Middlesboro Athletics

The Middlesboro Athletics was the primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams based in Middlesboro, Kentucky between 1913 and 1963. Middlesboro played as members of the Appalachian League (1913–1914), Mountain States League (1949–1954) and Appalachian League (1961–1963).

Middlesboro teams played as a minor league affiliate of the Washington Senators from 1961 to 1962 and both the Chicago Cubs & Chicago White Sox in 1963.

History[]

Minor league baseball began in Middlesboro when the 1913 Middlesboro Colonels began play in the Class D level Appalachian League. The Colonels finished with a 30–71 record and in 6th place in the 1913 regular season standings. In 1914, the Colonels continued play and were in 1st place with a 15–13 record, when the team disbanded on June 17, 1914. The Morristown Jobbers disbanded at the same time, causing the entire Appalachian League to cease operations.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Minor league baseball returned to Middlesboro 35 years later, when the 1949 Middlesboro Athletics began play as members of the Class D level Mountain States League. The Athletics joined fellow 1949 league members, the Big Stone Gap Rebels, Harlan Smokies, Hazard Bombers, Jenkins Cavaliers, Morristown Red Sox, Newport Canners and Pennington Gap Miners. The 1949 Athletics ended the season with a 69–56 record, placing 3rd in the standings and losing to Harlan in the playoffs. Middlesboro had home season attendance of 25,833 in 1949. The Athletics remained in the Mountain States League through 1954.^{[7][8][9][10]}

On July 20, 1954, Middlesboro was in 1st place with a 48–34 record when the Mountain States League disbanded permanently. The league folded after the Morristown Red Sox franchise had disbanded on May 15, 1954, Maryville-Alcoa moved to Morristown on June 19, then disbanded on July 7 and the Lexington Colts disbanded on July 7, 1954 causing the league to disband. Middlesboro had home season attendance of 9,031, an average of 220 per game.^{[7][8][11][12][13]}

Middlesboro returned to the Appalachian League in 1961, with the Middlesboro Senators playing alongside the Bluefield Orioles, Harlan Smokies, Johnson City Cardinals, Kingsport Pirates, Morristown Cubs, Salem Rebels and Wytheville Twins in the eight–team league. In 1961, as an affiliate of the Washington Senators, the Senators captured the 1961 Appalachian League Championship with a 39–27 record. Middlesboro drew 16,751. In 1962, the Senators finished 3rd with a 35–34 record.^{[14][15][16][2][17][18][19][20]}

In 1963, Middlesboro became an affiliate of both the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox, playing as the Middlesboro Cubsox. The Appalachian League became a Rookie League. The Middlesboro Cubsox finished with a record of 31–57. After the season, Middlesboro and the Kingsport Pirates disbanded, leaving the league with four teams for the 1964 season.^{[21][15][22][23]}

The ballpark[]

Beginning in 1949, Middlesboro teams were noted to have played home games at Hilltop Speedway Park. The ballpark had a capacity of 2,500 and the facility was a racetrack that added the baseball park within its grounds. Hilltop Speedway Park hosted the Middlesboro Athletics (1949–1954), Middlesboro Senators (1961–1962) and Middlesboro Cubsox (1963) after the Hilltop Speedway Association built the baseball diamond and bleachers with lighting. The Speedway was located on 25-E Highway in Middlesboro, Kentucky.^[24][25]

April, 2013. Middlesboro, Kentucky; viewed from the Pinnacle Overlook.

Timeline[]

Year–by–year records[]

Notable alumni[]

See also[]

Middlesboro Athletics players
Middlesboro Cubsox players
Middlesboro Senators players

References[]

External link[]

Baseball Reference Bullpen