Virginia League
FormerlyVirginia League (1939-1942)
ClassificationClass D (1948–1951)
SportMinor League Baseball
Inaugural season1948
Ceased1951
PresidentRobert S. Brenaman (1948–1950)
Benjamin L. Campbell (1951)
No. of teams10
CountryUnited States of America
Most titles1
1948: Blackstone Barristers
1949: Petersburg Generals
1950: Emporia Nationals
1951: Elizabeth City Albemarles

The Virginia League of 1948–1951 was a Class D level American minor baseball league. The league was the last of five professional baseball circuits to be known by that name dating to 1894. The post-World War II league revived the previous incarnation of the Virginia League that had ceased operation after concluding the 1942 season.

History

The 1948–1951 Virginia League played each of its four seasons as a six-team league. The Virginia League headquarters were in Petersburg, with teams in North Carolina and Virginia. The Washington Senators of the American League (who used Nationals as one of their nicknames for many years) sponsored the Emporia club from 1948 to 1950. The New York Yankees (Blackstone) and St. Louis Cardinals (Lawrenceville) also had affiliates in the Virginia League in 1948.[1]

Among the future Major Leaguer players who played in the Virginia League of 1948–1951, a future All-Star was shortstop Eddie Kasko, a member of the 1961 National League squad (and a future MLB manager and executive), who played for the 1950 Suffolk Goobers.

1948–1951 Virginia League cities represented

Standings & statistics

1948 Virginia League

Team standingsWLPCTGBAttendManagers
Suffolk Goobers8352.615-60,873Bill Steinecke
Blackstone Barristers7862.5577.537,632Paul Badgett
Franklin Cubs7664.5439.554,867John Zontini
Petersburg Generals7362.54110.0116,062Paul Varner
Emporia Nationals6374.46021.033,415Morrie Aderholt
Lawrenceville Cardinals3998.28545.021,104Robert Comiskey
George Shearin / John Pruett

Playoffs: Petersburg 4 games, Suffolk 2; Blackstone 4 games, Franklin 0.
Finals: Blackstone 4 games, Petersburg 3.

Player Statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Morrie AderholtEmporiaBA.394Cecil HutsonSuffolkW23
Art JacobsFranklinRuns147George BlairPetersburgW23
Morrie AderholtEmporiaHits185George BlairPetersburgSO212
Vernon ShetlerFranklinRBI150Al TefftBlackstoneERA1.57
Morrie AderholtEmporiaHR31Al TefftBlackstonePCT.955 21-1

1949 Virginia League

Team standingsWLPCTGBAttendManagers
Franklin Kildees8048.625-54,282George Lacy
Petersburg Generals7254.5717.076,000Paul Varner
Emporia Nationals6755.54910.029,050Morrie Aderholt
Suffolk Goobers5765.46720.041,381Bill Steinecke / Paul Badgett
Hopewell Blue Sox5275.40927.539,600Joe Mills
Lawrenceville Robins4576.37231.529,000Garland Braxton / James Myers /
Glenn Titus / Claude Weaver /
Walter Wholey

Playoffs: Franklin 4 games, Suffolk 1; Petersburg 4 games, Emporia 3.
Finals: Petersburg 4 games, Franklin 2.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Paul VarnerPetersburgBA.355Arnold AtkinsFranklinW21
John CornwellFranklinRuns129Arnold AtkinsFranklinSO204
James GilletteFranklinHits181Arnold AtkinsFranklinERA2.70
James GilletteFranklinRBI118Jim CornettPetersburgPCT.706 12-5
John Garrison]EmporiaHR25

1950 Virginia League

Team standingsWLPCTGBAttendManagers
Emporia Nationals7157.555-26,380Morrie Aderholt
Petersburg Generals6961.5313.043,508Paul Varner
Elizabeth City Albemarles6861.5273.535,000Paul Crawford
Hopewell Blue Sox6565.5007.029,320Herbert Moore
Franklin Kildees6565.5007.030,249Paul Badgett
Suffolk Goobers5079.38821.528,638Buster Kinard

Playoffs:Hopewell defeated Franklin by forfeit for fourth place. Emporia 4 games, Hopewell 1; Petersburg 4 games, Elizabeth City 2.
Finals: Emporia 4 games, Petersburg 2.

Player Statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Paul VarnerPetersburgBA.335Vernon HollandFranklinW20
LeRoy DietzelEmporiaRuns121Melvin DoxtatorEmporiaW20
John GarrisonEmporiaHits170Herman DowdyElizabeth CitySO176
Ken HatcherPetersburgRBI120Eugene HobergFranklinERA2.50
Ken HatcherPetersburgHR32Edmond McCloskyPetersburgPCT.765 13-4

1951 Virginia League

Team standingsWLPCTGBAttendManagers
Colonial Heights-Petersburg Generals8039.672-35,146Turkey Tyson
Elizabeth City Albemarles6750.57312.034,301Paul Crawford
Edenton Colonials6355.53416.528,528Gashouse Parker
Suffolk Goobers5662.47523.526,000Red Treadway
Franklin Kildees4970.41231.018,299Carl McQuillen / Awood Holland
Emporia Rebels3978.33340.012,000Joe Mills / Harold Martin

Playoffs: Colonial Heights-Petersburg 4 games, Suffolk 1; Elizabeth City 4 games, Edenton 3.
Finals: Elizabeth City 4 games, Colonial Heights-Petersburg 1.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Buster KinardSuffolkBA.378John BrockwellColonial Heights/PetersburghW25
Ken HatcherColonial/PetersRuns109John BrockwellColonial Heights/PetersburghSO164
Buster KinardSuffolkHits156John BrockwellColonial Height/PetersburghERA2.05
Ken HatcherColonial/PetersRBI121John BrockwellColonial Height/PetersburghPCT.781 25-7
Ken HatcherColonial/PetersHR34

[2]

References

  1. Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 2nd and 3rd editions. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 1997 and 2007
  2. Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.
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