| Hammond Berries | |
|---|---|
| Minor league affiliations | |
| Class | Class D (1946–1948) Class C (1949–1951) |
| League | Evangeline League (1946–1951) |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Team | None |
| Minor league titles | |
| League titles (3) |
|
| Wild card berths (5) |
|
| Team data | |
| Name | Hammond Berries (1946–1951) |
| Ballpark | Berry Stadium (1946–1951) |
The Hammond Berries were a minor league baseball franchise based in Hammond, Louisiana. From 1946 to 1951, the Berries played exclusively as members of the Evangeline League and captured Evangeline League championships in 1947, 1949 and 1951. The Hammond Berries played home minor league games at Berry Stadium, located on the campus of Southeastern Louisiana University.
Minor league baseball began in Hammond, Louisiana in 1946, when the Hammond "Berries" began play as members of the eight–team league Class D level Evangeline League in 1946, as the league was reforming. [1] The Abbeville Athletics, Alexandria Aces, Baton Rouge Red Sticks, Houma Indians, Natchez Giants, New Iberia Cardinals and Thibodaux Giants teams joined Hammond in beginning league play on April 23, 1946. [2] [3]
The Hammond Berries finished their first season of play in last place. [4] With a 44–87 record in 1946, Hammond finished last in the eight–team league, finishing 48 games behind the first-place Houma Indians. Hammond played the season under manager Joe Valenti. [5] [1] [6]
The 1947 Hammond Berries won the Evangeline League championship. [7] After placing fourth with a 73–60 regular season record, finishing 6.5 games behind the first place Alexandria Aces, the Berries qualified for the playoffs. In the first-round playoff, Hammond defeated Alexandria 4 games to 1 in the series to advance. In the Finals, the Hammond Berries swept the Thibodaux Giants in four games to win the championship. [6] [8] Hammond was managed to the championship by Babe Benning and Paul Bruno. Home season attendance in 1947 was 59,126. [9]
In 1948, Hammond ended the season as the runner up in the Evangeline league regular season. [10] The Berries finished with a 79–58 record, placing second in the Evangeline League regular season standings. Hammond ended the season 2.5 games behind the Houma Indians. Hammond played under returning manager Paul Bruno. The first round playoff series with the Thibodaux Giants was tied 2 games to 2 when the entire postseason was cancelled due to bad weather. [6] [2] [11] Hammond had season home attendance of 62,346. [12]
Playing for the Berries in 1948, Ray Sanner won the Evangeline League Triple Crown. Sanner, nicknamed "Tex," hit .386 with 34 home runs and 126 RBI on the season. [2] [6]
The 1949 Hammond Berries won their second Evangeline League Championship, as the league became a Class C level league. [13] Hammond finished the regular season in 3rd place with a 73–63 record, finishing 5.0 games behind the 1st place Houma Indians and qualifying for the playoffs. In the first round of playoffs the Berries defeated the Lafayette Bulls 4 games to 1 to advance. In the Finals, Hammond beat the Alexandria Aces 4 games to 2 to capture the championship under manager Paul Bruno. [6] [14] Hammond drew 51,071 for the season at home. [15]
After winning the Evangeline League pennant in 1949, Hammond lost four straight games to the Gladewater Bears, winners of the East Texas League pennant, in a best-of-seven interleague championship. [16]
The 1950 Berries advanced to the Evangeline League playoff finals. [17] In the regular season, the Berries ended in fourth place with a 71–65 record, finishing 13.5 games behind the first place Lafayette Bulls. The Berries qualified for the playoffs, playing the season under managers Joe Kracher and Joe Powers. In the playoffs, the Berries defeated the Lafayette Bulls 4 games to 1, before being swept by the Baton Rouge Red Sticks 4 games to 0 in the finals. [6] [18] [19] [20] In the regular season, Ray Dunn of Hammond hit 39 home runs to lead the league. [6]
In their final season, the 1951 Hammond Berries captured their third Evangeline League championship, before folding after the season. [21] Under returning manager Joe Powers, Hammond placed third with a 73–64 record in the regular season, finishing 2.5 games behind the first place Thibodaux Giants. In the first-round playoff series, the Berries defeated the New Iberia Pelicans 4 games to 3. In the finals, the Hammond Berries defeated the Baton Rouge Red Sticks 4 games to 2 to win the championship. [22] [23] [24] [6] The championship run was led by Berries pitcher Jack Cardey, who led the Evangeline League with both 25 wins and a 2.67 ERA. [6]
Despite the success on the field in winning the Evangeline League championship, the Hammond franchise folded after the 1951 season, during which they drew a total of 28,230 fans. [6] The Hammond franchise was replaced by the Abbeville Athletics in the 1952 Evangeline League season. [24] Hammond has not hosted another minor league team. [25]
The Hammond Berries were noted to have played minor league home games at Berry Stadium in Southeastern Park, which was on the campus of Southeastern Louisiana College near Strawberry Stadium. The Berry Stadium site is now the location of SLU's Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field baseball grounds. Berry Stadium had a capacity of 1,800 in 1949 and expanded to 3,500 in 1950. [26] [27] [28] [29]
| Year(s) | # Yrs. | Team | Level | League | Ballpark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946–1948 | 3 | Hammond Berries | Class D | Evangeline League | Berry Stadium |
| 1949–1951 | 3 | Class C | |||
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | 44–87 | 8th | Joe Valenti | No playoffs held |
| 1947 | 73–60 | 4th | Babe Benning / Paul Bruno | League Champions |
| 1948 | 79–58 | 2nd | Paul Bruno | Playoffs cancelled by weather series vs. Thibodaux Giants tied 2 to 2 |
| 1949 | 73–63 | 3rd | Paul Bruno | League Champions |
| 1950 | 71–65 | 4th | Joe Kracher / Joe Powers | Lost in Finals |
| 1951 | 73–64 | 3rd | Joe Powers | League Champions |
The Evangeline League began in 1934 as a six–team Class D level minor league with teams based in Louisiana, United States, later adding Mississippi and Texas based franchises. In 1935, the league was expanded to eight teams and ceased operations in 1942, with six teams, during World War II. It resumed activities in 1946, getting promoted to Class C in 1949, and lasted through 1957. The Alexandria Aces were the only team that played in all 21 regular seasons. Due to its association with spicy Cajun cuisine, the league was commonly referred to as the "Pepper Sauce League" or the "Tabasco Circuit". Newspapers often abbreviated the league's name as "Vangy" or "Vangey" in headlines.
The Pittsburg Browns were a minor league baseball team based in Pittsburg, Kansas. From 1946 to 1951, the Browns played as members of the Class D level Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League as a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Browns, winning the 1946 league championship. The Browns hosted home minor league games at Jaycee Park.
The Chanute Athletics were a minor league baseball team based in Chanute, Kansas between 1947 and 1950. With the Athletics preceded by teams under varying nicknames, Chanute teams played as members of the Class D level Kansas State League in 1896, Missouri Valley League in 1902, Kansas State League in 1906 and Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League from 1946 to 1950, winning the 1946 league championship.
The Houma Indians was the primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams based in Houma, Louisiana between 1940 and 1952. Houma teams played as exclusively as members of the Evangeline League. The Houma Indians won the 1946 and 1948 Evangeline League Championships. In 1946, four Houma players were implicated in a baseball gambling scandal.
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 Watertown Athletics were a minor league baseball team based in Watertown, New York.. The Athletics played from 1946 to 1951 and were preceded by the 1936 Watertown Greys and an 1888 Watertown team. Watertown teams played as members of the 1888 Eastern International League, 1936 Canadian–American League and Border League from 1946 to 1951. The Watertown Grays and Athletics hosted home games at Duffy Fairgrounds. Watertown was a minor league affiliate of the Boston Bees in 1936.
The Ogdensburg Maples were a minor league baseball team based in Ogdensburg, New York. In 1900 and 1901, Ogdensburg played as members of the Northern New York League and the Ogdensburg Colts franchise was a member of the Canadian–American League from 1936 to 1940. The Maples played as members of the Class C level Border League from 1946 to 1951. Overall, Ogdensburg teams made seven playoff appearances, won three league championships and one pennant. The teams hosted minor league home games at Winter Park.
The Auburn Cayugas was a primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams based in Auburn, New York and their namesake Cayuga County, New York between 1877 and 1951. Auburn teams played as members of the 1877 League Alliance, 1888 Central New York League, New York State League, Empire State League (1906–1907), Canadian–American League and Border League (1946–1951), winning two league championships.
The Vicksburg Hill Billies was the primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams based in Vicksburg, Mississippi between 1893 and 1955. Vicksburg teams played as a member of the Mississippi State League (1893–1894), Cotton States League, Southeastern League (1946–1950) and Cotton States League (1955).
The Greenville Greenies was the primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams based in Greenville, North Carolina between 1928 and 1951. Greenville teams played as members of the Eastern Carolina League from 1928 to 1929 and Coastal Plain League from 1934 to 1941 and 1946 to 1951.
The Rome Colonels was the primary moniker of minor league baseball teams based in Rome, New York between 1898 and 1951. Rome teams played as members of the New York State League (1898–1901), Empire State League (1905) and Canadian–American League. The Colonels were preceded in Rome by the Rome Romans.
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, the North Carolina State League from 1937 to 1942 and 1945 to 1952 before playing a final season in the 1953 Tar Heel League. The Mooresville Moors won six North Carolina State League Championships.
The Newark Yankees were a minor league baseball team based in Newark, Ohio. From 1948 to 1951, the "Yankees" played as members of the Class D level Ohio-Indiana League as an affiliate of the New York Yankees. Before the league changed names, the Newark "Moundsmen" played as members of the Class D level Ohio State League from 1944 to 1947, winning the 1944 league championship. The Moundsmen were a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Browns. Newark hosted minor league home games at White Field from 1944 to 1946 before moving to Arnold Park from 1947 to 1951.
The Lenoir Red Sox were a minor league baseball team 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 teams hosted home minor league games at the Lenoir High School Field.
Minor league baseball teams were based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in various seasons between 1902 and 2003. The Baton Rouge minor league teams played as members of the Cotton States League, Dixie League (1933), East Dixie League (1934), Evangeline League (1946–1957), Gulf States League (1976), All-American Association (2001) and Southeastern League (2002–2003).
Minor league baseball teams were based in Lafayette, Louisiana between 1907 and 2000. Lafayette teams played as members of the 1907 Gulf Coast League 1920 Louisiana State League and Evangeline League. Lafayette teams won four league championships and one pennant in the era. The early Lafayette teams preceded the 1975 and 1976 Lafayette Drillers, who played as members of the Texas League and the 1998 to 2000 Bayou Bullfrogs of the Texas-Louisiana League.
Minor league baseball teams were based in Natchez, Mississippi in various seasons between 1893 and 1953. The Natchez teams played as members of the Mississippi State League (1893–1894), Cotton States League (1902–1905), Evangeline League and Cotton States League (1948–1953), winning four league championships.
The New Bern Bears were a minor league baseball team based in New Bern, North Carolina. Between 1937 and 1952, with a break during World War II, the Bears teams played exclusively as members of the Coastal Plain League, winning three league championships with six playoff appearances. New Bern hosted minor league home games at Kafer Park.
The LaGrange Troupers were a minor league baseball team based in LaGrange, Georgia and Troup County, Georgia.
The Monroe Sports were a minor league baseball team based in Monroe, Louisiana. The Sports played as members of the Class C level Cotton States League from 1950 to 1955, winning the 1955 league championship. The Sports became a New York Yankees affiliate in 1955 and continued the affiliation in 1956, when the team joined the Class C level Evangeline Leaguefor one season after the Cotton States League folded. The Sports hosted home minor league games at Casino Park.