Morristown Red Sox
{{Infobox Minor League Baseball
| name = Morristown Red Sox
| firstseason = 1948
| lastseason = 1954
| city = Morristown, Tennessee
| logo =
| caplogo =
| class level = {{plainlist|
}}
| league = Mountain States League (1948–1954)
| majorleague = Unaffiliated (1948–1954)
| nickname= Morristown Red Sox (1948–1954)
| ballpark = Sherwood Park (1948–1954)
| leaguenum = 1
| leaguechamps = 1948
}}
The Morristown Red Sox were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Class D/Class C Mountain States League (MSL) from 1948 to 1954. They were located in Morristown, Tennessee, and played their home games at Sherwood Park. They won the inaugural MSL championship in 1948. Over seven years of competition, their all-time regular season win–loss record was 416–331 (.557).
History
Professional baseball in Morristown, Tennessee, began in 1910 when the Morristown Jobbers became charter members of the Southeastern League.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Morristown&state=TN&country=US|title=Morristown, Tennessee Encyclopedia|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=June 1, 2020}} The Jobbers continued in the Appalachian League in 1911 and, with the exception of a brief absence in the first month of the 1913 campaign, played each season through 1914.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/sports/places/m-4191249|title=Sports in Morristown, Tennessee|work=Stats Crew|accessdate=June 1, 2020}} From 1923 to 1925, the city's entry in the league was called the Morristown Roosters.
Twenty-three years later, the Morristown Red Sox became charter members of the Mountain States League (MSL). They opened the season at home with a 6–4 win over the Newport Canners on May 1 at Sherwood Park.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56583179/morristown-winner-6-4/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Morristown Winner, 6-4|work=The Knoxville Journal|location=Knoxville|date=May 2, 1948|page=20}} The Red Sox completed their inaugural season with a league-best 70–46 (.603) record.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-MTSS/y-1948|title=1948 Mountain States League Standings|work=Stats Crew|accessdate=August 2, 2020}} They defeated Newport, 3–2, in the opening round of the playoffs to advance to the finals. There, Morristown won the first MSL championship over the Hazard Bombers, 3–2.
On June 17, 1949, Charles Coburn pitched seven-inning no-hitter in the first game of a doubleheader against the Pennington Gap Miners, an 8–0 road win.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56583959/coburn-hurls-no-hitter-for-morristown/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Coburn Hurls No-Hitter for Morristown|work=The Bristol Herald Courier|location=Bristol|date=June 18, 1949|page=6}} The team finished the season in second place, 11 games out of first, at 72–52 (.581).{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-MTSS/y-1949|title=1949 Mountain States League Standings|work=Stats Crew|accessdate=August 2, 2020}} They opened the playoffs with a 3–2 semifinal win over the Jenkins Cavaliers, but were defeated in the finals by the first-place Harlan Smokies, 3–2. A sixth-place finish in 1950 at 56–67 (.455) kept the Red Sox from a return to the postseason.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-MTSS/y-1950|title=1950 Mountain States League Standings|work=Stats Crew|accessdate=August 2, 2020}}
File:Pedro Ramos Washington Senators.jpg of the 1953 and 1954 teams went on to be selected as an MLB All-Star in 1959.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ramospe01.shtml|title=Pedro Ramos Stats|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=July 20, 2020}}]]
An improved 1951 season saw Morristown qualify for the playoffs with an 86–39 (.688) mark, {{frac|6|1|2}} games behind the Hazard Bombers.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-MTSS/y-1951|title=1951 Mountain States League Standings|work=Stats Crew|accessdate=August 2, 2020}} They moved past the Middlesboro Athletics, 3–1, in the semifinals before being swept by Hazard in the championship finals, 3–0. Morristown again qualified for the postseason with a third-place 61–58 (.513) record in 1952.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-MTSS/y-1952|title=1952 Mountain States League Standings|work=Stats Crew|accessdate=August 2, 2020}} After defeating the Big Stone Gap Rebels, 3–2, in the semifinals, they were winless for the second-straight year in the finals, as they were bested by the Harlan Smokies, 3–0. The 1953 Red Sox finished fourth at 64–62 (.508), but were eliminated in the playoff semifinals by the Knoxville Smokies, 3–1.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-MTSS/y-1953|title=1953 Mountain States League Standings|work=Stats Crew|accessdate=August 2, 2020}}
On May 19, 1954, the Morristown Red Sox withdrew from the Mountain States League, citing high expenses and low revenues due in part to the league operating with seven teams instead of an even number.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-MTSS/y-1954|title=1954 Mountain States League Standings|work=Stats Crew|accessdate=May 27, 2020}}{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52240807/sox-officially-out-of-msl/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Sox Officially Out of MSL|work=Morristown Sun|location=Morristown|date=May 19, 1954|page=1}} They lost their final two games, 11–8 and 2–1, played as a doubleheader against the Kingsport Cherokees on May 15 at home.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/56587266/kingsport-wins-pair/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Kingsport Wins Pair|work=The Knoxville News-Sentinel|location=Knoxville |date=May 16, 1954|page=27}} Over seven seasons in the MSL, Morristown had accumulated an all-time record of 416–331 (.557).
A separate MSL franchise was subsequently placed in Morristown on June 20.{{cite news|last=Pitner|first=Julian|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52237484/morristown-replaces-m-a-in-msl/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Morristown Replaces M-A in MSL|work=The Knoxville News-Sentinel|location=Knoxville|date=June 20, 1954|page=B-4}} This came about when the owners of the Maryville-Alcoa Twins surrendered their franchise to the league on June 19 due to financial problems of its own. They became known as the Morristown Reds.{{cite news|last=Hodges|first=Bill|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52237834/morristown-back-in-msl-league/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Morristown Back in MSL League|work=Morristown Gazette Mail|location=Morristown|date=June 20, 1954|page=8}} Like the Red Sox, the Reds withdrew from the league on July 1 due to a lack of good players and financial losses.{{cite news|last=Hodges|first=Bill|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52238738/morristown-withdraws-from-msl-giles/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Morristown Withdraws From MSL; Giles Terms This Action 'Permanent'|work=Morristown Gazette Mail|location=Morristown|date=July 1, 1954|page=1}} The city went without another team for five years until the Morristown Cubs joined the Appalachian League in 1959.
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" 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"| 1948
| 70–46 | .603 | {{sort|01.0|1st}} | {{sort|00.0|—}} | 6–4 | .600 | Won semifinals vs. Newport Canners, 3–2 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center"| 1949
| 72–52 | .581 | {{sort|02.0|2nd}} | {{sort|11.0|11}} | 5–5 | .500 | Won semifinals vs. Jenkins Cavaliers, 3–2 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center"| 1950
| 56–67 | .455 | {{sort|06.0|6th}} | {{sort|24.0|24}} | {{sort|00.0|—}} | {{sort|00.0|—}} | — |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center"| 1951
| 86–39 | .688 | {{sort|02.0|2nd}} | {{sort|06.5|{{frac|6|1|2}}}} | 3–4 | .429 | Won semifinals vs. Middlesboro Athletics, 3–1 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center"| 1952
| 61–58 | .513 | {{sort|03.0|3rd}} | {{sort|26.0|26}} | 3–4 | .429 | Won semifinals vs. Hazard Bombers, 3–1 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center"| 1953
| 64–62 | .508 | {{sort|04.0|4th}} | {{sort|15.0|15}} | 1–3 | .250 | Lost semifinals vs. Knoxville Smokies, 3–1 |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center"| 1954
| 7–7 | .500 | {{Abbr|DNF|Did not finish}} | {{Abbr|DNF|Did not finish}} | {{sort|00.0|—}} | {{sort|00.0|—}} | — |
| class="sortbottom"
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|Totals ! 416–331 ! .557 ! — ! — ! 18–20 ! .474 ! — ! — |
Notable players
Three Red Sox also played in at least one game in Major League Baseball during their careers. These players and their seasons with Morristown were:
- Tony Ordeñana (1954){{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=ordena001ant|title=Tony Ordenana Minor League Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=July 20, 2020}}
- Pedro Ramos (1953–1954){{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=ramos-001ped|title=Pedro Ramos Minor League Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=July 20, 2020}}
- Nap Reyes (1953–1954){{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=reyes-001nap|title=Nap Reyes Minor League Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=July 20, 2020}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Morristown&state=TN&country=US Statistics from Baseball-Reference]
- [https://www.statscrew.com/sports/places/m-4191249 Statistics from Stats Crew]
Category:1948 establishments in Tennessee
Category:1954 disestablishments in Tennessee
Category:Baseball teams established in 1948
Category:Baseball teams disestablished in 1954
Category:Defunct baseball teams in Tennessee
Category:Defunct Mountain States League (1948–1954) teams