Erwin Cubs

{{Infobox Minor League Baseball

| name = Erwin Cubs

| firstseason = 1943

| lastseason = 1944

| allyears =

| city = Erwin, Tennessee

| logo =

| caplogo =

| class level = Class D (1943–1944)

| league = Appalachian League (1943–1944)

| majorleague = Chicago Cubs (1943–1944)

| nickname={{plainlist|

Erwin Cubs (1944)
Erwin Aces (1943)

}}

| ballpark = Gentry Stadium (1943–1944)

| leaguenum = 1

| leaguechamps = 1943

}}

The Erwin Cubs were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Class D Appalachian League from 1943 to 1944. They were located in Erwin, Tennessee, and played their home games at Gentry Stadium. Known as the Erwin Aces in 1943, they became the Erwin Cubs in 1944 borrowing the moniker from the Chicago Cubs, with whom they were affiliated in both seasons. The Aces won the 1943 Appalachian League playoff championship.

History

Erwin had previously been home to the Appalachian League's Erwin Mountaineers in 1940.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Erwin&state=TN&country=US|title=Erwin, Tennessee Encyclopedia|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=May 24, 2020}}

The Erwin Aces began play in 1943 as the Class D affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?id=2dd375e1|title=1943 Erwin Aces Statistics|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=May 24, 2020}} They were managed by Jim Poole, a former American League first baseman who served as a player-manager.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=poole-006jam|title=Jim Poole Minor League Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=May 24, 2020}} The Aces opened the season at home with a 27–11 loss to the Johnson City Cardinals on May 4 at Gentry Stadium.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52020787/johnson-city-routs-erwin-aces-27-11/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Johnson City Routs Erwin Aces, 27-11, in First Game|work=Kingsport News|location=Kingsport|date=May 5, 1943|page=2}}{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/stats/t-ea11450/y-1943|title=1943 Erwin Aces Statistics|work=Stats Crew|accessdate=May 24, 2020}} Erwin finished the season with an even 53–53 (.500) record, placing third.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-APPY1/y-1943|title=1943 Appalachian League Standings|work=Stats Crew|accessdate=May 24, 2020}} All four of the circuit's teams participated in the playoffs. The Aces advanced to the finals by beating Johnson City, three games to one, in the semifinals. They then defeated the Bristol Twins, 4–3, in a best-of-seven series to win the Appalachian League playoff championship.

In 1944, the team borrowed the nickname of their Major League Baseball affiliate by becoming the Erwin Cubs.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?id=efdcf8ae|title=1944 Erwin Cubs Statistics|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=May 24, 2020}} Under Poole, Erwin finished the season with a 45–63 (.417) last-place record.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-APPY1/y-1944|title=1944 Appalachian League Standings|work=Stats Crew|accessdate=May 24, 2020}} Again, all four teams participated in the playoffs, but the Aces lost their semifinal series to Bristol, three games to one.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-APPY1/y-1944|title=1944 Appalachian League Standings|work=Stats Crew|accessdate=May 24, 2020}} They lost their final game, 3–2, at Bristol on September 3.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52024957/twins-erase-erwin-3-2-play-at/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Twins Erase Erwin 3-2; Play at Kingsport Tonight|work=The Bristol Herald Courier|location=Bristol|date=September 4, 1944|page=5}}

Across both seasons of play, Erwin accumulated a regular season record of 98–116 (.458).

Season-by-season results

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
rowspan="2" scope="col"\|Season !colspan="4" scope="col"\|Regular season !colspan="3" scope="col"\|Postseason !rowspan="2" scope="col"\|MLB affiliate !rowspan="2" class="unsortable" scope="col"\|{{Abbr\|Ref.\|Reference}}
scope="col"\|Record !scope="col"\|Win % !scope="col"\|Finish !scope="col"\|{{Abbr\|GB\|Games behind}} !scope="col"\|Record !scope="col"\|Win % !class="unsortable" rowspan="2" scope="col"\|Result
scope="row" style="text-align:center"\| 1943 \| 53–53 \| .500 \| {{sort\|03.0\|3rd}} \| {{sort\|19.5\|{{frac\|19\|1\|2}}}} \| 7–4 \| .636 \| Won semifinal vs. Johnson City Cardinals, 3–1 Won Appalachian League championship vs. Bristol Twins, 4–3 \| Chicago Cubs \|
scope="row" style="text-align:center"\| 1944 \| 45–63 \| .417 \| {{sort\|04.0\|4th}} \| {{sort\|17.5\|{{frac\|17\|1\|2}}}} \| 1–3 \| .250 \| Lost semifinal vs. Bristol Twins, 3–1 \| Chicago Cubs \|
class="sortbottom" !scope="row" style="text-align:center"\|Totals ! 98–116 ! .458 ! {{sort\|00.0\|—}} ! {{sort\|00.0\|—}} ! 8–7 ! .533 ! {{sort\|00.0\|—}} ! {{sort\|00.0\|—}} ! {{sort\|00.0\|—}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"

rowspan="2" scope="col"|Season

!colspan="4" scope="col"|Regular season

!colspan="3" scope="col"|Postseason

!rowspan="2" scope="col"|MLB affiliate

!rowspan="2" class="unsortable" scope="col"|{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="col"|Record

!scope="col"|Win %

!scope="col"|Finish

!scope="col"|{{Abbr|GB|Games behind}}

!scope="col"|Record

!scope="col"|Win %

!class="unsortable" rowspan="2" scope="col"|Result

scope="row" style="text-align:center"| 1943

| 53–53

| .500

| {{sort|03.0|3rd}}

| {{sort|19.5|{{frac|19|1|2}}}}

| 7–4

| .636

| Won semifinal vs. Johnson City Cardinals, 3–1
Won Appalachian League championship vs. Bristol Twins, 4–3

| Chicago Cubs

scope="row" style="text-align:center"| 1944

| 45–63

| .417

| {{sort|04.0|4th}}

| {{sort|17.5|{{frac|17|1|2}}}}

| 1–3

| .250

| Lost semifinal vs. Bristol Twins, 3–1

| Chicago Cubs

class="sortbottom"

!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|Totals

! 98–116

! .458

! {{sort|00.0|—}}

! 8–7

! .533

! {{sort|00.0|—}}

Notable players

Five Aces/Cubs also played in at least one game in Major League Baseball during their careers. These players and their seasons with Erwin were:

Herman Fink (1943){{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=fink--001her|title=Herman Fink Minor League Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=May 24, 2020}}
Jim Poole (1943–1944)
Dick Sipek (1943){{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=sipek-001ric|title=Dick Sipek Minor League Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=May 24, 2020}}
Jim Pearce (1944){{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=pearce001jam|title=Jim Pearce Minor League Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=May 24, 2020}}
Rube Walker (1944){{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=walker001alb|title=Rube Walker Minor League Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=May 24, 2020}}

References

External links

[https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Erwin&state=TN&country=US Statistics from Baseball-Reference]
[https://www.statscrew.com/sports/places/m-4189701 Statistics from Stats Crew]

Category:1943 establishments in Tennessee

Category:1944 disestablishments in Tennessee

Category:Baseball teams established in 1943

Category:Baseball teams disestablished in 1944

Category:Chicago Cubs minor league affiliates

Category:Defunct Appalachian League teams

Category:Defunct baseball teams in Tennessee

Category:Professional baseball teams in Tennessee