The Carolina League: Familiar names join new circuit
These eight clubs will form the backbone of professional baseball in North Carolina in the spring of 1945:
Asheville Tourists
Burlington Bees
Charlotte Hornets
Durham Bulls
Greensboro Patriots
Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets
Raleigh Capitals
Winston-Salem Twins
A quick history check: In real life, neither Charlotte nor Asheville fielded teams in 1945 after pausing for the war. And when both returned to organized play in 1946, they joined the Class B Tri-State League rather than the Carolina League. But for the purposes of this dynasty – and to keep my universe entirely North Carolina-based – I’ve folded them into this circuit instead. And a year early.
That also means I’ve left out Danville and Martinsville, the two Virginia clubs that actually played in the 1945 Carolina League. I’ll let someone else build a Virginia-based universe to give them their due.
Leaksville-Draper-Spray is the obvious outlier in this group. While most of the league is anchored by large cities like Charlotte, Raleigh and Durham, the Triplets represent three small mill towns in Rockingham County that banded together to support one club. The “Tri-City” team first appeared in 1934 and played in the Bi-State League until operations paused for the war in 1942.
They weren’t just a novelty act, either. The Triplets won league titles in 1935 and 1941 and finished as runner-up in 1939. They serve as a reminder that baseball in North Carolina has always thrived beyond just its biggest population centers.
The Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets, also known as the Tri-City Triplets.