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Mount Airy Graniteers

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Minor league baseball team
Mount Airy Graniteers
Minor league affiliations
Previous classes
  • Class D
Previous leagues
Major league affiliations
Previous teams
Minor league titles
League titles (2)
  • 1948
  • 1950
Team data
Previous names
  • Mount Airy Graniteers (1938-1950)
  • Mount Airy Reds (1935-1937)
  • Mount Airy Graniteers (1934)

The Mount Airy Graniteers were a minor league baseball Class D team that represented the city of Mount Airy, North Carolina. The team played under two different names in two leagues over their 13 non-consecutive seasons spanning 1934–1950. The club joined the Bi-State League for the 1934 season. In 1935, the Graniteers changed its name to the Mount Airy Reds and continued to operate in the league through 1937.

During that span, Mount Airy had affiliation agreements with the Cincinnati Reds (1935–1936) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1937). Then, the team changed its name again to Mount Airy Graniteers and played uninterrupted until the 1941 season. After that, the city was without a professional club for the next four years.

In 1946, the Graniteers resurrected in a new circuit, the Blue Ridge League (1946–1950), playing there uninterrupted until the 1950 season.

One of their most popular players was outfielder Gene Handley, who won a batting crown title with a .403 batting average in 1936. Other major contribution came from pitcher Bob Bowman, who posted a 30-11 record and a 2.91 ERA from 1946–48, including a 17-4 mark with a 3.29 ERA and 197.0 innings pitched in 1947.

In its storied 13-year history, surviving the ups and downs during wartime and postwar times, the team won championship titles in 1948 and 1950, while reaching the postseason in 1940, 1947 and 1949. Since 1950, no other team based in Mount Airy has participated in professional baseball.

Season-by-season

Year League Record W-L % Finish GB Manager Playoffs
1934 BIST 33-43 .434 4th of six 19 Cecil Harris
G. Thomas
1935 BIST 67-47 .588 4th of eight 3½ Mickey Shader
1936 BIST 53-63 .457 6th of eight 20½ Mickey Shader
Elbert Conway
Frank Packard
1937 BIST 52-61 5th of eight 16 Walter Novak
1938 BIST 49-69 .415 6th of eighth 28 Dick Goldberg
1939 BIST 42-70 .375 8th of eight 27 Guy Lacy
Walter Stephenson
1940 BIST 63-56 .529 3rd of eight 11 Walter Novack Lost in first round
(vs. Bassett Furnituremakers, 4 Games to 1)
1941 BIST 42-70 .375 5th of six 23 Jimmy Maus
1946 BLRI 59-45 .567 2nd of four 11 Eddie Morgan No postseason
1947 BLRI 72-52 .581 2nd of four 3½ Chubby Dean Lost in first round
(vs. Lenoir Red Sox 3 games to 1)
1948 BLRI 65-58 .528 4th of six 10 Noel Casbier League Champions
(vs. Galax Leafs 4 games to 3)
Won in first round
(vs. North Wilkesboro Flashers 3 games to 1)
1949 BLRI 68-58 .540 1st of six – Frank Essick
Phil Lundeen
Pete Treece
Okey Flowers		 Lost in first round
(vs. Wytheville Statesmen 4 games to 2)
1950 BLRI 71-48 .596 2nd of six 13½ Zip Payne
Joe Roseberry		 League Champions
(vs. Elkin Blanketeers, 4 games to 0)
Won in first round
(vs. Radford Rockets 3 games to 1)

MLB alumni

See also

Sources

  1. Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles (1993). Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Baseball America. ISBN 978-0-96-371898-3.
  2. "Bi-State League (D) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference.com.
  3. ^ Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball
  4. "Blue Ridge League (D) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference.com.
  5. "1936 Bi-State League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com.
  6. "Bob Bowman Minor Leagues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  7. "1947 Blue Ridge League Pitching Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com.
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