Tobacco State League

From BR Bullpen

The Tobacco State League was a class D league which lasted from 1946 through 1950.

Throughout the five-season run, there were fifteen cities that participated in the league; all were from North Carolina. Five of the teams did not miss a season, fielding a team for each year of the league's existance. Those five were Clinton, Dunn-Erwin, Sanford, Smithfield-Selma and Wilmington.

Three of the teams could be labeled as twin-cities as Dunn-Erwin, Smithfield-Selma and Angier-Fuquay Springs pooled their efforts to put a squad together.

The Sanford Spinners, one of the teams that fielded a team for each year of the league's existance, won the 1946, '47 & '48 league championships, as well as the playoff titles in 1947-48. Zeb Harrington was the team's manager during this run.

The Tobacco League's attendance was reasonably stable for leagues and teams of that era. Over their five-year run the league drew some 1,317,988 fans through the gates. In 1948, there were 353,844 paying customers before dropping off in 1950 to just 225,704, the league's final season. During the league's existance, Wilmington had the best one-year draw at the gate, 77,842 paid, in 1948.

Contents 1 Cities Represented 2 Teams & Statistics 2.1 1946 2.2 1947 2.3 1948 2.4 1949 2.5 1950 3 League Records 1946-1950 4 Source

[edit] Cities Represented

• Angier, NC & Fuquay Springs, NC: Angier-Fuquay Springs Bulls 1946
• Clinton, NC: Clinton Blues 1946-1948; Clinton Sampson Blues 1949-1950
• Dunn, NC & Erwin, NC: Dunn-Erwin Twins 1946-1949
• Fayetteville, NC: Fayetteville Scotties 1949
• Lumberton, NC: Lumberton Cubs 1947-1948; Lumberton Auctioneers 1949-1950
• Red Springs, NC: Red Springs Red Robins 1947-1950
• Rockingham, NC: Rockingham Eagles 1950
• Sanford, NC: Sanford Spinners 1946-1950
• Smithfield, NC & Selma, NC: Smithfield-Selma Leafs 1946-1950
• Warsaw, NC: Warsaw Red Sox 1947-1948
• Whiteville, NC: Whiteville Tobacconists 1950
• Wilmington, NC: Wilmington Pirates 1946-1950

[edit] Teams & Statistics

[edit] 1946

President: J.E.L. Wade

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Sanford Spinners	71	48	.597	0	Gaither Riley / Zeb Harrington
Clinton Blues	70	48	.593	.5	Willie Duke / Van Lingle Mungo
Smithfield-Selma Leafs	58	62	.483	13.5	Mickey Balla
Angier-Fuquay Springs Bulls	57	62	.479	14	Paul Dunlap / Gaither Riley
Wilmington Pirates	52	66	.441	18.5	Sam Katkaveck / Gus Brittain
Dunn-Erwin Twins	48	70	.407	22.5	Guinn / Stephenson / Law

Attendance: Wilmington 57,615; Dunn-Erwin, 47,174

Playoffs:Angier-Fuquay 4 games, Sanford 2; Clinton 4 games, Springfield 1.
Finals: Angier-Fuquay 4 games, Clinton 3.

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Willie Duke	Clinton	BA	.393		Robert Keane	Clinton	W	23
Lonnie H. Smith	Clinton	Runs	117		George Bortz	Sanford	SO	193
Leo Niezgoda	Smith/Selma	Hits	173		Robert Keane	Clinton	Pct	.852; 23-4
Orville Nesselrode	Sanford	RBI	150		Orville Nesselrode	Sanford	HR	30

[edit] 1947

President: Arthur T. Moore

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Attend	Managers
Sanford Spinners	86	39	.688	0	37,517	Zeb Harrington
Lumberton Cubs	71	49	.592	12.5	50,758	Red Lucas
Wilmington Pirates	68	57	.544	18	63,219	Nate Andrews
Dunn-Erwin Twins	62	62	.500	23.5	49,262	Jack Bell / Bill Auerette
Warsaw Red Sox	59	64	.480	26	36,865	James Milner
Clinton Blues	56	67	.455	29	36,778	Hall / Mungo / Wright
Red Springs Red Robins	47	78	.480	39	21,000	Red Norris
Smithfield-Selma leafs	46	79	.368	40	28,847	Mickey Balla / Joe Eonta

Playoffs:Sanford 4 games, Wilmington 3; Lumberton 4 games, Dunn-Erwin 1.
Finals: Sanford 4 games, Lumberton 3.

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
James Wilson	Sanford	BA	.385		Lewis Cheshire	Wilmington	W	19
James Wilson	Sanford	Runs	133		Carl Johnson	Warsaw	SO	225
James Wilson	Sanford	Hits	205		John McFadden	Sanford	ERA	2.44
Orville Nesselrode	Sanford	RBI	166		Orville Nesselrode	Sanford	HR	32

[edit] 1948

President: Arthur T. Moore

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Attend	Managers
Sanford Spinners	80	56	.588	0	29,374	Zeb Harrington
Wilmington Pirates	76	62	.551	5	77,842	Jim Stanton
Red Springs Red Robbins	75	62	.547	5.5	28,410	Red Norris
Smithfield-Selma Leafs	73	65	.529	8	36,552	Sam Narron / Virgil Payne
Warsaw Red Sox	71	67	.514	10	32,482	Sam Gibson / Verne Blackwell
Clinton Blues	70	67	.511	10.5	39,498	Marvin Lorenz
Lumberton Cubs	55	81	.404	25	38,772	Charlie Jamin
Dunn-Erwin Twins	49	89	.355	32	26,475	McQuillen / Bost / Riley

Playoffs: Sanford 4 games, Smithfield-Selma 1; Red Springs 4 games, Wilmington 3.
Finals: Red Springs 4 games, Sanford 1.

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Hargrove Davis	Wilmington	BA	.366		Aaron Osofsky	Smithfield-Selma	W	24
James Wilson	Sanford	Runs	145		John Cheshire	Wilmington	SO	258
James Wilson	Sanford	Hits	212		John Cheshire	Wilmington	ERA	2.35
Orville Nesselrode	Sanford	RBI	159		Orville Nesselrode	Sanford	HR	27

[edit] 1949

President: Arthur T. Moore

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Attend	Managers
Dunn-Erwin Twins	81	54	.600	0	39,335	Jim Stanton
Red Springs Red Robins	76	59	.563	5	33,303	Red Norris
Lumberton Auctioneers	75	61	.551	6.5	60,038	Charles Lucas / James Guinn
Sanford Spinners	71	62	.530	9	36,046	Zeb Harrington
Smithfield-Selma Leafs	70	65	.519	11	41,618	Payne / Weaver / Kluk
Fayetteville Scotties	61	76	.445	21	56,999	Payne / Roseberry / Rhabe / Helms
Clinton Sampson Blues	60	78	.435	22.5	37,496	Marvin Lorenz
Wilmington Pirates	49	88	.358	33	49,009	Tiedemann / Edens / Brittain / Davis

Playoffs: Dunn-Erwin 4 games, Lumberton 1; Red Springs 4 games, Sanford 2.
Finals: Red Springs 4 games, Dunn Erwin 1.

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Joe Roseberry	Fayetteville	BA	.409		Clarence Condit	Dunn-Erwin	W	20
Granville Denning	Dunn-Erwin	Runs	118		Clarence Condit	Dunn-Erwin	SO	264
Nicholas Perchia	Clinton	Runs	118		Leslie Price	Clinton	ERA	2.19
Granville Denning	Dunn-Erwin	Hits	185		John Helms	Fayetteville	HR	15
Granville Denning	Dunn-Ervin	RBI	119		Joseph Stern	Clin/Lumb	HR	15

[edit] 1950

President: Arthur T. Moore

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Attend	Managers
Lumberton Auctioneers	92	43	.682	0	42,796	John Streza
Sanford Spinners	90	44	.672	1.5	19,686	Zeb Harrington
Red Springs Red Robbins	68	61	.527	21	26,198	Ducky Detweiler
Rockingham Eagles	63	69	.477	27.5	31,806	Jack Bell / Turkey Tyson
Clinton Sampson Blues	61	72	.459	30	29,060	Kluttz / Rhabe / Lorenz
Wilmington Pirates	56	75	.427	34	35,950	Hamons / Teague / Collins
Whiteville Tobs	39	92	.298	51	20,839	Jim Staton
Smithfield Selma Leafs #	49	62	.441	NA	19,369	Marvin Lorenz

#Smithfield Selma disbanded August 16

Playoffs: Rockingham 4 games, Lumberton 2; Stanford 4 games, Red Springs 0;
Finals: Rockingham 4 games, Stanford 3;

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Granville Denning	Whiteville	BA	.374		Hoyt Clegg	Sanford	W	24
Granville Denning	Whiteville	Hits	176		Richard Causey	Sanford	SO	148
Pierre Ethier	Lumberton	Runs	146		Clayton Andrews	Sanford	ERA	2.63
Mike Milosevich	Lumberton	RBI	121		Mike Milosevich	Lumberton	HR	14

[edit] League Records 1946-1950

Batting
Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Yr		Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Yr
Orville Nesselrode	Sanford	GA	141	48		Joe Roseberry	Fayetteville	BA	.408	49
James Wilson	Sanford	AB	605	48		Pierre Ethier	Lumberton	Runs	146	50
James Wilson	Sanford	H	212	48		Orville Nesselrode	Sanford	Rbi	166	47
Orville Nesselrode	Sanford	2B	46	48		Joe Mangini	Red Springs	3B	24	48
Orville Nesselrode	Sanford	HR	32	47		Orville Nesselrode	Sanford	EBH	77	48
Orville Nesselrode	Sanford	TB	334	48		John Piccone	Clinton	Sac	21	48
James Wilson	Sanford	SB	66	47		Billy Kay	Clinton	BB	180	50
Tom McGhee	Warsaw	SO	117	47

Pitching
Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Yr		Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Yr
Aaron Osofsky	Smithfield/Selma	GA	41	48		Howard Auman	Sanford	CG	28	46
Aaron Osofsky	Smithfield/Selma	W	24	48		Hoyt Clegg	Sanford	W	24	50
Aaron Osofsky	Smithfield/Selma	IP	271	48		Wallace Ammons	Red Springs	L	17	48
John Logan(21-3)	Lumberton	Pct	.875	50		Hampton Conn	Warsaw	L	17	47
Clarence Condit	Dunn-Erwin	SO	264	49		Hugh Holder	Red Springs	BB	176	50
Leslie Price	Clinton	Era	2.19	49

[edit] Source

• The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: Second Edition
  
• Image is user created not original.