Franklin Millionaires

The Franklin "Millionaires" were preceded in minor league play by the 1895 Franklin "Braves" team who won the championship of the Class C level Iron and Oil League in the one season of league play.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1895 Franklin Braves Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}{{cite book |title=The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball |editor1-first=Lloyd |editor1-last=Johnson |editor2-first=Miles |editor2-last=Wolff |edition=Third |publisher=Baseball America |date=2007 |isbn=978-1932391176}}

In 1907, Franklin resumed minor league play, with the Franklin "Millionaires" becoming members of the eight–team Class D level Interstate League. The Bradford Drillers, DuBois Miners, Erie Fishermen, Kane Mountaineers, Oil City Cubs, Olean Refiners and Punxsutawney Policemen teams joined Franklin in beginning league play on May 15, 1907.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/l-INSL7/y-1907|title=1907 Inter-State League (PA) (ISL) Minor League Baseball on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}

Franklin and the other Interstate League teams had a salary cap of $750 per month. The league required the host team guarantee a visiting team $50.00 per game, with a rain guarantee of $25.00. On Saturdays and holidays, the gate receipts were to be divided equally by both teams.{{Cite web|url=https://sabr.org/journal/article/pop-kelchner-gentleman-jake-the-giant-killer-and-the-kane-mountaineers/|title=Pop Kelchner, Gentleman Jake, The Giant-Killer, and the Kane Mountaineers – Society for American Baseball Research}}

In their first season of Interstate League play, the Franklin Millionaires placed third as three of the eight league teams folded before completing the season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1907 Franklin Millionaires Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=4165b3a9|title=1907 Interstate League|website=Baseball-Reference.com}} Franklin ended their season with a record of 51–52, as L.L. Jacklin and George Rindernecht served as managers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-fm11616/y-1907|title=1907 Franklin Millionaires minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}} The Millionaires finished 7.0 games behind first place Erie in the final standings. Franklin and the other teams of the Interstate League were plagued by bad weather and corresponding financial troubles in 1907, with Erie being the only league franchise without debt.

At age 20, Baseball Hall of Fame member Joe McCarthy played for the 1907 Millionaires in his first professional season. McCarthy hit .314 for Franklin. McCarthy recalled the players dressing in a hotel and taking a trolley to the ballpark before Franklin home games.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=mccart005jos|title=Joe McCarthy Minor Leagues Statistics & History|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5C98QJqEuBcC&dq=%22Franklin+Millionaires%22+baseball&pg=PA15|title=Joe McCarthy: Architect of the Yankee Dynasty|first=Alan H.|last=Levy|date=November 18, 2014|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9780786481132 |via=Google Books}}

The Millionaires continued Interstate League play in 1908, before the league folded during the season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=e206890a|title=1908 Interstate League|website=Baseball-Reference.com}} After beginning play on May 13, 1908, the league folded on June 7, 1908.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/l-INSL7/y-1908|title=1908 Inter-State League (PA) (ISL) Minor League Baseball on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}} Franklin ended their 1908 season with a record of 6–12, placing fourth in the overall Interstate League standings. Billy Smith served as the Millionaires' manager, as Franklin ended the season 9.5 games behind the first place Olean Candidates.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-fm11616/y-1908|title=1908 Franklin Millionaires minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1908 Franklin Millionaires Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}

The Interstate League folded following the 1908 season, before resuming play in 1913 without a Franklin Franchise. Franklin has not hosted another minor league team.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=Franklin, Pennsylvania Encyclopedia|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}

File:1936 Goudey Joe McCarthy.jpg

The name of the Franklin Millionaires' home ballpark is not known.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/venues/v-922|title=Unknown in Franklin, PA minor league baseball history and teams on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}

== Year–by–year records ==

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• Joe McCarthy (1907), Inducted to Baseball Hall of Fame 1956
• Dave Zearfoss (1908)

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• Franklin Millionaires players

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Franklin&state=PA&country=US Franklin - Baseball Reference]

Category:Defunct minor league baseball teams

Category:Baseball teams established in 1907

Category:Baseball teams disestablished in 1908

Category:Defunct baseball teams in Pennsylvania

Category:Defunct Interstate League teams

Category:Venango County, Pennsylvania