Bi-State League

Last updated
Bi-State League
Classification Class D (1936–1942)
Sport Minor League Baseball
First season1934
Ceased1942
PresidentJ. Frank Wilson (1934)
Dr. J.E. Taylor (1935)
Jake Wells (1936)
Win Clark (1937)
Joseph Garrett (1938-1940)
J. P. Wells (1941)
Dr. T. S. Wilson (1942)
No. of teams14
Country United States of America
Most titles3
Bassett Furnituremakers
Danville Leafs/Danville-Schoolfield Leafs
Related
competitions
Bi-State League (1915)

The Bi-State League was an American baseball minor league formed in 1934 with teams in Virginia and North Carolina. The league held together for nine seasons, being represented by ten cities from North Carolina and eight from Virginia. Only the Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets, a team that was a combination of those three cities from North Carolina, was able to make the entire nine-year run. This combination also captured the league title in two seasons, 1935 and 1941. The squad from Bassett, Virginia, won four league titles during the span, coming out on top three times in a row, 1936, 1937, 1938 and closing it out with the 1940 pennant before losing in the finals. The league's final season was 1942, as it was not revived after World War II. [1]

Contents

List of teams

Standings & statistics

1934 to 1938

1934 Bi-State League

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Danville Leafs 5325.679- Herb Brett
Martinsville Manufacturers 4629.613 Jimmy Sanders
Fieldale Virginians 3641.46816½D. L. Hodge
Mount Airy Graniteers 3343.43419Cecil Harris / G. Thomas
Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets 3245.41620½Oscar Langley / Blackie Carter
Mayodan Senators 2946.38722½Zip Payne /
Charles Eadmon / Monroe Mitchell

Playoff: Danville 4 games, Martinsville 1.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Jimmy Sanders MartinsvilleBA.423Cletus VossFieldaleW17
Woodrow WilliamsLeaksvilleRuns86Cletus VossFieldaleSO126
Zip PayneMayodanHits134Spencer BruceDanvillePct.813; 13-3
Eddie WestonMayodanHR26

1935 Bi-State League

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets 7144.617- Blackie Carter
Danville Leafs 6846.596 Herb Brett
Bassett Furniture Makers 6847.5913 Lefty Jenkins
Mount Airy Reds 6747.588Mickey Shader
Mayodan Mills 5162.45119Phil Lundeen
Fieldale Towlers 5064.43920½ Dixie Parker
Martinsville Manufacturers 4271.37228Harold Bohl
Reidsville Luckies 3975.34231½Glenn Bickerstaff / L.J. Perry

Playoff: Danville 4 games, Bassett 3.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Ralph HodginFieldaleBA.387Fred PipgrasDanvilleW25
Woody Williams LeaksvilleRuns111Jeff JeffcoatLeaksvilleSO222
Ralph HodginFieldaleHits187Fred PipgrasDanvillePct.806; 25-6
Blackie Carter LeaksvilleHR30

1936 Bi-State League

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Bassett Furniture Makers 7443.632- Lefty Jenkins
Danville Leafs 7445.6221 Herb Brett
Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets 6551.560 Clyde Sukeforth
Martinsville Manufacturers 5958.50415 Jimmy Sanders
Reidsville Luckies 5461.47019Jimmy Maus
Mount Airy Reds 5363.45720½Mickey Shader /
Elbert Conway / Frank Packard
Fieldale Towlers 5262.45620½ Joe Guyon / Red Smith
Mayodan Orphans 3583.29739½Phil Lundeen / Bill Ragsdale

Playoff: Bassett 4 games, Leaksville 2.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Gene Handley Mt. AiryBA.403 Lefty Jenkins BassettW25
Ken Keltner FieldaleRuns120Weaver NowlinLeaksvilleSO167
Ken Keltner FieldaleHits175 Lefty Jenkins BassettPct.833; 25-5
Woody TraylorDanvilleHR34Woody TraylorDanvilleRBI120

1937 Bi-State League
schedule

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Bassett Furniture Makers 6845.602- Ray White
Mayodan Senators 6946.600-Harry Daughtry
Danville Leafs 6847.5911 Herb Brett
Martinsville Manufacturers 6350.5585Arnold Anderson
Mount Airy Reds 5261.46016Walt Novak
Reidsville Luckies 5165.44018½ Charley Moore
South Boston Twins 4368.38724Jimmy Shelton
Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets 4173.36027½ Clarence Blethen /
Dave Lawless / Charles Wills

Playoff: Bassett 3 games, Danville 1; Martinsville 3 games, Mayodan 2, (one tie).
Finals: Bassett 4 games, Martinsville 3.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Doug WheelerMayodanBA.359Jesse PlummerMayodanW21
Doug WheelerMayodanRuns111Weaver NowlinReidsvilleSO168
Cecil Payne MayodanHits167Jack ZerblisBassettERA2.23
Doug WheelerMayodanRBI71Herb LearyReidsvilleHR29

1938 Bi-State League

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Bassett Furniture Makers 7640.655-Walter Novak
Mayodan Millers 7346.613Harry Daughtry
Reidsville Luckies 7148.597 Jim Poole
Danville Leafs 6355.53414 Red Barnes
Martinsville Manufacturers 6156.52115½Arnold Anderson
Mount Airy Graniteers 4969.41528Dick Goldberg
South Boston-Halifax Wrappers 4377.35835James Calleran
Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets 3782.31140½Joe Feori

Playoff: Bassett 3 games, Reidsville 2; Danville 3 games, Mayodan 0.
Finals: Bassett 4 games, Danville 2.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Americo RossomandoBassettBA.390 Wes Livengood BassettW21
Ray ScantlingReidsvilleRuns130Raymon VoightReidsvilleSO200
Harry Lee DaughtryMayodanHits174 Wes Livengood BassettERA3.06
Ray ScantlingReidsvilleRBI147Ray ScantlingReidsvilleHR33

1939 to 1942

1939 Bi-State League

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Danville-Schoolfield Leafs 7044.614- Red Barnes
Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets 6748.583Arnold Anderson
Bassett Furnituremakers 6051.541Walter Novak
Martinsville Manufacturers 6152.540 Jim Poole / Al Krupski
Harry Daughtry
Mayodan Millers 5857.50412½Harry Daughtry / Ramon Couto
Chink Outen
Reidsville Luckies 4865.42521½ Watty Clark / Broaddus Culler
South Boston Wrappers 4665.41422½ Dixie Parker
Mount Airy Graniteers 4270.37527 Guy Lacy / Walter Stephenson

Playoff: Leaksville 4 games, Martinsville 1; Danville 4 games, Bassett 3.
Finals: Danville 4 games, Leaksville 2.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Sam Gentile DanvilleBA.392Joseph WeirDanvilleW19
Jim GruzdisLeaksvilleRuns145George KadisDanvilleSO199
Sam Gentile DanvilleHits199 Frank Hoerst MayodanERA2.82
James PayneLeaksvilleRBI126Amerigo ScagliariniMayodanHR27

1940 Bi-State League

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Bassett Furnituremakers 7344.624-Einar Sorenson
Martinsville Manufacturers 6849.5815Harry Daughtry
Mount Airy Graniteers 6356.52911Walter Novak
Danville-Schoolfield Leafs 5958.50414 Red Barnes
South Boston Wrappers 5660.48316½Jack Crosswhite / H.A. Mobley
Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets 5663.47118Arnold Anderson
Mayodan Millers 5366.44521Pete Siciliano
Reidsville Luckies 4375.36430½ Jim Callahan / Jim Gruzdis

Playoff: Martinsville 4 games, Danville 2; Bassett 4 games, Mt Airy 1.
Finals: Martinsville 4 games, Bassett 3.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Dan AmaralMayodanBA.387Roy PeelerBassettW17
Alex JohnsonMayodanRuns119Flory WojcikBassettW17
Alex JohnsonMayodanHits178Flory WojcikBassettERA2.95
Clyde Vollmer BassettRBI117Paige DennisReid/Mt.AirSO187
Orville NesselrodeSouth BostonHR25

1941 Bi-State League

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets 6446.582- Tim Murchison / Wes Ferrell
Martinsville Manufacturers 6349.5632George Ferrell
Danville-Schoolfield Leafs 6450.5612 Elmer Yoter
Sanford Spinners 5854.5187Zeb Harrington
Mount Airy Graniteers 4270.37523Jimmy Maus
Mayodan Millers 2547.347NA Taylor Sanford

Mayodan disbanded July 18.
Playoff: Sanford 4 games, Martinsville 3,(one tie); Danville-Schoolfield, 4 games, Leaksville 1.
Finals: Sanford 4 games, Danville-Schoolfield 2.

Player Statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Albert BehrendsMartinsvilleBA.378 Dave Odom SanfordW16
Richard KalalDanvilleRuns119Charles CuellarLeaksvilleW16
Albert BehrendsMartinsvilleHits171 Dave Odom SanfordSO190
Tom BurnetteMartinsvilleRBI114Roy BolesMt. AiryPct.714; 10-4
Tom BurnetteMartinsvilleHR29George FerrellMartinsvilleRBI114

1942 Bi-State League

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Wilson Tobs 6953.566- Bill Herring
Sanford Spinners 6259.512Frank Rodgers
Rocky Mount Rocks 6360.512George Ferrell
Burlington Bees 6262.5008Rube Wilson
Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets 5766.46312½Zip Payne
Danville-Schoolfield Leafs 5467.44614½ Elmer Yoter

Playoff: Rocky Mount 4 games, Wilson 3; Sanford 4 games, Burlington 1.
Finals: Rocky Mount 4 games, Sanford 1.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Richard HoyleWilsonBA.338Charles CuellarLeaksvilleW22
Richard HoyleWilsonRuns108Charles CuellarLeaksvilleSO204
George BiershenkRocky MountHits151Charles CuellarLeaksvilleERA1.67
George FerrellRocky MountRBI105Harry SoufasRocky MountHR29

[1]

League champions

1934: Danville Leafs
1935: Danville Leafs
1936: Bassett Furniture Makers
1937: Bassett Furniture Makers
1938: Bassett Furniture Makers
1939: Danville-Schoolfield Leafs
1940: Martinsville Manufacturers
1941: Sanford Spinners
1942: Rocky Mount Rocks [1]

Sources

References

  1. 1 2 3 Lloyd Johnson; Miles Wolff, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN   978-1932391176.