Virginia League (1948–1951)

For other uses, see Virginia League (disambiguation).
Virginia League
FormerlyVirginia League (1939-1942)
ClassificationClass D (1948–1951)
SportMinor League Baseball
First season1948
Ceased1951
PresidentRobert S. Brenaman (1948–1950)
Benjamin L. Campbell (1951)
No. of teams10
CountryUnited States of America
Most titles1
1948: Blackstone Barristers
1949: Petersburg Generals
1950: Emporia Nationals
1951: Elizabeth City Albemarles

The Virginia League of 1948–1951 was a Class D level American minor baseball league. The league was the last of five professional baseball circuits to be known by that name dating to 1894. The post-World War II league revived the previous incarnation of the Virginia League that had ceased operation after concluding the 1942 season.

History

The 1948–1951 Virginia League played each of its four seasons as a six-team league. The Virginia League headquarters were in Petersburg, with teams in North Carolina and Virginia. The Washington Senators of the American League (who used Nationals as one of their nicknames for many years) sponsored the Emporia club from 1948 to 1950. The New York Yankees (Blackstone) and St. Louis Cardinals (Lawrenceville) also had affiliates in the Virginia League in 1948.[1]

Among the future Major Leaguer players who played in the Virginia League of 1948–1951, a future All-Star was shortstop Eddie Kasko, a member of the 1961 National League squad (and a future MLB manager and executive), who played for the 1950 Suffolk Goobers.

1948–1951 Virginia League cities represented

Standings & statistics

1948 Virginia League

Team standings W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Suffolk Goobers 83 52 .615 - 60,873 Bill Steinecke
Blackstone Barristers 78 62 .557 7.5 37,632 Paul Badgett
Franklin Cubs 76 64 .543 9.5 54,867 John Zontini
Petersburg Generals 73 62 .541 10.0 116,062 Paul Varner
Emporia Nationals 63 74 .460 21.0 33,415 Morrie Aderholt
Lawrenceville Cardinals 39 98 .285 45.0 21,104 Robert Comiskey
George Shearin / John Pruett

Playoffs: Petersburg 4 games, Suffolk 2; Blackstone 4 games, Franklin 0.
Finals: Blackstone 4 games, Petersburg 3.

Player Statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Morrie Aderholt Emporia BA .394 Cecil Hutson Suffolk W 23
Art Jacobs Franklin Runs 147 George Blair Petersburg W 23
Morrie Aderholt Emporia Hits 185 George Blair Petersburg SO 212
Vernon Shetler Franklin RBI 150 Al Tefft Blackstone ERA 1.57
Morrie Aderholt Emporia HR 31 Al Tefft Blackstone PCT .955 21-1

1949 Virginia League

Team standings W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Franklin Kildees 80 48 .625 - 54,282 George Lacy
Petersburg Generals 72 54 .571 7.0 76,000 Paul Varner
Emporia Nationals 67 55 .549 10.0 29,050 Morrie Aderholt
Suffolk Goobers 57 65 .467 20.0 41,381 Bill Steinecke / Paul Badgett
Hopewell Blue Sox 52 75 .409 27.5 39,600 Joe Mills
Lawrenceville Robins 45 76 .372 31.5 29,000 Garland Braxton / James Myers /
Glenn Titus / Claude Weaver /
Walter Wholey

Playoffs: Franklin 4 games, Suffolk 1; Petersburg 4 games, Emporia 3.
Finals: Petersburg 4 games, Franklin 2.

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Paul Varner Petersburg BA .355 Arnold Atkins Franklin W 21
John Cornwell Franklin Runs 129 Arnold Atkins Franklin SO 204
James Gillette Franklin Hits 181 Arnold Atkins Franklin ERA 2.70
James Gillette Franklin RBI 118 Jim Cornett Petersburg PCT .706 12-5
John Garrison] Emporia HR 25

1950 Virginia League

Team standings W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Emporia Nationals 71 57 .555 - 26,380 Morrie Aderholt
Petersburg Generals 69 61 .531 3.0 43,508 Paul Varner
Elizabeth City Albemarles 68 61 .527 3.5 35,000 Paul Crawford
Hopewell Blue Sox 65 65 .500 7.0 29,320 Herbert Moore
Franklin Kildees 65 65 .500 7.0 30,249 Paul Badgett
Suffolk Goobers 50 79 .388 21.5 28,638 Buster Kinard

Playoffs:Hopewell defeated Franklin by forfeit for fourth place. Emporia 4 games, Hopewell 1; Petersburg 4 games, Elizabeth City 2.
Finals: Emporia 4 games, Petersburg 2.

Player Statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Paul Varner Petersburg BA .335 Vernon Holland Franklin W 20
LeRoy Dietzel Emporia Runs 121 Melvin Doxtator Emporia W 20
John Garrison Emporia Hits 170 Herman Dowdy Elizabeth City SO 176
Ken Hatcher Petersburg RBI 120 Eugene Hoberg Franklin ERA 2.50
Ken Hatcher Petersburg HR 32 Edmond McClosky Petersburg PCT .765 13-4

1951 Virginia League

Team standings W L PCT GB Attend Managers
Colonial Heights-Petersburg Generals 80 39 .672 - 35,146 Turkey Tyson
Elizabeth City Albemarles 67 50 .573 12.0 34,301 Paul Crawford
Edenton Colonials 63 55 .534 16.5 28,528 Gashouse Parker
Suffolk Goobers 56 62 .475 23.5 26,000 Red Treadway
Franklin Kildees 49 70 .412 31.0 18,299 Carl McQuillen / Awood Holland
Emporia Rebels 39 78 .333 40.0 12,000 Joe Mills / Harold Martin

Playoffs: Colonial Heights-Petersburg 4 games, Suffolk 1; Elizabeth City 4 games, Edenton 3.
Finals: Elizabeth City 4 games, Colonial Heights-Petersburg 1.

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Buster Kinard Suffolk BA .378 John Brockwell Colonial Heights/Petersburgh W 25
Ken Hatcher Colonial/Peters Runs 109 John Brockwell Colonial Heights/Petersburgh SO 164
Buster Kinard Suffolk Hits 156 John Brockwell Colonial Height/Petersburgh ERA 2.05
Ken Hatcher Colonial/Peters RBI 121 John Brockwell Colonial Height/Petersburgh PCT .781 25-7
Ken Hatcher Colonial/Peters HR 34

[2]

References

  1. ^ Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 2nd and 3rd editions. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 1997 and 2007
  2. ^ Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.