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Mountain State League

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mountain State League
ClassificationClass D (1937–1941)
Class C (1942)
SportMinor League Baseball
First season1937
Ceased1942
PresidentRay Ryan (1937–1941)
Robert T. Caldwell (1942)
No. of teams7
CountryUnited States of America
Most titles2
Beckley Bengals (1937–1938)

The Mountain State League was a minor league baseball league that played as a six–team league from 1937 to 1942. The league franchises were based in Kentucky and West Virginia. The Mountain State League was a Class D level league from 1937 to 1941 and Class C league in 1942.[1]

Baseball Hall of Fame member Stan Musial played in the league for two seasons, as a member of the 1938 and 1939 Williamson Colts.

Cities represented

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[2]

Standings & statistics

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1937 Mountain State League
The Mountain State League began play in 1937 with six charter teams: the Beckley Bengals, based in Beckley, West Virginia; the Welch Miners, based in Welch, West Virginia; the Williamson Colts, based in Williamson, West Virginia; the Bluefield Blue-Grays, based in Bluefield, West Virginia; the Logan Indians based in Logan, West Virginia and the Huntington Boosters, based in Huntington, West Virginia. The Boosters withdrew from the league on August 1.

The league originally began with a split–season format, which was eventually abandoned on August 24.

The Beckley Bengals finished first in the regular season and won the league championship.

Team standings W L PCT GB Managers
Beckley Bengals 68 36 .654 Eli Harris
Welch Miners 59 43 .578 8.0 Eddie Krajnik
Williamson Colts 54 46 .540 12.0 Nat Hickey
Bluefield Blue-Grays 49 46 .516 14.5 Ernie Powell
Logan Indians 37 61 .378 28 Bert Grimm
Huntington Boosters 23 58 .284 NA Joe Watson / Paul Ryan /
Mike Broski / Doc Pricer

Huntington withdrew August 1; Welch withdrew September 3 during the playoff series with Williamson; Williamson withdrew September 6 during the finals.
Playoffs: Beckley, bye; Welch 2 games, Bluefield 0; Williamson 2 games, Logan 0; Williamson 1 game, Welch 0
Finals: Beckley 2 games, Williamson 0.[2]

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Earl Martin Beckley BA .400 Charlie Bowles Beckley W 16
Raleigh Singleton Beckley Runs 113 Dixie Howell Logan SO 153
Stan Arnzen Welch Hits 150 Ed Schumacher Beckley ERA 2.70
Earl Martin Beckley RBI 96 Joseph Petrich Welch PCT .731 19–7
Larry Steinbeck Beckley HR 20

1938 Mountain State League
All the teams from 1937 returned to the league in 1938. Huntington became known as the Huntington Bees.

The Logan Indians finished first in the regular season. However, they lost in the league finals to the Beckley Bengals, who repeated as league champions.

Stan Musial played for the Williamson Colts in 1938.[3]

Team standings W L PCT GB Managers
Logan Indians 72 46 .610 Eddie Hock
Beckley Bengals 61 52 .540 8.5 Eli Harris
Williamson Colts 58 60 .492 14.0 Nat Hickey
Welch Miners 56 64 .467 17.0 Eddie Krajnik /
Charles Bowie / Carlos Ratliff
Bluefield Blue-Grays 55 64 .462 17.5 Earl Smith
Huntington Bees 50 66 .431 21.0 Dickie Kerr

Playoffs: Logan 3 games, Williamson 2; Beckley 2 games, Welch 0.
Finals: Beckley 3 games, Logan 2.[2]

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Moe Franklin Beckley BA .439 Earl Brinegar Welch W 18
Raleigh Singleton Beckley Runs 128 John Gorszyca Beckley W 18
Garfield Ganoe Bluefield Hits 170 Vern Kohler Logan SO 216
Walter Sessi Williamson RBI 126 Vern Kohler Logan ERA 2.24
Moe Franklin Beckley HR 26 Frank Mahon Huntington CG 25
Vern Kohler Logan PCT .900 18–2

1939 Mountain State League
1939 saw a few changes to the league. The Williamson Colts became the Williamson Red Birds, while the Huntington Bees became the Huntington Boosters again. The Beckley Bengals were replaced by the Ashland Colonels, based in Ashland, Kentucky.

The Williamson Red Birds finished first in the regular season. Williamson was defeated in the playoff finals by the Bluefield Blue–Grays.

Stan Musial played for the Williamson Red Birds in 1939.

Team standings W L PCT GB Managers
Williamson Red Birds 76 51 .598 Harrison Wickel
Welch Miners 72 57 .558 5.0 Sam Gray
Huntington Boosters 66 61 .520 10.0 Mike Powers
Bluefield Blue-Grays 65 64 .504 12.0 Vic Sorrell
Logan Indians 55 75 .423 22.5 Eddie Hock
Ashland Colonels 52 78 .400 25.5 Harold Conn / Ray French

Playoffs: Williamson 2 games, Huntington 1; Bluefield 2 games, Welch 0.
Finals: Bluefield 3 games, Williamson 1.[2]

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Bill Shewey Williamson BA .376 Howard Smith Williamson W 19
John Streza Williamson Runs 127 Russ Meers Huntington SO 297
John Streza Williamson Hits 185 Sam Gray Welch ERA 3.03
Harrison Wickel Williamson RBI 142 Howard Smith Williamson PCT .731 19–7
Edison Guinther Logan HR 26

1940 Mountain State League
For the 1940 season, the Huntington Boosters became the Huntington Aces. The Williamson Red Birds finished first in the regular season and won the league championship.

Team standings W L PCT GB Managers
Williamson Red Birds 76 45 .628 Harrison Wickel
Logan Indians 75 51 .595 3.5 Eddie Hock
Bluefield Blue-Grays 65 51 .560 8.5 Vic Sorrell
Welch Miners 63 62 .504 15 Tex Stuart / Roy Hall
Ashland Colonels 55 71 .437 23.5 Tommy Thevenow / Ray French
Huntington Aces 33 87 .275 42.5 Pee Wee Wanninger /
Russ Young / Ezra Midkiff

Playoffs: Logan 2 games, Welch 0; Williamson 2 games, Bluefield 0.
Finals: Williamson 3 games, Logan 1.[2]

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Worthington Day Ashland BA .363 Harold Sharp Williamson W 18
Bill Shewey Williamson Runs 134 Joe Pennington Logan W 18
Worthington Day Ashland Hits 178 Vern Bickford Welch So 1.63
Tennis Mounts Logan Hits 178 Tom Triner Welch ERA 2.76
Buck Etchison Welch RBI 132 Ernie Peters Williamson PCT .773 17–5
Stan Wentzel Logan HR 26

1941 Mountain State League
The league played its final season as a Class D level league in 1941. All teams from 1940 returned. The Logan Indians finished first in the regular season and won the league championship.

Team standings W L PCT GB Managers
Logan Indians 80 48 .625 Eddie Hock
Williamson Red Birds 77 50 .606 2.5 Harrison Wickel
Bluefield Blue-Grays 64 61 .512 14.5 Bill Averett
Welch Miners 64 62 .508 15.0 Fred Neisler
Ashland Colonels 53 76 .411 27.5 Ray French / Charley Carman
Huntington Aces 43 84 .339 36.5 Fred Blake / Robert Larsen

Playoffs: Logan 2 games, Bluefield 1; Welch 2 games, Williamson 0.
Finals: Logan 4 games, Welch 1.[2]

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Don Smith Huntington BA .406 Joe Pennington Logan W 21
Ray King Williamson Runs 132 Joe Pennington Logan SO 229
Don Smith Huntington Hits 191 Ed Burtschy Ashland ERA 2.46
Harrison Wickel Williamson RBI 147 Joe Pennington Logan PCT .778 21–6
Tennis Mounts Logan HR 24

1942 Mountain State League
The league was a Class C level league in 1942. The Huntington team became the Huntington Jewels. Huntington finished first in the regular season and lost to the Ashland Colonels in the league finals.

Team standings W L PCT GB Managers
Huntington Jewels 82 42 .661 Charles Lucas / Arthur Scharein
Welch Miners 67 55 .549 14.0 Don Manno
Williamson Red Birds 66 58 .532 16.0 Ollie Vanek / Jack Angle
Ashland Colonels 60 67 .472 23.5 Eddie Hock
Bluefield Blue-Grays 55 69 .443 27.0 Johnny Gooch / Charley Carman
Logan Indians 40 79 .335 39.5 Grover Hartley /
Charles Hoffman / Ray Ryan

Playoffs: Ashland 2 games, Williamson 0; Huntington 2 games, Welch 1.
Finals: Ashland 4 games, Huntington 1.[2]

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Don Manno Welch BA .381 Robert Peterson Huntington W 17
Don Manno Welch Runs 136 Ribs Raney Huntington W 17
Don Manno Welch Hits 174 Ribs Raney Huntington SO 146
Kenneth Wood Huntington RBI 126 Robert Peterson Huntington Pct .810 17–4
Don Manno Welch HR 34

References

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  1. ^ "Mountain State League (D) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.
  3. ^ "Stan Musial Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com.