Albemarle Rockets

Last updated
Albemarle Rockets
Minor league affiliations
Class Class D (1948)
League North Carolina State League (1948)
Major league affiliations
TeamNone
Minor league titles
League titles (0)None
Team data
NameAlbemarle Rockets (1948)
BallparkMorton Park (1948)

The Albemarle Rockets were a minor league baseball teams based in Albemarle, North Carolina. In 1948, the Rockets played as members of the Class D level North Carolina State League, hosting home games at Morton Park.

Contents

History

Before the 1948 season, the Landis Millers minor league franchise of the North Carolina State League moved to Albemarle, North Carolina. The move reportedly occurred because the Landis team, owned by P.K. Drye, was building a new ballpark and construction wasn’t complete in time to begin the 1948 season. [1]

The Albemarle Rockets first began minor league play in 1948 after Landis relocated. The Rockets became members of the eight–team Class D level North Carolina State League. The Concord Weavers, Hickory Rebels, High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms, Lexington Indians, Mooresville Moors, Salisbury Pirates and Statesville Owls joined Albemarle in league play. [2] [3]

After beginning league play on April 30, 1948, the 1948 Albemarle Rockets finished last in the North Carolina State League final standings. Albemarle did not qualify for the playoffs, eventually won by the Statesville Owls. The Rockets ended the regular season with a record of 32–78, placing 8th in the eight–team league, playing under managers Stankley Brown, James Miller and George Motto. Albemarle finished 35.5 games behind the 1st place High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms in the final regular season standings. The High Point-Thomasville team (67–43), Statesville Owls (63–47), Hickory Rebels (61–49), Lexington Indians (59–50), Mooresville Moors (57–52), Salisbury Pirates (51–53) and Concord Weavers (44–62) finished ahead of Albemarle in the final regular standings. The Albemarle Rockets played home games at Morton Ballpark, where season attendance was 28,025, an average of 510 per game. The Rockets relocated back to Landis following the 1948 season. [4] [5] [6] [7]

In 1949, the franchise moved back to Landis, North Carolina and became the Landis Spinners, [6] with Morton Park reportedly being utilized by American Legion teams through the 1960's. [1] [8]

Albemarle, North Carolina has not hosted another minor league team. [6] [9]

The ballpark

The Albemarle Rockets played home minor league games at Morton Park. Reportedly the ballpark was built in 1947 by brothers Clarence and Charlie Morton at a cost of $45,000, including a $14,000 lighting system. The new ballpark also had dressing rooms, showers, a press box and seating for 500 fans, with a cement block outfield wall. Admission to Rockets home games was said to have been .60 cents for adults and .25 cents for children. The ballpark was noted to have been located east of Albemarle on Highway 24/27/73. [10] [1] [11]

(2017) Downtown Historic District. National Register of Historic Places. Albemarle, North Carolina Albemarle, North Carolina Downtown Historic District.jpg
(2017) Downtown Historic District. National Register of Historic Places. Albemarle, North Carolina

Year–by–year record

YearRecordFinishManagerPlayoffs/Notes
194832–788thStankley Brown /
James Miller / George Motto		Did not qualify

Notable alumni

No alumni of the Albemarle Rockets advanced to the major leagues. [7]

Related Research Articles

The North Carolina State League was a "Class D" league in Minor League Baseball. The original version of the league existed from 1913–1917 as the successor to the Carolina Association. The second version of the league was established in 1937 in part in order to compete with the Piedmont-region independent league, the Carolina League, and ran through 1953 when it combined with the Western Carolina League to form the Tar Heel League.

The Tar Heel League was a mid-20th century Class D level professional minor baseball league, based in North Carolina in the United States. It operated during the full seasons of 1939, 1940 and 1953, and from the opening of the season through June 21, 1954.

The Statesville Owls was the primary name of the minor league baseball teams located in Statesville, North Carolina. Statesville minor league teams played a member of the North Carolina Association (1900), Tar Heel League (1939–1940), North Carolina State League,, Tar Heel League (1953), Western Carolina League (1960–1962) and Western Carolinas League, winning three league championships.

The Concord Weavers were a minor league baseball team based in Concord, North Carolina. Between 1936 and 1951, Concord teams played as a member of the Independent level Carolina League from 1936 to 1938 and the Class D level North Carolina State League from 1939 to 1942 and 1945 to 1951, winning two league pennants and one championship. The franchise played as the Concord Nationals from 1949 to 1950 and Concord Sports in 1951, with Concord teams hosting minor league home games at Webb Field.

The Ada Herefords was a minor league baseball team based in Ada, Oklahoma. From 1947 to 1954, the Herefords played exclusively as a member of the Class D level Sooner State League, winning the league pennant in 1950. The Herefords were a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Browns from 1947 to 1953 and remained an affiliate when St. Louis relocated to become the Baltimore Orioles in 1954. Ada Hosted minor league home games at Hereford Park.

The Chickasha Chiefs were a minor league baseball team based in Chickasha, Oklahoma. The Chiefs played as members of the Class D level Sooner State League from 1948 to 1952, hosting home games at Borden Park.

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The Elkin Blanketeers were a minor league baseball team based in Elkin, North Carolina. The Blanketeers played as members of the Class D level Blue Ridge League from 1949 to 1950 and North Carolina State League from 1951 to 1952, winning the 1950 pennant. Elkin hosted home minor league games at Elkin Memorial Park, where a Blanketeer player was married at home plate in 1950.

The Mooresville Moors were a minor league baseball team based in Mooresville, North Carolina. Between 1936 and 1953, the Mooresville Moors teams played as members of the 1936 Carolina League, North Carolina State League from 1937 to 1942 and 1945 to 1952 and a final season in the 1953 Tar Heel League. The Mooresville Moors won six North Carolina State League Championships. For one season, the team became known as the Mooresville "Braves," playing the 1945 season as a minor league affiliate of the Boston Braves. The Moors and Braves hosted minor league home games at Mooresville Park.

The Nyack Rocklands were a minor league baseball team based in Nyack, New York. The Rocklands were unofficially nicknamed the "Rockies" and played as members of the Class D level North Atlantic League from 1946 to 1948. The 1947 Nyack Rocklands were a minor league affiliate of the Philadelphia Athletics. Nyack hosted home minor league games ay Nyack High School.

The Morganton Aggies were a minor league baseball team based in Morganton, North Carolina from 1948 to 1952. Morganton teams played exclusively as members of the Western Carolina League, winning the 1951 league pennant. The Aggies played home minor league games at Morganton High School Park.

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The Hendersonville Skylarks were a minor league baseball team based in Hendersonville, North Carolina in 1948 and 1949. Hendersonville played an initial season in the 1904 Carolina Interstate League, before the Skylarks became members of the Class D level Western Carolina League in 1948 and 1949. The Skylarks hosted home games at the Western North Carolina Fairgrounds.

The Lenoir Red Sox was the primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams based in Lenoir, North Carolina. Between 1937 and 1951, Lenoir teams played as members of the 1937 and 1938 Carolina League, 1939 and 1940 Tar Heel League, 1946 and 1947 Blue Ridge League and the Western Carolina League from 1948 to 1951, winning three league championships. Lenoir hosted home minor league games at the Lenoir High School Field. The 1940 Lenoir Reds were a minor league affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and the Lenoir Red Sox were an affiliate of the New York Giants from 1949 to 1951.

The Kannapolis Towelers were a minor league baseball team based in Kannapolis, North Carolina. From 1936 to 1941, the Towelers played as members of the Carolina League from 1936 to 1938 and North Carolina State League from 1939 to 1941, winning three league pennants. The Towelers hosted home minor league games at the Kannapolis Ballpark.

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Minor league baseball teams were based in Lexington, North Carolina between 1937 and 1967. Lexington teams played as members of the Carolina League in 1936, North Carolina State League from 1937 to 1942 and 1945 to 1952, Tar Heel League in 1953 Western Carolina League from 1960 to 1961 and Western Carolinas League from 1963 to 1967. Lexington won two league championships.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "#ThrowbackThursday — The Albemarle Rockets take the field". The Stanly News & Press. October 17, 2019.
  2. ↑ "1948 North Carolina State League (NCSL) minor league baseball on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  3. ↑ "1948 North Carolina State League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  4. ↑ "1948 Albemarle Rockets minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  5. ↑ "1948 North Carolina State League (NCSL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  6. 1 2 3 The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, editors (Third ed.). Baseball America. 2007. ISBN   978-1932391176.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. 1 2 "1948 Albemarle Rockets Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  8. ↑ "1949 Landis Spinners Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  9. ↑ "Albemarle, North Carolina Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.
  10. ↑ "Night Baseball Arrives in Albemarle (NC) - 1948". www.firststrikenuts.com.
  11. ↑ "Minor league baseball at Morton Park in Albemarle, NC on StatsCrew.com".
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