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Newport Canners

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Minor league baseball team
Newport Canners
Minor league affiliations
ClassClass D (1937–1942, 1948–1950)
League
Major league affiliations
Team
Minor league titles
League titles (0)None
Team data
NameNewport Canners (1937–1942, 1948–1950)
BallparkCity Memorial Park (1937–1942, 1948–1950)

The Newport Canners were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Class D Appalachian League from 1937 to 1942 and the Mountain States League from 1948 to 1950. They were located in Newport, Tennessee, and played their home games at City Memorial Park. The team's games were temporarily transferred to Maryville, Tennessee, for approximately two weeks late in the 1940 season.

The Canners were unaffiliated with a Major League Baseball team during six of their nine seasons but had affiliations with the New York Yankees in 1939 and the Washington Senators in 1940 and 1942. Over all nine seasons of competition, their all-time regular season win–loss record was 426–553 (.435).

History

First stretch (1937–1942)

The Canners became the first professional baseball team to hail from Newport, Tennessee, when they joined the Class D Appalachian League in 1937. The team was named for the nearby Stokely Brothers cannery. They opened their inaugural season with a 17–10 road victory over the Pennington Gap Lee Bears on May 22. Their first home game was played at the new City Memorial Park on May 26. The home team outscored Pennington Gap, 20–6. Despite a good start to the season, Newport failed to win either half of the league's split schedule with a record of 49–56 (.467), placing last of four teams. The next two seasons were the two lowest in franchise history. The 1938 Canners posted a fifth-place 42–66 (.389) record, while the 1939 club finished last of six teams at 30–89 (.252) as an affiliate of the New York Yankees.

In 1940, Newport entered into an affiliation with the Washington Senators. Following a season of poor attendance, league directors voted on July 30 to transfer the franchise to Maryville, Tennessee, for the remainder of the season. Their games were subsequently transferred back to Newport on the week of August 11. The Newport/Maryville team compiled a 56–63 (.471) record and earned a spot in the postseason playoffs, but they lost to the Greeneville Burley Cubs in the opening round, two games to one.

A baseball card showing an illustration of a baseball player in a white uniform with a glove on one hand
Red Lucas was player-manager of the 1942 team.

Returning permanently to Newport as an unaffiliated team in 1941, the Canners finished with a franchise-best 66–52 (.559) mark, again qualifying for the playoffs. Newport was eliminated in the semifinals by the Elizabethton Betsy Red Sox, 3–2. The Canners reaffiliated with Washington for the 1942 season. On June 14, Greeneville surrendered its franchise to the league due to poor attendance, and league directors subsequently voted to drop Newport due to its distance from the remaining clubs and so as to maintain an even four-team league. The club maintained their expulsion was against the league's constitution, and remained in the circuit until being forced out on June 26. Their final game that day was a 12–0 home loss to the Union City Dodgers. Their season record was 19–28 (.404). Over six years of competition in the Appalachian League, the Canners accumulated a 258–354 (.422) record. The city did not field another team from 1943 to 1947.

Second stretch (1948–1950)

In 1948, the Newport Canners were revived as members of the Class D Mountain States League. Their first game was a 6–4 loss to the Morristown Red Sox on the road on May 1. They ended the season in fourth place with a 58–59 (.496) record and qualified for the playoffs. Newport was eliminated by Morristown, 3–2, in the semifinals. The 1949 team placed sixth of eight teams with a 59–66 (.472) season.

Canners right-hander Jose Aguiar pitched two no-hitters in 1950. The first occurred on June 23 against the Big Stone Gap Rebels, a 7–0 win in the second game of a seven-inning doubleheader. He tossed a second no-hit game on August 19, beating Morristown 9–0 in the first game of a doubleheader. The Canners ended the season in seventh place at 51–74 (.408). Through three years in the Mountain States League, Newport accumulated a 168–199 (.458) record. Over all nine seasons of competition, their all-time regular season win–loss record was 426–553 (.435).

Season-by-season results

Season Regular season Postseason MLB affiliate Ref.
Record Win % Finish GB Record Win % Result
1937 49–56 .467 4th 9+1⁄2 — — — —
1938 42–66 .389 5th 26+1⁄2 — — — —
1939 30–89 .252 6th 41 — — — New York Yankees
1940 56–63 .471 4th 29 1–2 .333 Lost quarterfinals vs. Greeneville Burley Cubs, 2–1 Washington Senators
1941 62–52 .559 3rd 9 2–3 .400 Lost semifinals vs. Elizabethton Betsy Red Sox, 3–2 —
1942 19–28 .404 DNF DNF — — — Washington Senators
1948 58–59 .496 4th 12+1⁄2 2–3 .400 Lost semifinals vs. Morristown Red Sox, 3–2 —
1949 59–66 .472 6th 24+1⁄2 — — — —
1950 51–74 .408 7th 30 — — — —
Totals 426–553 .435 — — 5–8 .385 — — —

Notable players

Eight Canners also played in at least one game in Major League Baseball during their careers. These players and their seasons with Newport were:

References

  1. ^ "Newport, Tennessee Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  2. Henry, Ran (2014). Spurrier: How the Ball Coach Taught the South to Play Football. Rowman and Littlefield. p. 55. ISBN 978-1-4930-1545-0.
  3. "Newport Licks Pennington Gap, 17 to 10". Johnson City Chronicle. Johnson City. May 23, 1937. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "City Memorial Park in Newport, TN". Stats Crew. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  5. ^ "Pennington Gap Bows to Newport for Third Time". Johnson City Chronicle. Johnson City. May 27, 1937. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "1937 Appalachian League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  7. ^ "1938 Appalachian League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  8. ^ "1939 Appalachian League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  9. "1939 Appalachian League". Stats Crew. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  10. "1940 Appalachian League". Stats Crew. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  11. "Newport Club Franchise is Transferred". Elizabethton Star. Elizabethton. July 31, 1940. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. Miller, Rutledge (August 15, 1940). "Spying On Sports". Johnson City Chronicle. Johnson City. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "1940 Appalachian League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  14. ^ "Red Lucas Minor League Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  15. ^ "1941 Appalachian League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  16. "1942 Appalachian League". Stats Crew. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  17. "Newport Dropped; Elizabethton and Twins Vie Tonight". The Bristol News Bulletin. Bristol. June 15, 1942. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. "Newport Fights to Retain Place in Appy Loop". The Knoxville Journal. Knoxville. June 16, 1942. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. "Newport Officially Voted Out of Appalachian". The Knoxville Journal. Knoxville. June 27, 1942. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. "Newport Canners Lose to Dodgers by Score of 12 to 0". Johnson City Chronicle. Johnson City. June 27, 1942. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "1940 Appalachian League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  22. "Opening Game Went to Red Sox". Morristown Gazette Mail. Morristown. May 3, 1948. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "1948 Mountain States League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  24. ^ "1949 Mountain States League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  25. "Newport Hurler Gets No-Hitter". Middlesboro Daily News. Middlesboro. June 24, 1950. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. "Sox Lose 9-0 as Aguiar Pitches a No-Hit Game". Morristown Gazette Mail. Morristown. August 20, 1950. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "1950 Mountain States League Standings". Stats Crew. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  28. "Ed Butka Minor League Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  29. "Rod Graber Minor League Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  30. "Red Marion Minor League Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  31. "Jack Merson Minor League Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  32. "Al Kvasnak Minor League Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  33. "Art Ruble Minor League Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  34. "Tom Saffell Minor League Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved July 16, 2020.

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