Mountain States League (1948–1954)
The Mountain States League was a Class D and Class C minor league baseball league which operated in the United States from 1948 to 1954. The league was a Class D level league, becoming a Class C league during its final season in 1954. The league disbanded on July 20, 1954. The cities of Harlan, Kentucky, and Morristown, Tennessee, were represented for the full seven–year existence of the circuit.
| Classification | Class D (1948–1953) Class C (1954) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Minor League Baseball |
| Inaugural season | 1948 |
| Ceased | July 20, 1954 |
| President | Virgil Q. Wacks (1948–1954) |
| No. of teams | 13 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Most titles | 2 Harlan Smokies Hazard Bombers |
| Related competitions | Mountain States League (1911–12) |
History
A total of 16 teams competed in the Mountain States League. In 1954, the Morristown Red Sox team disbanded on May 15, and was replaced when the Maryville-Alcoa Twins moved to Morristown on June 19. Both the Morristown Twins and Lexington Colts disbanded on July 7.[1]
Virgil Q. Wacks served as president for the duration of the league.[citation needed][1]
Cities represented
- Big Stone Gap, VA: Big Stone Gap Rebels 1949–1953
- Harlan, KY: Harlan Smokies 1948–1954
- Hazard, KY: Hazard Bombers 1948–1952
- Jenkins, KY: Jenkins Cavaliers 1948–1951
- Kingsport, TN: Kingsport Cherokees 1953–1954
- Knoxville, TN: Knoxville Smokies 1953
- Lexington, KY: Lexington Colts 1954
- Maryville, TN & Alcoa, TN: Maryville-Alcoa Twins 1953–1954
- Middlesboro, KY: Middlesboro Athletics 1949–1954
- Morristown, TN: Morristown Red Sox 1948–1954; Morristown Twins 1954
- Newport, TN: Newport Canners 1948–1950
- Norton, VA: Norton Braves 1951–1953
- Oak Ridge, TN: Oak Ridge Bombers 1948; Oak Ridge Pioneers 1954
- Pennington Gap, VA: Pennington Gap Miners 1948–1951
Standings & statistics
1948 Mountain States League - schedule
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morristown Red Sox | 70 | 46 | .603 | – | 37,744 | James Grigg |
| Oak Ridge Bombers / Hazard Bombers | 65 | 43 | .602 | 4.0 | 22,533 | Hobe Brummitt |
| Pennington Gap Miners | 59 | 54 | .522 | 9.5 | 14,988 | Joe Santomauro / Buford Rhea |
| Newport Canners | 58 | 59 | .496 | 12.5 | 30,054 | Michael Balla / Cy Whaley |
| Harlan Smokies | 56 | 63 | .471 | 15.5 | 46,187 | Bill Sisler / Frank Wilson / Michael Goda |
| Jenkins Cavaliers | 35 | 78 | .310 | 33.5 | 23,276 | Ray Russell / Jackson Bell / Brent Mays |
Oak Ridge moved to Hazard June 10
Playoffs: Morristown 3 games, Newport 2; Hazard 3 games, Pennington Gap 0.
Finals: Morristown 3 games, Hazard 2.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cy Whaley | Newport | BA | .382 | Mike Clark | Newport | W | 20 | |
| Eduardo DeHogues | Morristown | Runs | 109 | Dennis Reeder | Oak Ridge/Hazard | SO | 196 | |
| Eduardo DeHogues | Morristown | Hits | 145 | Dennis Reeder | Oak Ridge/Hazard | ERA | 2.20 | |
| Jacob Stirn | Morristown | RBI | 101 | Dennis Reeder | Oak Ridge/Hazard | PCT | .773 17–5 | |
| Jacob Stirn | Morristown | HR | 12 | |||||
| Eduardo DeHogues | Morristown | HR | 12 |
1949 Mountain States League - schedule
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlan Smokies | 83 | 41 | .669 | – | 49,615 | George Motto |
| Morristown Red Sox | 72 | 52 | .581 | 11.0 | 44,362 | James Grigg |
| Middlesboro Athletics | 69 | 56 | .552 | 14.5 | 25,833 | Hobe Brummitt / Ted Russ / James Burns |
| Jenkins Cavaliers | 63 | 61 | .508 | 20.0 | 19,654 | Joe Vitter |
| Pennington Gap Miners | 62 | 63 | .496 | 21.5 | 14,820 | Lew Flick / Burgess Wolfenbarger |
| Newport Canners | 59 | 66 | .472 | 24.5 | 14,148 | Cy Whaley |
| Big Stone Gap Rebels | 55 | 70 | .440 | 28.5 | 37,751 | Rudolph Parsons / Dale Markert / Fred Marsh |
| Hazard Bombers | 35 | 89 | .282 | 48.0 | 23,543 | Fred Marsh / George Mitrus / Hobe Brummitt |
Playoffs: Harlan 3 games, Middlesboro 1; Morristown 3 games, Jenkins 2.
Finals: Harlan 3 games, Morristown 2.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Lunn | Pennington Gap | BA | .358 | Frank C. Wilson | Harlan | W | 27 | |
| Robert Grose | Pennington Gap | Runs | 127 | Frank C. Wilson | Harlan | SO | 176 | |
| Kelly Lunn | Pennington Gap | Hits | 179 | Frank C. Wilson | Harlan | ERA | 2.77 | |
| Kelly Lunn | Pennington Gap | RBI | 126 | Frank C. Wilson | Harlan | PCT | .771 27–8 | |
| Jack Hall | Jenkins | HR | 18 |
1950 Mountain States League - schedule
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlan Smokies | 81 | 44 | .648 | – | 41,707 | Rex Carr |
| Hazard Bombers | 76 | 49 | .608 | 5.0 | 55,184 | Max Macon |
| Big Stone Gap Rebels | 75 | 51 | .595 | 6.5 | 38,878 | Jack Rothrock |
| Middlesboro Athletics | 59 | 67 | .468 | 22.5 | 20,248 | James Burns |
| Jenkins Cavaliers | 58 | 66 | .468 | 22.5 | 13,880 | Bob Bowman / Wayne Stewart / Bill Scopetone |
| Morristown Red Sox | 56 | 67 | .455 | 24.0 | 30,448 | Fred Hartman / Pinky Doyle |
| Newport Canners | 51 | 74 | .408 | 30.0 | 20,920 | Robert Mitchell / Matthew Zidich |
| Pennington Gap Miners | 44 | 82 | .349 | 37.5 | 11,164 | Lew Flick / Michael Brelich / Vince Pankovits |
Playoffs: Harlan 3 games, Big Stone Gap 1; Middlesboro 3 games, Hazard 0.
Finals: Harlan 3 games, Middlesboro 0.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Macon | Hazard | BA | .392 | Nick Bunato | Middlesboro | W | 22 | |
| Joseph Christian | Harlan | Runs | 127 | Nick Bunato | Middlesboro | SO | 132 | |
| Joseph Christian | Harlan | Hits | 173 | Michael Hudak | Big Stone Gap | ERA | 2.89 | |
| Joe Riola | Morristown | RBI | 130 | Michael Hudak | Big Stone Gap | PCT | .875 21–3 | |
| Joseph Christian | Harlan | HR | 27 |
1951 Mountain States League - schedule
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazard Bombers | 93 | 33 | .738 | – | 35,129 | Max Macon |
| Morristown Red Sox | 86 | 39 | .688 | 6.5 | 22,184 | James Burns |
| Harlan Smokies | 82 | 43 | .656 | 10.5 | 35,657 | Bones Sanders / John Streza |
| Middlesboro Athletics | 59 | 66 | .472 | 33.5 | 19,228 | Ted Russ / George Kennis |
| Pennington Gap Miners | 54 | 71 | .432 | 38.5 | 14,994 | Vince Pankovits |
| Norton Braves | 53 | 72 | .424 | 39.5 | 12,314 | Bob Bowman / George Sifft / George Motto |
| Big Stone Gap Rebels | 49 | 75 | .395 | 43.0 | 13,737 | Ham Schulte / Lew Flick |
| Jenkins Cavaliers | 24 | 101 | .192 | 68.5 | 12,250 | James Grigg / Tom McBride |
Playoffs: Hazard 3 games, Harlan 0; Morristown 3 games, Middlesboro 0.
Finals: Hazard 3 games, Morristown 0.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orville Kitts | Morristown | BA | .424 | Dan Hayling | Hazard | W | 24 | |
| Max Macon | Hazard | Runs | 139 | Johnny Podres | Hazard | SO | 228 | |
| Len Feriancek | Pennington Gap | Hits | 216 | Johnny Podres | Hazard | ERA | 1.67 | |
| Max Macon | Hazard | RBI | 148 | Johnny Podres | Hazard | PCT | .875 21–3 | |
| Bill Halstead | Pennington Gap | HR | 34 |
1952 Mountain States League - schedule
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazard Bombers | 87 | 32 | .731 | – | 14,600 | Mervin Dornburg |
| Harlan Smokies | 73 | 45 | .619 | 13.5 | 32,579 | Rex Carr |
| Morristown Red Sox | 61 | 58 | .513 | 26.0 | 10,597 | James Burns |
| Big Stone Gap Rebels | 57 | 60 | .487 | 29.0 | 11,161 | Len Cross |
| Middlesboro Athletics | 47 | 72 | .395 | 40.0 | 15,364 | Leon Culberson / Red Goff / Joe McManus |
| Norton Braves | 30 | 88 | .254 | 56.5 | 10,025 | George Motto / Bill Fitchko / Mark Muslin |
Playoffs: Morristown 3 games, Hazard 1; Harlan 3 games, Big Stone Gap 2.
Finals: Harlan 3 games, Morristown 0.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orville Kitts | Morristown | BA | .372 | Michael DelPiano | Harlan | W | 22 | |
| Ken Johnson | Hazard | Runs | 146 | Michael DelPiano | Harlan | SO | 144 | |
| Len Cross | Big Stone Gap | Hits | 138 | Rafael Codinachs | Middlesboro | ERA | 2.78 | |
| Joe McManus | Middlesboro | Hits | 138 | McKinley Mosley | Hazard | PCT | 1.000 10–0 | |
| Len Cross | Big Stone Gap | RBI | 125 | Ken Johnson | Hazard | BB | 197 | |
| Len Cross | Big Stone Gap | HR | 40 |
1953 Mountain States League - schedule
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryville-Alcoa Twins | 78 | 46 | .629 | – | 25,000 | Jim Poole |
| Knoxville Smokies | 70 | 55 | .560 | 8.5 | 36,255 | Vince Pankovits |
| Kingsport Cherokees | 69 | 56 | .552 | 9.5 | 46,717 | Muscle Shoals |
| Morristown Red Sox | 64 | 62 | .508 | 15.0 | 37,384 | Napoleon Reyes |
| Norton Braves | 63 | 63 | .500 | 16.0 | 21,873 | Walt Dixon |
| Big Stone Gap Rebels | 55 | 70 | .440 | 23.5 | 8,230 | Kelly Lunn |
| Harlan Smokies | 53 | 72 | .424 | 25.5 | 20,630 | Cliff Melton / Barry Cox / James Grigg |
| Middlesboro Athletics | 48 | 76 | .387 | 30.0 | 12,600 | Julian Morgan / Ben Pardue |
Playoffs: Maryville-Alcoa 3 games, Kingsport 2; Knoxville 3 games, Morristown 1.
Finals: Knoxville 3 games, Maryville-Alcoa 1.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle Shoals | Kingsport | BA | .427 | Jim Tugerson | Knoxville | W | 29 | |
| Hugh Hamil | Maryville-Alcoa | Runs | 165 | Jim Tugerson | Knoxville | SO | 286 | |
| Walt Dixon | Norton | Hits | 197 | Raymond Johnston | Maryville-Alcoa | ERA | 1.90 | |
| Willie Kirkland | Maryville-Alcoa | RBI | 164 | Ned Jilton | Kingsport | PCT | .864 19–3 | |
| Walt Dixon | Norton | HR | 37 |
1954 Mountain States League - schedule
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Attend | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesboro Athletics | 48 | 34 | .585 | – | 9,031 | Walt Dixon |
| Harlan Smokies | 39 | 33 | .542 | 4.0 | 10,000 | Bill Steinecke |
| Kingsport Cherokees | 41 | 40 | .506 | 6.5 | 33,000 | Muscle Shoals |
| Oak Ridge Pioneers | 35 | 43 | .449 | 11.0 | 18,286 | Bert Niehoff |
| Morristown Red Sox | 7 | 7 | .500 | NA | NA | Napoleon Reyes |
| Lexington Colts | 30 | 36 | .455 | NA | 4,000 | Zeke Bonura |
| Maryville-Alcoa Twins / Morristown Twins | 29 | 36 | .446 | NA | 9,559 | Tuck McWilliams |
Morristown disbanded May 15; Maryville–Alcoa moved to Morristown June 19, then disbanded July 7; Lexington disbanded July 20.
The league disbanded July 20.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ray Adams | Oak Ridge | BA | .352 | Norman Hughes | Harlan | W | 16 | |
| Aldo Salvent | Kingsport | Runs | 84 | Norman Hughes | Harlan | SO | 85 | |
| Ray Adams | Oak Ridge | Hits | 112 | Raymond Johnston | Oak Ridge | ERA | 2.28 | |
| Walt Dixon | Middlesboro | RBI | 80 | Don Vaughn | Maryville–Alcoa/Morristown | PCT | .917 11–1 | |
| Muscle Shoals | Kingsport | HR | 18 |
References
- "Mountain States League (D) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
- Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, eds., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007.
- ^ a b c The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, editors (Third ed.). Baseball America. 2007. ISBN 978-1932391176.
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