Chambersburg Maroons

Last updated
Chambersburg Maroons
Chambersburg Maroons logo.jpg MAroons hat.jpg
Team logoCap insignia
Information
LeagueWest Shore Twilight Baseball League (2004–2010)
Location Chambersburg, Pennsylvania (1895–2010)
Ballpark Henninger Field (1895–2010)
Founded1895
League championships
  • Cumberland Valley League- 1 (1895)
  • Blue Ridge League-3 (1916, 1927, 1930)
  • Franklin County Adult League -3 (1979, 1983, 1986)
Former name(s)Chambersburg Young Yanks (1929–1930)
Cumberland Colts (1917)
Former league(s)
  • Blue Ridge Adult League (1987–2003)
  • Franklin County Adult League (1931–1986)
  • Independent (1918–1919)
  • Blue Ridge League (1915–1917, 1920–1930)
  • Industrial League (1901–1914)
  • Cumberland Valley League (1895–1900)
ColorsMaroon, Grey, Black, White
    
OwnershipSteve Patterson
ManagementSteve Patterson (GM)
ManagerSteve Patterson
  • Bart Patterson (3rd Base)
Website Chambersburg Maroons

The Chambersburg Maroons were a baseball team located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. They called historic Henninger Field their home, and had done so since the club's creation in 1895. They played their last season in 2010, ending 116 years of existence. [1]

Contents

History

Early years

Baseball has been in Chambersburg since the late nineteenth century. On May 16, 1883, a portable dynamo and six 2,000-watt candle lamps were placed on a railcar by the Cumberland Valley Railroad at a cost of $2,753.75. The apparatus was given its first trial run at a night baseball game between George Pensinger's railroad team and Henninger's club from Chambersburg. Many consider this to be the first night baseball game ever played. [2]

A Chambersburg team was part of the Keystone Association which played for one season in 1884. The team, which had no nickname, was managed by Oliver Chambers and finished with a record of 8 wins and 10 losses, 6.5 games behind the first place Lancaster Red Stockings. [3]

Cumberland Valley League

The Maroons in 1895 Maroons 1895.jpg
The Maroons in 1895

The Maroons were created in 1895 by local businessman Clay "Pop" Henninger, who ran a thriving hat shop in Chambersburg. [4] They began play at Wolf Park, the same location throughout their entire tenure. The Maroons were charter members of the Cumberland Valley League, an independent minor league, [5] and won the first league title in 1895. [6] In the following season, the Maroons finish in second place in the league, boasting a 22–14 record. The 1896 Maroons squad boasted a total of seven future Major League Players.

Following the 1900 Season, the Maroons left the Cumberland Valley League to join the Industrial League.

Blue Ridge League

1915

The 1915 Chambersburg Maroons 1915 Chambersburg Maroons.jpg
The 1915 Chambersburg Maroons

After the 1914 season, the Maroons join the newly formed Class D Blue Ridge League in 1915. The Maroons gain instant credibility when former Major League Player Gus Dorner took the managerial position of his hometown team. James "Bugs" Snyder led the league in hits with 50. Pitcher Ed Stricker had an outstanding season, leading the league with 170 strikeouts. Stricker also threw a no hitter against the Gettysburg Patriots on August 3, winning 1-0. Stricker and catcher George Stroh (who played part of the season with the Hanover Hornets) were selected to the Blue Ridge League End of Season All-Star Team. However, the Maroons struggled through two subsequent managerial changes that season and finished last in the league. [7] Carl Snavely, a member of the 1915 team, would later rise to prominence as a college football coach. [8]

1916 Championship Season

In 1916, the Maroons brought in a new manager in Eddie Hooper. The Maroons club president, named Kottcamp, worked out a deal with Jack Dunn's Baltimore Orioles, who had returned to the International League, after the demise of the Federal League during the off-season. Two pitchers, Hank Thormahlen and Al Ehmling, and a catcher named Alex Schaufele joined the Maroons, along with a former Federal League player, first baseman Karl Kolseth, and outfielder James "Bugs" Snyder to combine for one of the strongest overall teams in the league in 1916. [9] Hanson Horsey is also showcased on the squad's roster.

The end result would see Chambersburg take the league crown in 1916, with Hooper edging Frederick's Clyde Barnhart for the league batting title (.332). Hooper also led the league with 113 hits. The Maroons' pennant did not come easy, as the Martinsburg Mountaineers battled with the Maroons for first place throughout the season. Despite finishing the season with more wins than another Blue Ridge League team, Martinsburg had to settle for second for the second straight season, this time by just one-tenth of a percentage point. The Maroons finished the season with a record of 53–40–4. [10] A low point in the otherwise tremendous season was the no-hitter tossed by the Hagerstown Terrier's pitcher Wick Winslow on June 28, defeating the Maroons 4-0. [11]

1917

The 1917 squad was a far cry from the 1916 championship team, and finished with a measly record of 36-63, good for last place in the Blue Ridge League. [12] The Maroons refused to pay a $450 forfeit fee for the league, and things started to go downhill from there. The Maroons were plagued by injuries in the 1917 season, most notably to first baseman Karl Kolseth. Kolseth, the most feared hitter in the league at the time, broke his leg sliding into second base during the first week of the season, and was out for the remainder of the season. The Maroons also suffered from being at odds with fans, one of the local newspapers, and club directors. On June 30, Blue Ridge League President James Vincent Jameson, Jr. awarded the franchise to Colonel Rusler of Cumberland. After two games on the road, the franchise was renamed the Cumberland Colts. Manager Eddie Hooper refused to report to Cumberland and resigned in protest, along with several players. He was replaced by player/coach Brook Crist. The move to Cumberland created some problems for the team. Allegheny County, Maryland, where Cumberland is located, had no "blue laws" prohibiting play on Sundays. The Colts played many games on Sunday drawing large crowds, but antagonizing other teams in the league. Another challenge was transportation. With the roads of the time, it required almost eight hours of time to drive from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to Cumberland. This meant teams had to plan overnight stays which increased club expenses. [13] Among the players on the 1917 team was Ivan "Pete" Bigler. Bigler would eventually become the head football and basketball coach at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and was enshrined in the WPI Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984.

1918 and 1919

World War I affected the Blue Ridge League and Chambersburg. Wolf Field, the home field of the Maroons, was plowed up and converted to agricultural purposes. Without a home field and with the war demands for soldiers, the Maroons were unable to field a team in 1918 in the Blue Ridge League. The effects of the war, the flu epidemic that raged throughout the country the latter part of 1918, and the limited resources and finances of the remaining league towns, kept the Blue Ridge League from returning in 1919, which was a boom to the area Industrial Leagues and independent teams. [14]

1920

The Maroons returned to the Blue Ridge League in 1920, and finished with a record of 38-56. [15] Maroons player Bill Satterlee led the Blue Ridge League with a .355 batting average and 122 hits, turning in a stellar season for the Maroons. Wolf Park was renamed Henninger Field in honor of baseball entrepreneur Clay Henninger.

1921

In 1921, the Maroons had a record of 46-52, finishing 13 games behind Frederick. Among the outstanding players were Bill Satterlee, who led the league with 31 doubles; and Mike Fuhrey, who topped the league with 31 sacrifice hits. Players selected for the Blue Ridge League End of Season All Star Team were right-handed pitcher Charles Raab, catcher Marion "Jack" Staylor, shortstop Mike Fuhrey and outfielder Charles "Dutch" Mullen. [16]

1922

The 1922 season was only slightly better than the 1921 season, with a record of 46 wins and 49 losses. George Thomas led all Blue Ridge League second basemen with a .977 fielding average. [17] Maroons pitcher Andy Ferner tied with Bill King of Frederick for the league lead with 228 innings pitched. Right handed pitcher Mike Dowell and catcher Lawrence Steinbach were 1922 Blue Ridge League End of Season All-Star Team selections. [18]

1923–1926

The Maroons continued their losing ways during this period, never finishing better than 13 games behind the first place team. There were also managerial changes, with different managers in each of the four years. Among the few high points was Leroy Byham leading the league with 16 wins in 1924. That same year George Thomas led the league in runs scored with 89. [19]

1927 Championship Season

The franchise's fortunes changed in 1927. Chambersburg captured the first half title under manager Mickey Keliher. They also finished first overall in the league, with an impressive 65-34 record. Charles Hamel led the league with 87 runs scored. Pitcher Lester Shatzer led the league in wins and winning percentage (16-2, .888). Unlike 1916, where the Maroons were awarded the championship based on the best overall season record, the Maroons would have to compete in a championship series against the Martinsburg Blue Sox. The Maroons prevailed over the Blue Sox, two games to none. Another change from 1916 was the establishment of an inter-league series between the champions of the Blue Ridge League and the champions of the Eastern Shore League. This series was called the Five State Championship. In this series the Chambersburg Maroons lost to the Eastern Shore Parksley Spuds four games to two. 7,000 fans attended the Five State Championship.

1928

The Maroons won the second half championship, earning the right to challenge first half champion Hanover Raiders. The Raiders prevailed in the championship series, four games won to one game lost. Pitcher Sheriff Blake led all league pitchers with 17 wins and a .773 winning percentage (17-5). William Howser had an 11-3 record for Chambersburg. After the season the Maroons were purchased by the New York Yankees. [20]

1929

The 1929 team was renamed the Chambersburg Young Yanks to reflect their affiliation with the New York Yankees. Patrick Shea hit a league-topping 17 home runs. On May 31, the Chambersburg and New York teams played an exhibition game at Henniger Field. Although Chambersburg lost 8-1, New York player Babe Ruth thrilled the crowd by hitting a home run, playing first base and even pitching for an inning. [21] Overall, the Maroons finished 15 games behind the overall first place team Martinsburg Blue Sox.

1930 Championship Season

Chambersburg's last season in the Blue Ridge League proved to be one of their most successful. Individually, Ted Norbert led the league in both runs (99) and home runs (27), while Gene Padburg led all league pitchers with a .786 winning percentage (11-3). Chambersburg won the league championship two games to one over the Waynesboro Red Birds. With the collapse of the Blue Ridge League, Chambersburg would never again field a fully professional baseball team.

Adult Leagues

The Chambersburg Maroons name lived on in semiprofessional leagues. The Chambersburg Maroons played in a semiprofessional league also called the Blue Ridge League in 1934. [23] In 1935, the Maroons were members of the semiprofessional Cumberland Valley League.

Franklin County Adult League

The Maroons were members of the Franklin County Adult League (FCAL) from 1936 to 1986. In 1979, the Maroons won the first of their three FCAL championships. In 1983, after struggling early, the Maroons reeled off 28 straight wins and finished with a 31-5 mark. This led to its second FCAL championship, under second-year manager "Dollar Bill" DeMoss. In 1986, Chambersburg won a third FCAL title.

Blue Ridge Adult League

The Maroons moved to the Blue Ridge Adult League (BRAL) in 1987, playing there through 2003. [2] Outfielder Brian McCrossen was selected to the 2001 BRAL end of season All-League Team. First baseman Tony Ponton, third baseman Aaron Edwards, shortstop Andy Smith and utility player Brian Ramsey were chosen for the 2003 BRAL end of season All-League Team. [24]

West Shore Twilight Baseball League

In 2004, the Chambersburg Maroons joined the semipro West Shore Twilight Baseball League. [2] The Maroons qualified for the playoffs in 2006, 2009, and 2010. However, they were unsuccessful in their quest to win the playoffs in any of the three years. [25] The team played their last games in the quarterfinals of the league championship in 2010 against the Mechanicsburg Cardinals. The last home game at Henniger Field was played on July 27, 2010, with Chambersburg losing 8-0 to Mechanicsburg. The last game for the franchise was played at Mechanicsburg's Rickenbach/Shirley Field on July 28, 2010, with Chambersburg again losing 6-3. [26]

Major league connections

Chambersburg Team Players Who Made the Majors

Mike Mowrey played for and managed the Maroons in the 1922 season, following his playing days with several major league teams. His ventures included a World Series appearance for the Brooklyn Robins in 1916. In 1922, he batted .351 in the 75 games he played. Despite his efforts, Chambersburg finished next to last in the Blue Ridge League, and Mowrey left professional baseball for a quiet life in the town. Mowrey died in 1947 and his memorial service was held at Henninger Field. [27]

Herb Thormahlen also played for the Maroons in 1916 while the club was still a part of the Blue Ridge League. The Maroons pitcher ended playing in the Major Leagues for the New York Yankees (1917–1920), Boston Red Sox (1921), and Brooklyn Robins (1925). Thormahlen's pitching helped lead the Maroons to the 1916 Blue Ridge League pennant. [28]

What follows is a list of Major League Players who have played for Chambersburg by year. [28] [29]

18841896191519161917
Bart Cantz George Barclay Bill Clay Joe Boley Ivan Bigler
Ed Green Billy Goeckel Norman Plitt Hanson Horsey Joe Cobb
Bobby Mitchell Con Lucid Charlie Snell Karl Kolseth Hanson Horsey
James Morris Togie Pittinger Herb Thormahlen Leo Meyer
George Noftsker Jimmy Sheckard Ben Mallonee Elmer Steele
Ed Sales Archie Stimmel
Mike Tiernan Harry Wilhelm
19211922192319261927192819291930
Harry Hinchman Mike Mowrey Red McDermott Rankin Johnson Mickey Keliher Mickey Keliher Dick Barrett Tom Carey
Mike Mowrey Rusty Saunders Mike Meola Vito Tamulis
Clay Bryant
Dee Miles

Area People Associated with Major League Baseball

In addition to the players on the Chambersburg teams, several other individuals from Franklin County, Pennsylvania, where Chambersburg is located, have connections to Major League Baseball. Among these are:

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lefty Grove</span> American baseball player

Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove was an American professional baseball pitcher. After having success in the minor leagues during the early 1920s, Grove became a star in Major League Baseball with the American League's Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox. One of the greatest pitchers in history, Grove led the American League in wins in four separate seasons, in strikeouts seven years in a row, and had the league's lowest earned run average a record nine times. Over the course of the three years from 1929 to 1931, he twice won the pitcher's Triple Crown, leading the league in wins, strikeouts, and ERA, while amassing a 79–15 record and leading the Athletics to three straight AL championships. Overall, Grove won 300 games in his 17-year MLB career. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947.

The following are the baseball events of the year 1884 throughout the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Mowrey</span> American baseball player

Harry Harlan Mowrey was an American professional baseball third baseman who played in the Major Leagues from 1905 to 1917. He also later played for the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Brooklyn Robins, and Pittsburgh Pirates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rankin Johnson Sr.</span> American baseball player

Adam Rankin "Tex" Johnson Sr. was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. His son, Rankin Johnson, Jr., was also a Major League pitcher. His grandfather was the Civil War military leader Stovepipe Johnson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henninger Field</span>

Henninger Field is a little-known, historic ballpark located in historic Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hank Thormahlen</span> American baseball player (1896-1955)

Herbert Ehler Thormahlen aka Lefty was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1917 through 1925 for the New York Yankees (1917–20), Boston Red Sox (1921) and Brooklyn Robins (1925). Listed at 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m), 180 lb., Thormahlen batted and threw left-handed. He was born in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Russell Collier "Rusty" Saunders, was an American Major League Baseball outfielder who played in 1927 with the Philadelphia Athletics. He was born and died in Trenton, New Jersey. He batted and threw right-handed. Saunders began his professional baseball career with the Chambersburg Maroons of the Blue Ridge League in 1927. He had a .983 fielding percentage playing in 95 games as part of the Chambersburg team that won the Blue Ridge Championship that year. After the Blue Ridge League season ended, Saunders was called up to the baseball major leagues. Saunders had a .133 batting average in five games, two hits in 15 at-bats, in his brief time in the majors. He continued to play minor league baseball through the 1931 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Knode</span> American football and baseball player (1895–1980)

Kenneth Thomson "Mike" Knode was an American football and baseball player.

The Blue Ridge League was the name of two minor league baseball organizations that operated in the first half of the twentieth century in the United States.

Harry Lester Wilhelm was a pitcher in Major League Baseball for the 1899 Louisville Colonels. He attended Westminster College.

The Hagerstown Hubs were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. The team played predominantly in the Blue Ridge League (1915–1930) and briefly in the Middle Atlantic League (1931). Their home games were in Willow Lane Park from 1915 to 1929 and Municipal Stadium during the 1930 and 1931 seasons.

Ivan Edward "Pete" Bigler was an American Major League Baseball player. Bigler appeared for the St. Louis Browns in one game on May 6, 1917 as a pinch runner. In the minor leagues he played outfield and third base. He attended Juniata College and Springfield College. He is a member of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Athletic Hall of Fame.

Karl Dickey"Koley"Kolseth was a Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the Baltimore Terrapins of the Federal League in 1915.

The Parksley Spuds was a Class D minor league baseball team based in Parksley, Virginia, which had a population of just over 600 people at the 1920 United States Census. They played in the Eastern Shore League between 1922 and 1928, the entire run of the league's initial incarnation. The Spuds won multiple league pennants during that span. The league encountered financial difficulties during the 1928 season and the owners of the teams voted to disband the league.

The Martinsburg Blue Sox were an American minor league baseball team based in Martinsburg, West Virginia. They played in the Blue Ridge League between 1915 and 1929 and were an affiliate of the Philadelphia Athletics in 1929.

The Waynesboro Red Birds were a minor league baseball team based in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. From 1920 to 1930, the Waynesboro Red Birds, "Cardinals" and "Villagers" teams played exclusively as members of the Class D level Blue Ridge League. The Waynesboro "Cardinals" and Red Birds were a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1925 and again from 1928 to 1930. Waynesville hosted home minor league games at E-B Park.

The Hagerstown Suns Minor League Baseball team was established in Hagerstown, Maryland, in 1981. The Suns remained in the Carolina League through 1988. In 1989, team ownership purchased the Williamsport Bills franchise of the Double-A Eastern League (EL) and relocated the team to Hagerstown. The Double-A Suns carried on the history of the Class A team that preceded it. After just four seasons, the Eastern League franchise left. The Myrtle Beach Hurricanes franchise of the Class A South Atlantic League (SAL) relocated to Hagerstown for the 1993 season where they became the Suns and continued the previous Suns teams' history.

The Cumberland Colts were a minor league baseball team based in Cumberland, Maryland between 1916 and 1932. The Cumberland Giants of the Pennsylvania-Ohio-Maryland League in 1906 and the 1907 Cumberland Rooters of the Western Pennsylvania League preceded the Colts. The Colts played as members of the 1916 Potomac League, the Blue Ridge League from 1917 to 1918 and Middle Atlantic League from 1925 to 1932. The Colts were a minor league affiliate of the New York Yankees in 1931 and 1932. With the Colts winning league championships in 1918, 1927 and 1931, Cumberland played home games at South End Park and then Community Park.

The Hanover Raiders were a minor league baseball team based in Hanover, Pennsylvania. Between 1915 and 1929, Hanover teams played exclusively as members of the Blue Ridge League from 1915 to 1917 and 1920 to 1929, winning the 1928 league championship. The 1915 Hanover Hornets preceded the Raiders, as Hanover played minor league home games at McAllister Field and then Young's Field

The Gettysburg Ponies were a minor league baseball team based in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. From 1915 to 1917, Gettysburg teams played exclusively as members of the Class D level Blue Ridge League, beginning play in 1915 as the Gettysburg "Patriots." Gettysburg hosted minor league home games at Nixon Field

References

  1. ↑ Gotwals, Ed (18 March 2011). "WEST SHORE BASEBALL: Chambersburg Maroons will not play this season". Chambersburg Public Opinion. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 "CHAMBERSBURG BASEBALL HISTORY". leaguelineup.com/maroons. Archived from the original on 10 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  3. ↑ Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Baseball America. 2007. p. 142.
  4. ↑ Savitt, Robert (2011), The Blue Ridge League: Images of Baseball, Arcadia Publishing, p. 28
  5. ↑ Baseball-Reference, Cumberland Valley League
  6. ↑ Maroons Website [ permanent dead link ]
  7. ↑ Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Baseball America. 2007. p. 259.
  8. ↑ Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Baseball America. 2007. p. 302.
  9. ↑ 1916 Blue Ridge Stummary
  10. ↑ Official 1916 Blue Ridge League Statistics
  11. ↑ Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Baseball America. 2007. p. 265.
  12. ↑ 1917 Blue Ridge League Standings
  13. ↑ Blue Ridge League 1917 Summary
  14. ↑ Ziegler, Mark. "Blue Ridge League - History - 1918". Boys of the Blue Ridge 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  15. ↑ Blue Ridge 1920 Standings and Statistics
  16. ↑ Ziegler, Mark. "1921 Blue Ridge League Summary" (PDF). Boys of the Blue Ridge 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  17. ↑ "Complete Blue Ridge League Averages for Season Announced" (PDF). The Daily News . Frederick, Maryland. 16 September 1922. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  18. ↑ Ziegler, Mark. "1922 Blue Ridge League Summary" (PDF). Boys of the Blue Ridge 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  19. ↑ Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Baseball America. 2007. p. 294.
  20. ↑ "Blue Ridge League 1928" (PDF). 1929 Spalding Official Baseball Guide. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  21. ↑ Savitt, Robert (2011), The Blue Ridge League: Images of Baseball, Arcadia Publishing, p. 91
  22. ↑ Savitt, Robert (2011), The Blue Ridge League: Images of Baseball, Arcadia Publishing, pp. 125–127
  23. ↑ "Frederick in Second Place; Blue Sox Retain Blue Ridge League; Moose in Fourth Place", The Daily Mail, Hagerstown, Maryland, June 11, 1934
  24. ↑ "Blue Ridge Adult League All-League Team". leaguelineup.com/bral. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  25. ↑ "West Shore Twilight Baseball League". leaguelineup.com/westshoretwilightbaseballleague. Archived from the original on 10 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  26. ↑ "Chambersburg Maroons Schedule". leaguelineup.com/maroons. 5 January 2013. Archived from the original on 10 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  27. ↑ Mike Mowrey Biography
  28. 1 2 Blue Ridge Official Historical Site
  29. ↑ Baseball Reference Maroons History
  30. ↑ "CHAMBERSBURG BASEBALL HISTORY". leaguelineup.com/maroons. Archived from the original on 10 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  31. ↑ Abrogast, Lizi (3 September 2012). "H.S. SPORTS: PIAA honors Jeff Brookens for years of service as official". Public Opinion . Chambersburg, Pennsylvania . Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  32. ↑ "Bob Carter Baseball Statistics". thebaseballcube.com. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  33. ↑ Gotwals, Ed (29 August 2008). "BASEBALL: Native John Fierro serves as USA baseball team's trainer in Beijing". Public Opinion . Chambersburg, Pennsylvania . Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  34. ↑ "MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL Sam Snider gets job at York manager". Public Opinion . Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. 7 August 2009. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.