Virginia Mountain League

Last updated
Virginia Mountain League
Classification Class D (1914)
Sport Minor League Baseball
Inaugural season1914
CeasedJuly 25, 1914
PresidentB.F. Donovan (1914)
No. of teams5
Country United States of America
Most titles1
Covington Papermakers
Clifton Forge Railroaders*
Related
competitions
Virginia League

The Virginia Mountain League was a minor league baseball organization active in central western Virginia in 1914. The Class D level league folded during its only season of play.

Contents

History

On March 3, 1914, at a meeting in Lynchburg, Virginia, discussions began for the formulation of a six–team, Class D level baseball league. Teams were tentatively slated to be based in Lynchburg, Danville, Charlottesville, Clifton Forge, Staunton and Covington, with a salary limit of $800 (per team) monthly. Lynchburg was hesitant to commit because of a previous $700 lien on its territory, a result of a previous team in the Virginia League. [1]

The league was then formed at a March 12, 1914, meeting, without Danville and Lynchburg franchises. B.F. Donovan, of Clifton Forge, was elected league president. D. R. Ellis, of Covington, was elected as vice-president. [1]

The Virginia Mountain League had four teams: the Charlottesville Tuckahoes, the Clifton Forge, Virginia based Clifton Forge Railroaders, the Covington, Virginia based Covington Papermakers; the Staunton, Virginia based Staunton Lunatics and the Harrisonburg, Virginia hosted Harrisonburg Lunatics, The Staunton team later moved to Harrisonburg in July 1914. [2] The league disbanded on July 25, 1914, with Covington in first place with a 37–26 record, 5.0 games ahead of second place Charlottesville. [3]

The Virginia Mountain League was reported to have folded due to poor attendance and the onset of World War I amid "rumors of fixed games." [4] [5]

Shortly after the Virginia Mountain League folded, there was an unsuccessful attempt, headed by Clifton Forge manager Buck Hooker, in August 1914, to revive the league and the teams. [6]

However, following the collapse of the league, the Covington and Clifton Forge teams elected to play a 10–game championship series. The Railroaders captured the unofficial league “title,” winning 7 of the 10 games. After winning a final doubleheader against Covington by scores of 5–4 and 5–3, a farewell reception and banquet was held for the players at Clifton Forge. [1]

Cities represented

1914 Virginia Mountain League standings

schedule

Team standingsWLPCTGBManagers
Covington Papermakers 3726.587Frank Moore / Nick Carter
Charlottesville Tuckahoes 3130.5085.0Walter Steinhause
Clifton Forge Railroaders 2834.4528.5Clarence Irwin / Harvey Bailey
Edward Eschback / Buck Hooker
Staunton Lunatics /
Harrisonburg Lunatics
2632.4488.5 Davey Crockett / Pat Krebs

Staunton (15–22) moved to Harrisonburg July 21. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynchburg, Virginia</span> Independent city in Virginia, United States

Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. First settled in 1757 by ferry owner John Lynch, the city's population was 79,009 at the 2020 census, making Lynchburg the 11th most populous city in Virginia. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or the "Hill City". In the 1860s, Lynchburg was the only city in Virginia that was not recaptured by the Union before the end of the American Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Covington, Virginia</span> Independent city in Virginia, United States

Covington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,737, making it the second-least populous city in Virginia. It is surrounded by Alleghany County, of which it is also the county seat. Located at the confluence of Jackson River and Dunlap Creek, Covington is one of three cities in the Roanoke Regional Partnership. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Covington with Alleghany county for statistical purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Staunton, Virginia</span> Independent city in Virginia, United States

Staunton is an independent city in the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,750. In Virginia, independent cities are separate jurisdictions from the counties that surround them, so the government offices of Augusta County are in Verona, which is contiguous to Staunton. Staunton is a principal city of the Staunton-Waynesboro Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2010 population of 118,502. Staunton is known for being the birthplace of Woodrow Wilson, the 28th U.S. president, and as the home of Mary Baldwin University, historically a women's college. The city is also home to Stuart Hall, a private co-ed preparatory school, as well as the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind. It was the first city in the United States with a fully defined city manager system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia</span> United States federal district court in Virginia

The United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia is a United States district court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia Central Railroad</span> Railroad in Virginia

The Virginia Central Railroad was an early railroad in the U.S. state of Virginia that operated between 1850 and 1868 from Richmond westward for 206 miles (332 km) to Covington. Chartered in 1836 as the Louisa Railroad by the Virginia General Assembly, the railroad began near the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad's line and expanded westward to Orange County, reaching Gordonsville by 1840. In 1849, the Blue Ridge Railroad was chartered to construct a line over the Blue Ridge Mountains for the Louisa Railroad which reached the base of the Blue Ridge in 1852. After a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, the Louisa Railroad was allowed to expand eastward from a point near Doswell to Richmond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Ridge Tunnel</span> Historic railroad tunnel

The Blue Ridge Tunnel is a historic railroad tunnel built during the construction of the Blue Ridge Railroad in the 1850s. The tunnel was the westernmost and longest of four tunnels engineered by Claudius Crozet to cross the Blue Ridge Mountains at Rockfish Gap in central Virginia.

Buckingham Branch Railroad is a Class III short-line railroad operating over 275 miles (443 km) of historic and strategic trackage in Central Virginia. Sharing overhead traffic with CSX and Amtrak, the company's headquarters are in Dillwyn, Virginia in the former Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad (C&O) station, itself a historic landmark in the community. The railroad was featured in the January 2012 issue of Trains Magazine. It is referenced in the How It’s Made episode “Railway Bridge Ties”, showing it crossing a curved bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valley Baseball League</span>

The Valley Baseball League is an NCAA and MLB-sanctioned collegiate summer baseball league in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia.

WCYK-FM is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Staunton, Virginia, and serving Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, and Lexington, Virginia. It is owned and operated by Monticello Media and it broadcasts a country music format. The studios and offices are on Hillsdale Drive in Charlottesville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davey Crockett (baseball)</span> American baseball player (1875-1961)

Daniel Solomon "Davey" Crockett was an American baseball player and manager. He played professional baseball as a first baseman for 19 years from 1894 to 1912, including 28 games in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers during team's inaugural season in the major leagues. He also served as the manager of the Staunton/Harrisonurg Lunatics of the Virginia Mountain League in 1914.

The Virginia League was the name of an American professional minor league baseball league that operated between 1939 and 1942. This was the fourth of five incarnations of the Virginia League. The league was a Class D level league in 1939 and 1940. It became a Class C level league for the 1941 and 1942 seasons. The Virginia League resumed play in 1948, after the conclusion of World War II.

The Covington Red Sox were a minor league baseball team based in Covington, Virginia. In 1966, the Covington Red Sox played as members of the Rookie level Appalachian League, placing fourth in their only season of play, while hosting home games at Casey Field. The Red Sox were succeeded in Covington minor league baseball by the 1967 Covington Astros.

The Virginia League (1894–1896) was a minor league baseball organization active in central Virginia.

Frye and Chesterman was an American architectural firm formed in 1900 by partners Edward Graham Frye (1870–1942) and Aubrey Chesterman (1874–1937) with offices in Lynchburg, Virginia. In 1913 the firm moved to Roanoke, Virginia.

The Covington Papermakers were a minor league baseball team based in Covington, Virginia. In 1914, the Papermakers played as charter members of the short–lived Class D level Virginia Mountain League, winning the league championship in a shortened season. The Papermakers were succeeded in Covington minor league baseball by the 1966 Covington Red Sox.

The Clifton Forge Railroaders were a minor league baseball team based in Clifton Forge, Virginia. In 1914, the Clifton Forge Railroaders played as charter members of the short–lived Class D level Virginia Mountain League, winning a "Championship Series" after the league had folded.

The Charlottesville Tuckahoes were a minor league baseball team based in Charlottesville, Virginia. In 1914, the Tuckahoes played as charter members of the short–lived Class D level Virginia Mountain League, winning the second–half title in the league.

The Staunton Presidents were a minor league baseball team based in Staunton, Virginia. Staunton teams played partial seasons in the 1894 Virginia League and 1914 Virginia Mountain League before the Presidents played as members the Virginia League from 1939 to 1942. The Presidents hosted home minor league games at Municipal Stadium. Staunton's use of the "Presidents" nickname corresponded to the city being the birthplace of President Woodrow Wilson.

The Newport News Pilots were a minor league baseball team based in Newport News, Virginia. In 1941 and 1942, as a minor league affiliate of the Philadelphia Athletics, Newport News played as members of the Class C level Virginia League, playing as the Newport News Builders in 1942. The teams hosted minor league home games at Shipbuilders Park.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "1914 Virginia Mountain League, "One & Done"" (PDF), Diamonds in the Dusk: 3, 3 February 2014
  2. "1914 Virginia Mountain League". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  3. 1 2 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)
  4. The Valley Baseball League: A History of Baseball in the Shenandoah Valley. Lulu Press. 24 June 2014. ISBN   9781483411385.
  5. “‘A Good Base Ball Club Is a Splendid Advertisement to a Town’: Baseball and the New South in Clifton Forge, Virginia,” Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 124, No. 3 (2016): 186-215
  6. "Evening journal 11 August 1914 — Virginia Chronicle: Digital Newspaper Archive". virginiachronicle.com.