Concord Weavers

{{Infobox Minor League Baseball

| name =Concord Weavers

| firstseason =1936

| lastseason =1951

| allyears =1936–1942, 1945–1951

| city =Concord, North Carolina

| logo =

| uniformlogo =

| class level =Independent (1936–1938)
Class D (1939–1942, 1945–1951)

| league =Carolina League (1936–1938)
North Carolina State League (1939–1942, 1945–1951)

| majorleague =Philadelphia Phillies (1945)
Washington Senators (1949–1950)

| nickname =Concord Weavers (1936–1942, 1945–1948)
Concord Nationals (1949–1950)
Concord Sports (1951)

| ballpark =Webb Field (1936–1942, 1945–1951)

| classnum =

| classchamps =

| leaguenum =1

| leaguechamps =1937

| confnum =2

| conferencechamps ={{hlist|1936|1946}}

| divnum =

| divisionchamps =

| wildcardnum =4

| wildcardberths ={{hlist|1937|1939|1942|1946}}

}}

The Concord Weavers were a minor league baseball team based in Concord, North Carolina. Between 1936 and 1951, Concord teams played as a member of the Independent level Carolina League from 1936 to 1938 and the Class D level North Carolina State League from 1939 to 1942 and 1945 to 1951, winning two league pennants and one championship. The franchise played as the Concord Nationals from 1949 to 1950 and Concord Sports in 1951, with Concord teams hosting minor league home games at Webb Field.

Concord teams played as a minor league affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1945 and Washington Senators from 1949 to 1950.

Baseball Hall of Fame member Tommy Lasorda made his professional debut for the 1945 Concord Weavers.

The Concord Weavers moniker had been revived by Concord's current summer collegiate baseball team.

History

Minor league baseball first came to Concord, North Carolina in 1936 when the Concord Weavers became charter members of the Independent level Carolina League. The Charlotte Hornets, Hickory Rebels, Kannapolis Towelers, Rutherford County Owls, Salisbury Colonials and Shelby Cee-Cees and Valdese Textiles joined the Weavers in league play. The Independent league was nicknamed as an "outlaw" league because of the Independent status. Concord, and most of the other league members, had previously hosted numerous semi-pro teams in the Carolina Textile League, made up of locals and mill workers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/l-CARL/y-1936|title=1936 Carolina League (CL) on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.charlottemagazine.com/revisiting-charlottes-brawlin-mill-baseball-leagues/|title=Revisiting Charlotte's Brawlin' Mill Baseball Leagues|date=April 2, 2017}}

In 1936, the Concord Weavers won the Carolina League pennant. Concord finished the regular season with a 66–33 record to place first during their initial season. In the playoffs, the Weavers defeated the Kannapolis Towelers 3 games to 2 before losing to the Valdese Textiles 4 games to 2 in the league finals. The Weavers drew a season total of 55,426 an average of 1,120 per home game.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-cw11051/y-1936|title=1936 Concord Weavers Roster on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}

The 1937 Concord Weavers won the Carolina League championship. The Weavers finished with a record of 53–44, placing second in the Carolina League regular season standings. In the playoffs, Concord defeated the Valdese Textiles 3 games to 0. In the finals Concord defeated the Kannapolis Towelers 4 games to 1 to win the 1937 Carolina League Championship. The team drew 70,000 for the season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/stats/t-cw11051/y-1937|title=1937 Concord Weavers Statistics on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/l-CARL/y-1937|title=1937 Carolina League (CL) on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}

Concord finished with a 47–47 record, placing fourth in 1938, as the Carolina League became a six–team league. The Carolina League folded after the 1938 season, before returning in 1945. The 1938 Concord Weavers were controlled by a Board of Directors. The board consisted of local business leaders, school administrators, team personnel and media members.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/stats/t-cw11051/y-1938|title=1938 Concord Weavers Statistics on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/l-CARL/y-1938|title=1938 Carolina League (CL) on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.cmstory.org/exhibits/outlaw-carolina-baseball-league-1936-1938-owner-information/1938-concord-weavers-board|title=The 1938 Concord Weavers Board of Directors | Charlotte Mecklenburg Story|website=www.cmstory.org}}

The Concord Weavers joined the Class D level North Carolina State League in 1939, along with the Kannapolis Towelers. Those two teams joined the eight–team North Carolina State League to replace the Gastonia Cardinals and Newton-Conover Twins, who both had moved to the new Tar Heel League.{{cite book |title=The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball |editor1=Lloyd Johnson |editor2=Miles Wolff |edition=Third |publisher=Baseball America |date=2007 |isbn=978-1932391176}} The Concord Weavers began play in the 1939 North Carolina League, along with members Cooleemee Cools, Kannapolis Towelers, Landis Sens, Lexington Indians, Mooresville Moors, Salisbury Giants and Thomasville Tommies.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/l-NCSL2/y-1939|title=1939 North Carolina State League (NCSL) on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}

The Weavers finished with a record of 60–50 in 1939, placing third in the final regular season standings. They were defeated by the Mooresville Moors 3 games to 1 in the playoffs. The 1939 Concord Weavers drew 41,458, an average of 754.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/stats/t-cw11051/y-1939|title=1939 Concord Weavers Statistics on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}

Continuing play in the North Carolina League, Concord placed fifth in 1940 with a 58–54 record. In 1941, the Weavers again finished in fifth place, with a record of 54–51. Concord missed qualifying for the playoffs in both seasons.

In 1942, the Concord Weavers finished with a 64–34 record and won the North Carolina League pennant. In the playoffs, the Thomasville Tommies defeated Concord 3 games to 1. Because of World War II, the North Carolina State League stopped play after the 1942 season before resuming in 1945.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/stats/t-cw11051/y-1942|title=1942 Concord Weavers Statistics on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}

When the North Carolina State League resumed play in 1945, the Concord Weavers played the season as an affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. The weavers finished last in the eight–team league with a record of 34–79.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/l-NCSL2/y-1945|title=1945 North Carolina State League (NCSL) on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-cw11051/y-1945|title=1945 Concord Weavers Roster on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}

Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Tommy Lasorda made his professional debut for the Concord Weavers in 1945. At age 17, Lasorda pitched and played the field. He finished the 1945 season 3-12, with a 4.09 ERA in 27 games, walking 100 in 121 innings. As a hitter, Lasorda played in 67 games and hit .274 with one home run in 208 at bats.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=lasord001tho|title=Tom Lasorda Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics & History|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}

In 1946, the Weavers went from last to first, finishing 77–34 to win the North Carolina State League pennant. In the playoffs, Concord swept the Thomasville Dodgers in four games. In the Finals, the Mooresville Moors defeated the Weavers 4 games to 2.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-cw11051/y-1946|title=1946 Concord Weavers Roster on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}

The Concord Weavers placed seventh in both 1947 (48–63) and 1948 (44–62), missing the North Carolina State League playoffs in both seasons. They drew 26,148 fans in 1948, an average of 493.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-cw11051/y-1948|title=1948 Concord Weavers Roster on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}

In 1949, Concord became an affiliate of the Washington Senators. Concord played the 1949–1950 seasons as the Senators' affiliate, changing their name to the Concord Nationals. The Concord Nationals finished sixth (50–72) in 1949{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=ef189d0a|title=1949 North Carolina State League|website=Baseball-Reference.com}} and seventh (44–68) in 1950. In 1950, the Nationals drew 22,558, an average of 403 per game.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/t-cn11049|title=Concord Nationals Statistics and Roster on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-cn11049/y-1950|title=1950 Concord Nationals Roster on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=5400e4c4|title=1950 North Carolina State League|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}

Concord played as the Concord Sports in 1951. The Sports finished sixth (56–70), missing the playoffs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=56e28069|title=1951 North Carolina State League|website=Baseball-Reference.com}} Concord drew 22,236, an average of 353. Concord folded after the 1951 season and the Hickory Rebels moved to the Western Carolina League. The North Carolina League played the 1952 season with six teams and permanently folded after the season. After 1951, Concord has not hosted another minor league team.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-cs11050/y-1951|title=1951 Concord Sports Roster on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=Concord, North Carolina Encyclopedia|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}

Today, Concord hosts a summer collegiate baseball team, who play in the Southern Collegiate Baseball League. The team revived the Concord Weavers moniker for a time.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mascotdb.com/teams/concord-weavers-1|title=MascotDB.com | Concord Weavers|website=www.mascotdb.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.mascotdb.com/leagues/southern-collegiate-baseball-league|title=MascotDB.com | Southern Collegiate Baseball League|website=www.mascotdb.com}}

The ballpark

Concord teams were referenced to have played home minor league games at Webb Park. Today, the ballpark is owned by the city of Concord, who purchased it from the local school district and it is still in use. The location is 165 Academy Avenue, NW, Concord, North Carolina.{{Cite web|url=https://www.concordnc.gov/Departments/Parks-Recreation/Facilities|title = City of Concord NC > Departments > Parks & Recreation}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.independenttribune.com/news/commissioners-debate-concord-s-interest-in-buying-webb-field/article_ac2b5582-0d86-11e3-a5ab-001a4bcf6878.html|title=Commissioners debate Concord's interest in buying Webb Field|first=Karen Cimino Wilson|last=kcimino@independenttribune.com|website=The Independent Tribune}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/venues/v-608|title=Webb Field in Concord, NC history and teams on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/l-NCSL2/y-1952|title=1952 North Carolina State League (NCSL) on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}

File:Downtown Concord NC 5.jpg

Timeline

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 95%;" ! Year(s) !! # Yrs. !! Team !! Level !! League!!Affiliate!!Ballpark
1936–1938	3	rowspan=4\|Concord Weavers	Independent	Carolina League	rowspan=2\|None	rowspan=6\|Webb Park
1939–1942	4	rowspan=5\|Class D	rowspan=5\|North Carolina State League
1945	1	Philadelphia Phillies
1946–1948	3	None
1949–1950	2	Concord Nationals	Washington Senators
1951	1	Concord Champs	None

Year–by–year records

class="wikitable" ! Year !! Record !! Finish !! Manager !! Playoffs/Notes
align=center \| 1936	66–33	1st	Bobby Hipps	Lost in Finals
align=center \| 1937	53–24	2nd	Bobby Hipps	League Champions
align=center \| 1938	47–47	4th	Bill Steinecke / Holt Milner	Did not qualify
align=center \| 1939	60–50	3rd	Gerald Fitzgerald	Lost in 1st round
align=center \| 1940	58–54	5th	Gerald Fitzgerald	Did not qualify
align=center \|1941	51–49	5th	Ulmont Baker	Did not qualify
align=center \| 1942	64–34	1st	Ginger Watts	Lost in 1st round
align=center \|
align=center \| 1945	34–79	8th	Hank Lehman	Did not qualify
align=center \| 1946	77–34	1st	Ginger Watts	Lost League Finals
align=center \|1947	48–63	7th	Nig Lipscomb	Did not qualify
align=center \| 1948	44–62	7th	Jim Mills	Did not qualify
align=center \| 1949	50–72	6th	James Calleran	Did not qualify
align=center \| 1950	44–68	7th	George Lacy Thomas Hockenbury / Ginger Watts	Did not qualify
align=center \| 1951	56–70	6th	Ginger Watts / Harry Bell	Did not qualify
align=center