Florida East Coast League

Last updated
Florida East Coast League
Classification Class D (1940–1942)
Rookie (1972)
Sport Minor League Baseball
First season1940
Ceased1972
PresidentJudge Gordon Lynn (1940)
J. B. Lemon (1941–1942)
No. of teams13
CountryUnited States
Most titles1
Fort Lauderdale Tarpons (1940)
Miami Beach Flamingos (1941)
Orlando Nationals (1942
Melbourne Reds (1972)
Related
competitions
Gulf Coast League

The Florida East Coast League was the name of two American minor league baseball circuits based on the Atlantic coast of Florida. The first edition of the league operated as a Class D level league from 1940 to 1942. The league reformed for the 1972 season as a Rookie level league before folding.

Contents

History

The first incarnation of the FECL was as a Class D circuit that played from 1940 through May 14, 1942. It shut its doors, along with many other minor leagues, a few months after the United States entered World War II, and, despite the postwar baseball boom, it was not revived. [1]

The second Florida East Coast League was a Rookie-class "complex league" owned and operated by Major League Baseball clubs. It existed for one season — 1972 — and was intended to provide a second Florida-based league for 18- and 19-year-old players, along with the established Gulf Coast League, which was then concentrated along the west coast of Florida. The FECL of 1972 featured four teams based at minor league training complexes in Cocoa and Melbourne.

FECL teams, 1940–1942

FECL teams, 1972

Standings & statistics

1940 to 1942

1940 Florida East Coast League

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Ft. Lauderdale Tarpons 6940.623--Herb Thomas
Hollywood Chiefs 6247.5697.0Jiggs Donahue
Miami Beach Tigers 6051.54110.0Fred Heimach
West Palm Beach Indians 5260.46418.5Cecil Downs / Joe Murff
Ft. Pierce Bombers 4965.43022.5Lance Richbourg / Ray Phelps
Miami Wahoos 4271.37229.0 Max Carey

Playoffs: Ft. Lauderdale 3 games, West Palm Beach 1; Miami Beach 3 games, Hollywood 0.
Finals: Ft. Lauderdale 4 games, Miami Beach 1.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Jack WestleyFt. Laud/HollywoodBA.377 Chet Covington HollywoodW21
Jack WestleyFt. Laud/HollywoodRuns96 Chet Covington HollywoodSO212
Pecky EngelWest Palm/Ft.PierceHits158 Gene Bearden Miami BeachERA1.63
Jack WestleyFt. Laud/HollywoodRBI98Oliver KellyMiamiHR11
Jack WestleyFt. Laud/HollywoodHR11Dale LynchMiami BeachHR11

1941 Florida East Coast League

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
West Palm Beach Indians 8455.604--Harry Hughes
Miami Beach Flamingos 8158.5833.0Max Rosenfeld
Ft. Pierce Bombers 7564.5409.0Jim Poole
Ft. Lauderdale Tarpons 6673.47518.0Herb Thomas / Buster Kinard
Miami Wahoos 6376.45321.0Archie Martin
Cocoa Fliers 4891.34536.0Jesse Cleveland / Bill Doak

Playoffs: Miami Beach 3 games, Fort Pierce 1;West Palm Beach 3 games, Ft. Lauderdale 2.
Finals: Miami Beach 4 games, West Palm Beach 2.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
John Douglas MiamiBA.385Gibbs MillerFt. LauderdaleW23
John Douglas MiamiRuns111Milt RosensteinMiami BeachSO238
Buster KinardFt. LauderdaleHits210 Chet Covington Ft. PierceERA1.90
Buster KinardFt. LauderdaleRBI123Joe MurffFt.PierceHR21

1942 Florida East Coast League schedule

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Orlando Nationals 199.679--Robert Overstreet
Miami Beach Flamingos 1710.6301.5Max Rosenfeld
DeLand Red Hats 1313.5005.0Bill Cates
Ft. Pierce Bombers 1214.4626.0Russ Maxcy
Miami Seminoles 1215.4446.5Harry Hughes
West Palm Beach Indians 918.3339.5Al Reitz
Ft. Lauderdale Tarpons 43.571NA Herb Thomas
Cocoa Fliers 04.000NABurl Munsell

Playoffs: None Scheduled.
Cocoa disbanded April 21; Ft. Lauderdale disbanded May 14.
The league disbanded May 14.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Bill HansenFt. PierceBA.370Larry BaldwinMiamiW6
John MorrisOrlandoRuns27 Scott Carey OrlandoSO45
Jim MilnerMiami BeachHits38Williard EckenrothDeLandERA1.65
William TracyDeLandRBI23Fred LeonhardtDeLandHR2
Pete BurnetteWest Palm BeachHR2Armando DominguezOrlandoHR2

1972

1972 Florida East Coast League

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Melbourne Reds 4415.746--Dave Pavlesic
Melbourne Twins 3522.6148.0 Fred Waters
Cocoa Astros 2630.46416.5 Leo Posada
Cocoa Expos 947.16133.5Pat Daugherty

Total league attendance, 966
No playoffs Scheduled.

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Dave Edwards TwinsBA.313 Kevin Cooney TwinsW8
Randy Bass TwinsRuns47Paul HowlendRedsW8
Dave CovertRedsHits62Gary MyersRedsSO58
Randy Bass TwinsRBI41Forrest ClemmonsRedsERA1.86
Randy Bass TwinsHR10

[3]

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References

  1. "Miami at bat: A history of baseball in the Magic City". The New Tropic. May 4, 2021.
  2. "1972 Florida East Coast League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  3. Lloyd Johnson; Miles Wolff, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN   978-1932391176.