Kinston Eagles (Coastal Plain League)

The Great Depression took a great toll on the minor leagues, with only thirteen teams operating across the U.S. at a 1933 low point.{{cite book|last=Voigt|first=David Quentin|title=Baseball: An Illustrated History|publisher=Penn State Press|year=1995|page=97|isbn=978-0-271-01448-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B7I9snFajsUC&pg=PA97}} Like most, Kinston sat out the first few years of the Great Depression but reentered play for the {{baseball year|1934}} season in the semi-professional Coastal Plain League. By {{baseball year|1937}} the circuit had become a fully professional, Class D league as ranked by the National Association.{{cite book | last =Johnson | first =Lloyd |author2=Miles Wolff | title =The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, second ed. | publisher =Baseball America, Inc. | year =1997 | location =Durham, North Carolina | isbn =0-9637189-8-3 | page=295 }} The city remained in the Coastal Plain League continuously until it was disbanded after {{baseball year|1952}}. As a member of this affiliation, Kinston saw many playoff appearances and won league championships in {{baseball year|1935}} and {{baseball year|1947}}. Among the superior talent during this period was a young player named Charlie "King Kong" Keller who is listed as among the top forty major league players of all-time in terms of on-base percentage (.410).{{cite book | last =Gaunt | first =Robert | title =We Would Have Played Forever: The Story of the Coastal Plain Baseball League | publisher =Baseball America, Inc. | year =1997 | location =Durham, North Carolina | isbn =0-945164-02-5 }}{{cite web | last = Baseball-Reference.com | title = Charlie Keller Statistics | url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kellech01.shtml | accessdate = 2010-12-18 }}

{{Main|Grainger Stadium}}

File:Compressed374.jpg

From 1949 on, the Kinston Eagles played their home games at Grainger Stadium located at 400 East Grainger Avenue in Kinston. The original structure was built by architect John J. Rowland in 1949 at a cost of $170,000 inclusive of everything except the land. $150,000 of the money was raised by bond issue.{{Cite journal | last =Mock, Jr. | first =Frank L. | title =Kinston's New Stadium | journal =Athletic Journal | volume =XXX | issue =10 | pages =14 |date=June 1950}} A dedicatory plaque identifies the structure as "Municipal Stadium", but it has been called Grainger Stadium since it was first built.{{Cite journal

| last1 =Rowland | first1 =John J. | last2 =Simpson | first2 =James M. | title =Stadium for All Municipal Functions, Kinston, N. C. | journal =Architectural Record | volume =106 | issue =1 | pages =121–123 |date=July 1949}}

TABLE NOTES:

• The record for the 1938 team above were the actual wins and losses for that team. An ineligible player scandal caused the league office to award or take away wins and losses from teams based on their violations of the rules. The "official" adjusted record at the end of the season was 64–45.

• Eddie Nowak (7/31/1939) vs the New Bern Bears{{cite book | last =Gaunt | first =Robert H. | title =We Would Have Played Forever: The Story of the Coastal Plain Baseball League | publisher =Baseball America, Inc. | year =1997 | location =Durham, North Carolina | isbn =0-9637189-8-3 | page =97 }}

• {{cite book | author=Gaunt, Robert| title=We Would Have Played Forever: The Story of the Coastal Plain Baseball League | publisher=Baseball America, Inc. | year=1997 | isbn=0-945164-02-5 }}
• {{cite book | author=Holaday, J. Chris| title=Professional Baseball in North Carolina: An Illustrated City-by-City History, 1901–1996 | publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc. | year=1998 | isbn=0-7864-0532-5 }}
• {{cite book |editor-first=Johnson |editor-last=Lloyd |editor2=Miles Wolff | title=The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, third ed. | publisher=Baseball America, Inc. | year=2007 | isbn=978-1-932391-17-6 }}

• {{Cite news | title =The Kinston Daily Free Press | date =1882–2011}} – Issues for all seasons are available on microfilm at Lenoir Community College.

{{Reflist|2}}

Category:Baseball teams established in 1937

Category:Lenoir County, North Carolina

Category:Professional baseball teams in North Carolina

Category:Detroit Tigers minor league affiliates

Category:Boston Red Sox minor league affiliates

Category:St. Louis Cardinals minor league affiliates

Category:Baseball teams disestablished in 1952

Category:1937 establishments in North Carolina

Category:1952 disestablishments in North Carolina

Category:Defunct baseball teams in North Carolina

Category:Coastal Plain League (minor league) teams