Eastern Carolina League
{{Infobox sports league
| title =Eastern Carolina League
| current_season =
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| logo =
| pixels =
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| formerly =
| sport =Minor League Baseball
| replaced =
| owner =
| ceo =
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| director =
| president =J. W. Washington (1908)
Dr. Joel D. Whitaker (1909–1910)
William G. Bramham (1928–1929)
| commissioner =
| fame =
| motto =
| inaugural =1908
| teams =19
| singles =
| country =United States of America
| venue =
| confed =
| folded =1929
| champion =
| most_champs =2
Wilson Tobacconists
| classification =Class D (1908–1910, 1928–1929)
| qualification =
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| related_comps =Blue Ridge League
Carolina Association
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}}
The Eastern Carolina League was a minor league baseball affiliation which operated in the Eastern part of North Carolina. The league had two distinct periods of operation: 1908 to 1910 and a revival of the league in 1928 and 1929. It was classified as a Class D level league.
The most famous person to play in the league was Jim Thorpe, considered by some the greatest athlete of the twentieth century. It was his involvement with the Eastern Carolina League that cost him his amateur status and his 1912 Summer Olympics metals.
Eastern Carolina League champions
- 1908 – Wilson Tobacconists †
- 1909 – Wilson Tobacconists
- 1910 – Fayetteville Highlanders
- 1928 – Goldsboro Manufacturers
- 1929 – Rocky Mount Buccaneers
† In late August 1908, Eastern North Carolina was hit by what is now known as Tropical Storm #5.{{Cite web|url=http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atlantic/1908/5/track.gif|title = SAIC | Digital Transformation}} The playoffs were abandoned with Wilmington leading Wilson 2 games to 1.
==Cities represented==
- Fayetteville, NC: Fayetteville Highlanders 1909–1910
- Goldsboro, NC: Goldsboro Giants 1908–1910; Goldsboro Manufacturers 1928; Goldsboro Goldbugs 1929
- Greenville, NC: Greenville Tobacconists 1928–1929
- Kinston, NC: Kinston 1908; Kinston Eagles 1928–1929
- New Bern, NC: New Bern 1908
- Raleigh, NC: Raleigh Red Birds 1908–1910
- Rocky Mount, NC: Rocky Mount Railroaders 1909–1910; Rocky Mount Buccaneers 1928–1929
- Wilmington, NC: Wilmington Sailors 1908–1910; Wilmington Pirates 1928–1929
- Wilson, NC: Wilson Tobacconists 1908–1910
Standings & statistics
=1908 to 1910=
[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61271689/1908-eastern-carolina-league-schedule/ 1908 schedule]
class="wikitable"
|+1908 Eastern Carolina League !Team name!!W!!L!!PCT!!GB!!Managers | |||||
Wilson Tobacconists | 36 | 18 | .667 | – | Earl Holt |
Wilmington Sailors | 35 | 21 | .625 | 2.0 | Dick Smith |
Goldsboro Giants | 29 | 28 | .509 | 8.5 | H.E. Kling |
Raleigh Red Birds | 23 | 36 | .390 | 15.5 | George "King" Kelly / Frank Thompson / Wallace Warren |
New Bern | 5 | 16 | .238 | NA | NA |
Kinston | 6 | 12 | .333 | NA | Lloyd Wooten |
Playoffs: Abandoned August 27 due to bad weather. Wilmington was leading Wilson 2 games to 1.
class="wikitable"
|+Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot | ||||||||
Earl Holt | Wilson | BA | .286 | Harvey Bussey | Wilmington | W | 14 | |
Walker Moore | Wilson | Runs | 28 | Fred Anderson | Wilson | SO | 120 | |
Walker Moore | Wilson | Hits | 57 | Hatton Ogle | Wilson | Pct | .846; 11–2 | |
L. Fox | Kinston/Raleigh | HR | 3 |
[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61271821/1909-eastern-carolina-league-schedule/ 1909 schedule]
class="wikitable"
|+1909 Eastern Carolina League !Team name!!W!!L!!PCT!!GB!!Managers | |||||
Wilson Tobacconists | 50 | 39 | .562 | – | Earl Holt |
Wilmington Sailors | 50 | 40 | .556 | 0.5 | Dick Smith |
Fayetteville Highlanders | 49 | 41 | .544 | 1.5 | Charles Moss / Charles Clancy |
Raleigh Red Birds | 49 | 41 | .544 | 1.5 | Richard Crozier |
Goldsboro Giants | 43 | 46 | .486 | 7.0 | H. E. Kling |
Rocky Mount Railroaders | 27 | 61 | .307 | 22.5 | W. B. Fenner / Joe Walsh |
class="wikitable"
|+Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot | ||||||||
Bill Schumaker | Fayetteville | BA | .340 | Harry Otis | Goldsboro | W | 19 | |
Pete Clemens | Fayetteville | Runs | 46 | Bill Luyster | Fayetteville | Pct | .786; 11–3 | |
Charlie Armstrong | Wilson | Hits | 76 |
[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61271911/1910-eastern-carolina-league-schedule/ 1910 schedule]
class="wikitable"
|+1910 Eastern Carolina League !Team name!!W!!L!!PCT!!GB!!Managers | |||||
Fayetteville Highlanders | 47 | 37 | .560 | – | Charles Clancy |
Wilson Tobacconists | 44 | 39 | .530 | 2.5 | Charles McGeehan |
Wilmington Sailors | 42 | 43 | .494 | 5.5 | Bert Kite / L.T. Mills |
Rocky Mount Railroaders | 43 | 45 | .489 | 6.0 | M.J. Phelan / James Connors |
Goldsboro Giants | 39 | 44 | .470 | 7.5 | William "King" Kelley |
Raleigh Red Birds | 38 | 45 | .458 | 8.5 | Richard Crozier |
class="wikitable"
|+Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot | ||||||||
Curly Brown | Goldsboro | BA | .294 | Bunny Hearn | Wilson | W | 16 | |
J. T. Mullins | Fayetteville | Runs | 40 | Erskine Mayer | Fayetteville | Pct | .882; 15–2 | |
Pete Clemens | Raleigh | Hits | 74 |
{{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}}
=1928 to 1929=
class="wikitable"
|+1928 Eastern Carolina League !Team name!!W!!L!!PCT!!GB!!Managers | |||||
Wilmington Pirates | 68 | 46 | .596 | – | Hal Weafer |
Goldsboro Manufacturers | 66 | 48 | .579 | 2.0 | Jim Teague |
Rocky Mount Buccaneers | 55 | 56 | .495 | 11.5 | Charles McMillan |
Kinston Eagles | 55 | 59 | .482 | 13.0 | Paul Bennett / Marty Walters |
Fayetteville Highlanders | 53 | 60 | .469 | 14.5 | Lee Gooch / Pooly Hubert |
Greenville Tobacconists | 43 | 71 | .377 | 25 | Taylor Jolliff / Tom Abbott |
class="wikitable"
|+Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot | ||||||||
Frank Roscoe | Wilmington | BA | .387 | Ralph Carver | Goldsboro | W | 17 | |
Charles Hamel | Goldsboro | Runs | 101 | Bobo Newsom | Greenville/Wilmington | SO | 114 | |
Frank Roscoe | Wilmington | Hits | 154 | Eddie Alsobrook | Fayetteville/Rocky Mt. | ERA | 2.70 | |
Frank Roscoe | Wilmington | RBI | 101 | Ralph Carver | Goldsboro | PCT | .944; 17–1 | |
Frank Roscoe | Wilmington | HR | 36 |
class="wikitable"
|+1929 Eastern Carolina League !Team name!!W!!L!!PCT!!GB!!Managers | |||||
Rocky Mount Buccaneers | 69 | 47 | .595 | – | Zip King / Charles Moore |
Goldsboro Goldbugs | 68 | 50 | .576 | 2.0 | Jim Teague / Spoke Emery |
Wilmington Pirates | 67 | 52 | .563 | 3.5 | Hal Weafer |
Fayetteville Highlanders | 55 | 62 | .470 | 14.5 | Cy Chisholm / Marty Walters |
Greenville Tobacconists | 45 | 68 | .398 | 22.5 | Lester Bangs / Guy Smith / Dan Pasquella |
Kinston Eagles | 46 | 71 | .393 | 23.5 | Clarence Roper |
class="wikitable"
|+Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot | ||||||||
Clarence Roper | Kinston | BA | .368 | Edward Heller | Goldsboro | W | 17 | |
Sam Fayonsky | Rocky Mount | Runs | 94 | Eddie Alsobrook | Rocky Mount | W | 17 | |
Roland Robins | Wilmington | Hits | 154 | Edward Heller | Goldsboro | ERA | 2.37 | |
Tom Young | Fayette/Wilmington | RBI | 89 | Henry Thormahlen | Wilmington | SO | 135 | |
Tom Young | Fayette/Wilmington | HR | 21 | Henry Thormahlen | Wilmington | PCT | .875; 14–2 |
External links
- [http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&bid=985&pid=14196 Page about Thorpe]
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Professional Baseball}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States
Category:Baseball leagues in North Carolina
Category:Sports leagues established in 1908
Category:Sports leagues disestablished in 1910