Virginia Mountain League

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Virginia Mountain League
SportMinor League Baseball
Class D (1914)
Founded1914
Ceased1914
No. of teams4
CountryUSA
Most titles1 Covington Papermakers

The Virginia Mountain League was a Class D level minor league baseball organization active in central western Virginia in 1914.

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. 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 Presidents and the Harrisonburg, Virginia hosted Harrisonburg Lunatics (the Staunton team moved to Harrisonburg in July 1914).[2][3] The league disbanded on July 25, 1914, because of poor attendance and suspicions of game fixing.[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[]

1914 Virginia Mountain League standings[]

schedule
President: B.F. Donovan

Team Standings W L PCT GB Managers
Covington Papermakers 37 26 .587 - Frank Moore / Nick Carter
Charlottesville Tuckahoes 31 30 .508 5.0 Walter Steinhause
Clifton Forge Railroaders 28 34 .452 8.5 Clarence Irwin / Harvey Bailey
Edward Eschback / Buck Hooker
Staunton / Harrisonburg Lunatics 26 32 .448 8.5 Davey Crockett / Pat Krebs

Staunton (15-22) moved to Harrisonburg July 21.[7]

References[]

  1. ^ a b https://www.diamondsinthedusk.com/uploads/articles/149-img2-1914VirginiaMountainLeague.pdf
  2. ^ "1914 Virginia Mountain League". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Virginia Mountain League". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  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.
  7. ^ "Virginia Mountain League - BR Bullpen". www.baseball-reference.com.


Stub icon

This article about a baseball team in Virginia is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

  • v
  • t
Retrieved from ""