Baseball's Rebirth in the Old North State (1945- )

[AZTarHeel]

Apparently I have readers for this dynasty thread. The forum threads page tells me so even if no one has chimed in with any comments.

Just curious if folks like the format I am using.

I am trying to figure out the balance between what to post - because I want to tell folks about EVERYTHING in my little baseball universe - and not overwhelming readers with a total stats dump.

Anyways, feedback is always welcome, especially suggestions or if there is a team you are fond of (or are rooting against). Thanks

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming...

-- AZ

[SugaredLemonade]

Hey there! Loving the dynasty! Will we see another Fuquay-based club make an appearance?

[AZTarHeel]

Originally Posted by SugaredLemonade

Hey there! Loving the dynasty! Will we see another Fuquay-based club make an appearance?

Hey, thanks for reading! We'll see what the future holds for the Fuquay area. One of my daughters lives in Angier now so maybe the Bulls will return.

Or maybe the Holly Springs Salamanders will show up at some point...

[AZTarHeel]

1947 North Carolina State League – Regular Season Recap



Weavers juggernaut continues in 1947

Final Standings
x-Concord Weavers 75-39
x-Mooresville Moors 69-45
Mount Airy Graniteers 68-46
Thomasville Dodgers 67-47
Salisbury Pirates 65-49
Landis Millers 53-61
Statesville Owls 52-62
Hickory Rebels 44-70
Lexington A’s 39-75
Lenoir Red Sox 38-76

Concord does it again. The most dominant team since the North Carolina State League’s post-WWII revival collected its second straight regular season crown (after finishing as runner-up in 1945). The Weavers will now go for their third consecutive playoff championship.

Manager Bill Shoemaker has built a powerhouse for sure. The Weavers led the league in runs scored despite being LAST in true batting average. Talk about putting pressure on defenses in a variety of ways!

The team had a .361 OBP and countered with a lockdown defense and pitching staff. (Editor’s note: as one who appreciates dynasties and dominant teams, this is fun to watch despite Concord foiling Landis time and again).

Mooresville will be the third team to try and dethrone the Weavers in the playoffs. Landis and Hickory couldn’t do it the past two years.

Mount Airy has only itself to blame for missing out on the post-season. The Graniteers lost their last five games to let Mooresville slip in ahead of them (one of those L’s came courtesy of the Landis – about our only highlight in September).

There was clearly a line of demarcation in the NCSL this year. Concord, Mooresville, Mount Airy, Thomasville and Salisbury were heads-above better than the rest. Twelve games separated fifth-place Salisbury and sixth-place Landis.

Names and Numbers to Remember

• Concord went 40-22 in the back half of the season, the best record of any team.
• Mooresville’s Adam Abernathy earned the 1947 batting honors with a .330 average, edging out Thomasville’s James Bussone by one point.
• Home runs were light in this league, with Lexington’s Justin George ending up the leader with 15. Landis’ Mike Andersen finished tied for second with 11.
• Looking forward to the pitching battles in the playoff series between hurlers like Concord’s Chris Foster (2.28 ERA) and Steve Allen (2.65 ERA) and Mooresville’s Chris Jones (league best 16 wins).
• This was definitely a pitch-to-contact league as well, with the strikeout leader only finishing with 63 on the season (Hickory’s Jon Hall). This is part of why Boone Tucker is struggling as Landis manager – as stated before he has not constructed a roster that aligns with this division’s 1940s dynamics.

It wasn’t Millers time – again
The Landis Millers had their best stretch in the middle of the summer. The Millers reeled off 10 wins in a row and improved to 42-34. We were still 13 back of Concord at the time (so frustrating – they had just won 9 in a row). But we drew within four games of second-place Mount Airy and three of Mooresville! Look out playoffs, here we come!

Hickory finally ended our win streak, then we faced Mount Airy in a pivotal three-game stretch. Well, we went splat in that series and never recovered. By August, it felt like a lot of the guys just checked out and no matter what buttons I pushed, we never pulled out of the slump.

I had hoped for at least .500 ball. Egads, we missed that boat by a lot!

We were a very imperfect team in 1947, with no margin for error. Some late injuries didn’t help and a dysfunctional bullpen killed us.

Boone Tucker has a lot of roster decisions to make in the off-season…

[AZTarHeel]

1947 Tobacco State League – Regular Season Recap



Turning over a new Leaf: Smithfield-Selma wins regular season

Final Standings
x-Smithfield-Selma Leafs 81-43
x-Wilmington Pirates 78-46
Sanford Spinners 74-50
Dunn-Erwin Twins 67-57
Clinton Blues 59-65
Warsaw Red Sox 53-71
Lumberton Auctioneers 43-81
Red Springs Red Robins 41-83

Smithfield-Selma won a three-horse race to collect its first Tobacco State League crown and earn a spot in its first playoff series. The Leafs improved by 24 wins from 1946 to 1947. Nice!

Sanford made a late charge, but Wilmington held off the Spinners to return to the post-season for the second year in a row. The Pirates also were significantly better, winning 12 more games.

Both Smithfield-Selma and Wilmington boast strong offenses, so the championship series could be a slugfest. Warsaw proved the most competitive of the new franchises, winning 53 games. Red Springs and its anemic offense brought up the rear in the Robins’ baseball debut.

Names and Numbers to Remember

• Clinton’s Kyle Hern had the best batting average of any North Carolina player in 1947, finishing with a .357 average. The 1946 TSL Rookie of the Year bumped his average up by 70 points and led the TSL with 171 total hits. (I’m guessing he’s your offensive player of the year?).
• Dunn-Erwin’s Marten Lennon (26 home runs) and Jim Bogle (21 HRs) kept fans returning to the ballpark just to see if one or both of them could hit balls out of the park.
• Smithfield-Selma’s Matt Campbell (no relation to the current Penn State football coach) posted the best ERA in the league (2.19). Teammate Mike Thomson wasn’t far behind (2.52). Nate Hamilton collected 15 saves for the Leafs.
• Dunn-Erwin’s Brian Zilliox finished with a losing record (9-11) and a subpar ERA (4.86). But he put his name into the history books with a no-hitter – the first in Tobacco State League history.
• Dunn-Erwin’s Dave Parsons mustered a 23-game hitting streak. Dave Van Every of Smithfield-Selma nearly caught him but his streak ended after 22 games.

[AZTarHeel]

1947 Carolina League – Playoff Recap



Asheville cruises to first-ever Carolina League championship

Game 1: Asheville 5, Greensboro 4 – WP: Bob Sustarsic (1-0)
Game 2: Asheville 6, Greensboro 1 – WP: Justin Pearson (1-0)
Game 3: Asheville 6, Greensboro 5 – WP: Zach Tucker (1-0)
Game 4: Greensboro 5, Asheville 3 – WP: Tom Peters (1-0)
Game 5: Asheville 3, Greensboro 2 (10 innings) – WP: Jonathan Hiestand (1-0)

Bob Sustarsic pitched two gems, T.J. Hoover hit two home runs with 7 RBIs, and the Tourists avenged their 1946 defeat to the Patriots in the Carolina League championship series. Hoover was named series MVP.

Greensboro looked ready to make things uncomfortable in the top of the 10th inning of game five. The Patriots pushed a run across after multiple Asheville errors to take a 2-1 lead. But Hoover bashed a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame to end the series and touch off celebrations in the North Carolina high country.

Carolina League Champions
1945: Burlington Bees def. Charlotte Hornets 4-2
1946: Greensboro Patriots def. Asheville Tourists 4-3
1947: Asheville Tourists def. Greensboro Patriots 4-1

[AZTarHeel]

1947 Coastal Plain League – Playoff Recap



Home-field advantage proves big in Kinston championship repeat

Game 1: Kinston 6, Rocky Mount 0 – WP: John Martindale (1-0)
Game 2: Kinston 2, Rocky Mount 1 – WP: Bill Atkinson (1-0)
Game 3: Rocky Mount 3, Kinston 2 – WP: Bryant Fry (1-0)
Game 4: Rocky Mount 3, Kinston 0 – WP: Greg Higgins (1-0)
Game 5: Rocky Mount 8, Kinston 7 – WP: John Meltzer (1-0)
Game 6: Kinston 5, Rocky Mount 3 – WP: Bill Atkinson (2-0)
Game 7: Kinston 6, Rocky Mount 4 – WP: Nate Stewart (1-1)

John Martindale threw a complete-game, two-hitter in the opener for Kinston. Rocky Mount’s Greg Higgins countered with a nine-inning, one-hitter in game three. Wow. Great series

The home team won every game.

Rocky Mount’s Daniel Miller went 5-for-5 in the game six loss. Our boy Phil Durham, of former Landis fame, finished 2-for-4 in game six with a home run, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored (dammit). Teammate Tris Boone (pictured above) had the same stat line – 2-for-4 with a homer, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored.

Game seven was a slug fest in the early innings. Rocky Mount scored 2, then Kinston added 2 right back. The Leafs notched 2 more runs in the second inning. Kinston put 1 on the board, then took the lead for good with a 2-run third. From there, defense and pitching held things down, and the Eagles repeated as CPL champions.

Voters gave 3B Dylan Stabel series MVP honors. Stabel mustered 10 hits with a home run and 4 RBIs.

Coastal Plain League Champions
1946: Kinston Eagles def. Greenville Greenies 4-3
1947: Kinston Eagles def. Rocky Mount Leafs 4-3

[AZTarHeel]

1947 North Carolina State League – Playoff Recap



Three-peat! Concord wins another title

Game 1: Concord 4, Mooresville 3 – WP: Steve Allen (1-0, 3.00 ERA)
Game 2: Mooresville 11, Concord 3 – WP: Jay Terry (1-0, 2.45 ERA)
Game 3: Mooresville 5, Concord 3 – WP: Tyler Frasier (1-0, 3.52 ERA)
Game 4: Concord 11, Mooresville 5 – WP: Joe Cole (1-0, 4.05 ERA)
Game 5: Mooresville 5, Concord 0 – WP: Chris Jones (1-1, 0.77 ERA)
Game 6: Concord 9, Mooresville 4 – WP: Chris Foster (1-1, 7.53 ERA)
Game 7: Concord 8, Mooresville 3 – WP: Bobby Gebhart (1-1, 4.72 ERA)

This series lived up to its explosive hype.

Adam Abernathy went 3-for-3 in Mooresville’s game three rout. Dean Cable hit a home run and had four RBIs. In game three, Mooresville’s Danny Castro torched Concord pitching with four hits (including a triple) and scored three runs.

Not to be outdone, Concord’s Chris Hubbard had a 4-for-5 day with a triple and home run in game four. He batted home four runs. Mooresville’s Dave Satterly recorded two triples in game four, while teammate Micah Williams hit a three-bagger in game five.

The Weavers stayed alive with a game six rout, then left no doubt in the decisive game seven.

Right fielder Jamie Jones, who entered the league after playing for the UNC Tar Heels, became the eventual series MVP (pictured above). He had five hits and scored five runs in the final two games. He finished the series with 11 hits, walked seven times and came home eight times (.581 OBP!).

Three years, three North Carolina State League championships for the Concord Weavers. (In real life, Concord won titles in 1936 and in 1946 but not ‘47).

North Carolina State League Champions
1945: Concord Weavers def. Landis Millers 4-2
1946: Concord Weavers def. Hickory Rebels 4-1
1947: Concord Weavers def. Mooresville Moors 4-3

[AZTarHeel]

1947 Tobacco State League – Playoff Recap



Brown helps Smithfield-Selma earn gold in Tobacco State finale

Game 1: Wilmington 6, Smithfield-Selma 4 – WP: Travis Snapp (1-0, 6.00 ERA)
Game 2: Smithfield-Selma 9, Wilmington 6 – WP: Matt Hickey (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Game 3: Smithfield-Selma 3, Wilmington 1 – WP: Mike Thomson (1-0, 1.29 ERA)
Game 4: Smithfield-Selma 16, Wilmington 0 – WP: Kevin Carle (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Game 5: Wilmington 7, Smithfield-Selma 3 – WP: Travis Snapp (2-0, 3.21 ERA)
Game 6: Wilmington 10, Smithfield-Selma 8 – WP: Chris Radtke (1-1, 3.38 ERA)
Game 7: Smithfield-Selma 15, Wilmington 3 – WP: Mike Thomson (2-0, 2.51 ERA)

A lot of momentum swings in this series.

Cody Nutter went nuts for Smithfield-Selma in game two, earning four of the Leafs’ 13 hits. He had three RBIs and scored twice. Nutter homered in game three.

The floodgates opened for Smithfield-Selma in game four: 16 runs and 19 hits (complimented by a four-hit pitching performance from Kevin Carle). Andy Brown carried the hot bat in game four – 2 doubles, a home run, 5-for-6 overall with 5 RBIs and 3 runs scored.

Credit Wilmington for getting up off the mats after that 16-0 disaster and extending the series. But that just seemed to make Smithfield-Selma all the more angry. The Leafs unleashed 16 hits and 15 runs in the finale to claim their first Tobacco State League championship. Brown had two homers in game seven with 4 RBIs. Paul Butler finished 3-for-4.

Brown was an easy choice for series MVP. The 29-year-old catcher bashed four home runs and logged 15 RBIs over seven games.

Tobacco State League Champions
1946: Dunn-Erwin Twins def. Wilmington Pirates 4-3
1947: Smithfield-Selma Leafs def. Wilmington Pirates 4-3

[AZTarHeel]

1947 Champions Playoff – Pairings Set

Here are the pairings for the upcoming Champions Tournament, featuring the playoff winners from each of the state's four professional baseball leagues:


SEMIFINAL #1: Smithfield-Selma Leafs (Tobacco State League) vs. Asheville Tourists (Carolina League)



SEMIFINAL #2: Concord Weavers (North Carolina State League) vs. Kinston Eagles (Coastal Plain League)

The semifinals and championship rounds will be best-of-seven. I am really excited about Concord vs. Kinston. Two dynamic teams who play in leagues of similar financial standing, but with differing styles. Can Smithfield-Selma stun the world – or at least the state – and take out the Tourists?