playoffs: Greenville 4 games, Enterprise 3; Brewton 4 games, Dothan 3.
Finals: Greenville 4 games, Brewton 3.

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Perry Roberts Greenville BA .389 Max Peterson Greenville W 27
Ben Catchings Enterprise Runs 126 Max Peterson Greenville SO 266
Perry Roberts Greenville Hits 228 Max Peterson Greenville ERA 2.02
Perry Roberts Greenville RBI 152 Andy Archipoli Ozark HR 24

1948 Alabama State League

Team standings W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Troy Tigers 83 41 .669 – 40,242 Bob Benish
Greenville Pirates 80 46 .635 4.0 30,424 Walt Tauscher
Dothan Browns 64 62 .508 20.0 57,638 Cat Milner
Ozark Eagles 61 65 .484 23.0 36,500 Frank Martin
Brewton Millers 58 68 .460 26.0 29,227 Joe Beaugez / Bill McGhee
Enterprise Boll Weevils 57 67 .460 26.0 39,416 Dolly Lambert / Richard Bixby
Geneva Red Birds 54 72 .429 30.0 36,781 Harold Ferenbacher
Andalusia Arrows 45 81 .357 39.0 40,000 John George / Charlie Wilcox

Playoffs: Dothan 4 games, Troy 2; Greenville 4 games, Ozark 3.
Finals: Dothan 4 games, Greenville 0.

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Bill McGhee Brewton BA .356 Frank Hill Dothan W 22
John Burns Greenville Runs 108 Frank Hill Dothan SO 209
Bill Godwin Ozark Hits 157 Richard Gilkerson Troy ERA 1.69
Glen Lindermuth Greenville RBI 107 John Powell Andalusia HR 17

1949 Alabama State League schedule

Team standings W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Greenville Pirates 83 44 .654 – 23,443 Walt Tauscher
Ozark Eagles 82 45 .646 1.0 25,804 George Hennessey
Enterprise Boll Weevils 63 61 .508 18.5 30,603 Russell Taylor
Andalusia Arrows 59 65 .476 22.5 39,958 Manny Russo / Robert Engle
Dothan Browns 57 68 .456 25.0 32,471 Joe Cavosie /
James Coller / Daniel Long
Geneva Red Birds 56 69 .448 26.0 23,775 Carl Wollgast
Brewton Millers 51 73 .411 30.5 25,533 Joe Szuch / Norman Veazey
Troy Tigers 49 75 .395 32.5 18,323 Cat Milner

Playoffs: Greenville 4 games, Enterprise 1; Andalusia 4 games, Ozark 1.
Finals: Andalusia 4 games, Greenville 1.

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Roy LeFevre Greenville BA .321 Carl Wollgast Geneva W 22
George Hughes Ozark Runs 114 Spencer Davis Ozark SO 220
Roy LeFevre Greenville Hits 151 Carl Wollgast Geneva ERA 1.89
Doug Walker Ozark RBI 107 Tom McBride Geneva/Ozark HR 15

1950 Alabama State League

Team standings W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Enterprise Boll Weevils 76 49 .608 – 23,269 Paul O'Dea
Dothan Browns 72 53 .576 4.0 51,665 Shovel Hodge
Headland Dixie Runners 68 56 .548 7.5 27,121 John A. McPherson
Greenville Pirates 65 61 .516 11.5 17,106 Mickey O'Neil
Andalusia Arrows 63 62 .504 13.0 43,163 Bubba Ball
Brewton Millers 54 72 .429 22.5 24,397 Cat Milner /
Cotton McCaskey / Sam Demma
Geneva Red Birds 52 73 .416 24.0 14,194 Johnny Grodzicki / Robert Comiskey
Ozark Eagles 51 75 .405 25.5 17,779 Julian Morgan

Playoffs: Headland 4 games, Enterprise 3; Dothan 4 games, Greenville 2.
Finals: Dothan 4 games, Headland 1.

Player Statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
John A. McPherson Headland BA .405 David Hataway Andalusia W 23
Joe Harper Headland Runs 138 Thomas Stone Headland SO 246
John A. McPherson Headland Hits 197 James Pomykala Greenville ERA 2.19
John A. McPherson Headland RBI 132 Lamar Bowden Dothan HR 15

[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.
  2. ^ "1939 Panama City Pelicans Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  3. ^ "1951 Panama City Fliers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  4. ^ "Alabama State League (D) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference.com.
  5. ^ "1940 Alabama State League". Baseball-Reference.com.