Shelby Senators
From BR Bullpen
- Location: Shelby, NC
- League: Western Carolinas League 1969
- Affiliation: Washington Senators 1969
- Ballpark:
Expansion brought professional baseball back to Shelby, NC in 1969 with the addition of the Shelby Senators to the Western Carolinas League. The Senators went 26-36 to finish fifth of six teams in their first half, but then improved to 35-27 and took the second-half title. In the finals they fell to the first-half champion Greenwood Braves 2 games to one. Attendance was 31,563, 5th in the loop. Manager Joe Klein's team had three All-Stars - 2B Dick Bechtel, OF Dalton Renfroe and C Rick Stelmaszek. Shelby was second in the league with 620 runs but allowed a league-high 660 scores. Bechtel hit .269/~.325/.434, Renfroe .283/~.342/.501 with 27 homers and a league-high 113 RBI and Stelmaszek .284/~.436/.402 with 91 walks, 2 behind the league leader. Also playing well was OF John Wockenfuss, who hit .325/~.384/.535 in 39 games. The team only played that one year.
[edit] Year-by-Year Record
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 61-63 | 3rd (t) | Joe Klein | Lost League Finals |
