Newport News Pilots
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox Minor League Baseball
| name =Newport News Pilots
| firstseason =1941
| lastseason =1942
| allyears =
| city =Newport News, Virginia
| logo =
| uniformlogo =
| class level = Class C (1941–1942)
| league =Virginia League (1941–1942)
| majorleague =Philadelphia Athletics
| nickname =Newport News Pilots (1941)
Newport News Builders (1942)
| ballpark =Shipbuilders Park (1941–1942)
| classnum =
| classchamps =
| leaguenum =0
| leaguechamps =None
| confnum =
| conferencechamps =
| divnum =
| divisionchamps =
| wildcardnum =1
| wildcardberths =1941
}}
The Newport News Pilots were a minor league baseball team based in Newport News, Virginia. In 1941 and 1942, as a minor league affiliate of the Philadelphia Athletics, Newport News played as members of the Class C level Virginia League, playing as the Newport News Builders in 1942. The teams hosted minor league home games at Shipbuilders Park.
Baseball Hall of Fame member Chief Bender managed the 1941 Pilots.
History
After minor league baseball began in Newport News with the 1894 Newport News-Hampton Deckhands of the Virginia League, the Pilots were immediately preceded by the 1922 Newport News Shipbuilders, who ended an 11-consecutive season tenure as members of the Virginia League.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1922 Newport News Shipbuilders Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}
The 1941 Virginia League expanded to six teams and became a Class C level league, adding the Newport News Pilots and Petersburg Rebels franchises.{{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}} The Pilots and Rebels were joined by the Harrisonburg Turks, Lynchburg Senators, Salem-Roanoke Friends and Staunton Presidents in beginning league play on May 2, 1941.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/l-VIRL5/y-1941|title=1941 Virginia League (VL) Minor League Baseball on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}}
In their first season of play, the Newport News "Pilots" were an affiliate of the Philadelphia Athletics and ended the 1941 season in fifth place with a record of 58–58.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-nb13350/y-1941|title=1941 Newport News Builders minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}} The Pilots were managed by Baseball Hall of Fame member Chief Bender, finishing 6.5 games behind the first place Petersburg Rebels in the final regular season standings. Newport News did not qualify for the playoffs, won by the Salem-Roanoke Friends.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=4218b252|title=1941 Virginia League|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1941 Newport News Pilots Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}
In 1942, the Newport News "Builders" continued play as a Philadelphia Athletics affiliate and qualified for the Virginia League playoffs. The Builders ended the Virginia League regular season with a 62–67 record to place fourth in the six–team league with Harry Chozen managing the team. Newport News finished 18.5 games behind the first place Pulaski Counts in the regular season standings. In the 1st round of the playoffs, the Lynchburg Senators defeated Newport News Builders 4 games to 2 to advance to the finals, won by Pulaski.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=d5e99592|title=1942 Virginia League|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1942 Newport News Builders Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/l-VIRL5/y-1942|title=1942 Virginia League (VL) Minor League Baseball on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}} The Virginia League folded after the 1942 season with the onset of World War II.{{Cite web|url=http://www.milb.com/milb/history/top100.jsp?idx=74|title=Top 100 Teams | MiLB.com History | The Official Site of Minor League Baseball|website=MiLB.com}}
In 1944, Newport News next hosted the Newport News Dodgers, who began play as members of the Class B level Piedmont League.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi|title=1944 Newport News Dodgers Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}
The ballpark
The Newport News Pilots and Newport News Builders hosted home games at Shipbuilders Park, also nicknamed "Builders Park."{{Cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/venues/v-1897|title=Shipbuilders Park in Newport News, VA minor league baseball history and teams on StatsCrew.com|website=www.statscrew.com}} The ballpark was located on Virginia Avenue, called Warwick Boulevard today.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-20010520-2001-05-20-0105200010-story.html|title=FACT GETS IN THE WAY OF A GOOD JOHNSON TALE|website=Daily Press}}
Timeline
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 95%;"
! Year(s) !! # Yrs. !! Team !! Level !! League!!Affiliate | Ballpark | |||||
| 1941 | 1 | Newport News Pilots | rowspan=2| Class C | rowspan=2|Philadelphia Athletics | rowspan=2| Virginia League | rowspan=2| Shipbuilders Park |
| 1942 | 1 | Newport News Builders |
Year–by–year records
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||||
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=center
| 1941 | 42–76 | 6th | Chief Bender | Did not qualify |
| align=center
| 1942 | 62–67 | 4th | Harry Chozen | Lost in 1st round |
| align=center |
Notable alumni
{{div col|colwidth=35em}}
- Chief Bender (1941, MGR) Inducted Baseball Hall of Fame, 1953
- Dick Adkins (1941)
- Bill Burgo (1942)
- Harry Chozen (1942, MGR)
- Joe Coleman (1941)
- Lou Knerr (1941)
- John Leovich (1941)
- Joe Rullo (1941)
- Frank Seward (1942)
{{div col end}}
=See also=
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Newport%20News&state=VA&country=US Baseball Reference]
- [http://greaterhiltonneighborhoods.org/ghn/past/Builders_Park.pdf Shipbuilders Park]
Category:Defunct minor league baseball teams
Category:Sports clubs and teams in Virginia
Category:Baseball teams in Virginia
Category:Defunct baseball teams in Virginia
Category:Baseball teams disestablished in 1941
Category:Baseball teams established in 1941
Category:Sports in Newport News, Virginia