Bi-State League
Defunct baseball league in Virginia and North Carolina
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bi-State League was an American baseball minor league formed in 1934 with teams in Virginia and North Carolina. The league held together for nine seasons, being represented by ten cities from North Carolina and eight from Virginia. Only the Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets, a team that was a combination of those three cities from North Carolina, was able to make the entire nine-year run. This combination also captured the league title in two seasons, 1935 and 1941. The squad from Bassett, Virginia, won four league titles during the span, coming out on top three times in a row, 1936, 1937, 1938 and closing it out with the 1940 pennant before losing in the finals. The league's final season was 1942, as it was not revived after World War II.[1]
| Classification | Class D (1936–1942) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Minor League Baseball |
| First season | 1934 |
| Ceased | 1942 |
| President | J. Frank Wilson (1934) Dr. J.E. Taylor (1935) Jake Wells (1936) Win Clark (1937) Joseph Garrett (1938-1940) J. P. Wells (1941) Dr. T. S. Wilson (1942) |
| No. of teams | 14 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Most titles | 3 Bassett Furnituremakers Danville Leafs/Danville-Schoolfield Leafs |
| Related competitions | Bi-State League (1915) |
List of teams
- Bassett, Virginia: Bassett Furnituremakers (1935–1940)
- Burlington, North Carolina: Burlington Bees (1942)
- Danville, Virginia: Danville Leafs (1934–1938)
- Danville, Virginia & Schoolfield, Virginia: Danville-Schoolfield Leafs (1939–1942)
- Fieldale, Virginia: Fieldale Virginians 1934; Fieldale Towlers (1935–1936)
- Leaksville, North Carolina, Draper, North Carolina, & Spray, North Carolina: Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets (1934–1942)
- Martinsville, Virginia: Martinsville Manufacturers (1934–1941)
- Mayodan, North Carolina: Mayodan Senators (1934, 1937; Mayodan Mills (1935); Mayodan Orphans (1936); Mayodan Millers (1938–1941)
- Mount Airy, North Carolina: Mount Airy Graniteers (1934, 1938–1941); Mount Airy Reds (1935–1937)
- Reidsville, North Carolina: Reidsville Luckies (1935–1940)
- Rocky Mount, North Carolina: Rocky Mount Rocks (1942)
- Sanford, North Carolina: Sanford Spinners (1941–1942)
- South Boston, Virginia & Halifax, Virginia: South Boston Twins (1937); South Boston-Halifax Wrappers (1938); South Boston Wrappers (1939–1940)
- Wilson, North Carolina: Wilson Tobs (1942)
Standings & statistics
1934 to 1938
1934 Bi-State League
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danville Leafs | 53 | 25 | .679 | - | Herb Brett |
| Martinsville Manufacturers | 46 | 29 | .613 | 5½ | Jimmy Sanders |
| Fieldale Virginians | 36 | 41 | .468 | 16½ | D. L. Hodge |
| Mount Airy Graniteers | 33 | 43 | .434 | 19 | Cecil Harris / G. Thomas |
| Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets | 32 | 45 | .416 | 20½ | Oscar Langley / Blackie Carter |
| Mayodan Senators | 29 | 46 | .387 | 22½ | Zip Payne / Charles Eadmon / Monroe Mitchell |
Playoff: Danville 4 games, Martinsville 1.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Sanders | Martinsville | BA | .423 | Cletus Voss | Fieldale | W | 17 | |
| Woodrow Williams | Leaksville | Runs | 86 | Cletus Voss | Fieldale | SO | 126 | |
| Zip Payne | Mayodan | Hits | 134 | Spencer Bruce | Danville | Pct | .813; 13-3 | |
| Eddie Weston | Mayodan | HR | 26 |
1935 Bi-State League
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets | 71 | 44 | .617 | - | Blackie Carter |
| Danville Leafs | 68 | 46 | .596 | 2½ | Herb Brett |
| Bassett Furniture Makers | 68 | 47 | .591 | 3 | Lefty Jenkins |
| Mount Airy Reds | 67 | 47 | .588 | 3½ | Mickey Shader |
| Mayodan Mills | 51 | 62 | .451 | 19 | Phil Lundeen |
| Fieldale Towlers | 50 | 64 | .439 | 20½ | Dixie Parker |
| Martinsville Manufacturers | 42 | 71 | .372 | 28 | Harold Bohl |
| Reidsville Luckies | 39 | 75 | .342 | 31½ | Glenn Bickerstaff / L.J. Perry |
Playoff: Danville 4 games, Bassett 3.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ralph Hodgin | Fieldale | BA | .387 | Fred Pipgras | Danville | W | 25 | |
| Woody Williams | Leaksville | Runs | 111 | Jeff Jeffcoat | Leaksville | SO | 222 | |
| Ralph Hodgin | Fieldale | Hits | 187 | Fred Pipgras | Danville | Pct | .806; 25-6 | |
| Blackie Carter | Leaksville | HR | 30 |
1936 Bi-State League
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bassett Furniture Makers | 74 | 43 | .632 | - | Lefty Jenkins |
| Danville Leafs | 74 | 45 | .622 | 1 | Herb Brett |
| Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets | 65 | 51 | .560 | 8½ | Clyde Sukeforth |
| Martinsville Manufacturers | 59 | 58 | .504 | 15 | Jimmy Sanders |
| Reidsville Luckies | 54 | 61 | .470 | 19 | Jimmy Maus |
| Mount Airy Reds | 53 | 63 | .457 | 20½ | Mickey Shader / Elbert Conway / Frank Packard |
| Fieldale Towlers | 52 | 62 | .456 | 20½ | Joe Guyon / Red Smith |
| Mayodan Orphans | 35 | 83 | .297 | 39½ | Phil Lundeen / Bill Ragsdale |
Playoff: Bassett 4 games, Leaksville 2.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gene Handley | Mt. Airy | BA | .403 | Lefty Jenkins | Bassett | W | 25 | |
| Ken Keltner | Fieldale | Runs | 120 | Weaver Nowlin | Leaksville | SO | 167 | |
| Ken Keltner | Fieldale | Hits | 175 | Lefty Jenkins | Bassett | Pct | .833; 25-5 | |
| Woody Traylor | Danville | HR | 34 | Woody Traylor | Danville | RBI | 120 |
1937 Bi-State League
schedule
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bassett Furniture Makers | 68 | 45 | .602 | - | Ray White |
| Mayodan Senators | 69 | 46 | .600 | - | Harry Daughtry |
| Danville Leafs | 68 | 47 | .591 | 1 | Herb Brett |
| Martinsville Manufacturers | 63 | 50 | .558 | 5 | Arnold Anderson |
| Mount Airy Reds | 52 | 61 | .460 | 16 | Walt Novak |
| Reidsville Luckies | 51 | 65 | .440 | 18½ | Charley Moore |
| South Boston Twins | 43 | 68 | .387 | 24 | Jimmy Shelton |
| Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets | 41 | 73 | .360 | 27½ | Clarence Blethen / Dave Lawless / Charles Wills |
Playoff: Bassett 3 games, Danville 1; Martinsville 3 games, Mayodan 2, (one tie).
Finals: Bassett 4 games, Martinsville 3.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doug Wheeler | Mayodan | BA | .359 | Jesse Plummer | Mayodan | W | 21 | |
| Doug Wheeler | Mayodan | Runs | 111 | Weaver Nowlin | Reidsville | SO | 168 | |
| Cecil Payne | Mayodan | Hits | 167 | Jack Zerblis | Bassett | ERA | 2.23 | |
| Doug Wheeler | Mayodan | RBI | 71 | Herb Leary | Reidsville | HR | 29 |
1938 Bi-State League
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bassett Furniture Makers | 76 | 40 | .655 | - | Walter Novak |
| Mayodan Millers | 73 | 46 | .613 | 4½ | Harry Daughtry |
| Reidsville Luckies | 71 | 48 | .597 | 6½ | Jim Poole |
| Danville Leafs | 63 | 55 | .534 | 14 | Red Barnes |
| Martinsville Manufacturers | 61 | 56 | .521 | 15½ | Arnold Anderson |
| Mount Airy Graniteers | 49 | 69 | .415 | 28 | Dick Goldberg |
| South Boston-Halifax Wrappers | 43 | 77 | .358 | 35 | James Calleran |
| Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets | 37 | 82 | .311 | 40½ | Joe Feori |
Playoff: Bassett 3 games, Reidsville 2; Danville 3 games, Mayodan 0.
Finals: Bassett 4 games, Danville 2.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Americo Rossomando | Bassett | BA | .390 | Wes Livengood | Bassett | W | 21 | |
| Ray Scantling | Reidsville | Runs | 130 | Raymon Voight | Reidsville | SO | 200 | |
| Harry Lee Daughtry | Mayodan | Hits | 174 | Wes Livengood | Bassett | ERA | 3.06 | |
| Ray Scantling | Reidsville | RBI | 147 | Ray Scantling | Reidsville | HR | 33 |
1939 to 1942
1939 Bi-State League
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danville-Schoolfield Leafs | 70 | 44 | .614 | - | Red Barnes |
| Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets | 67 | 48 | .583 | 3½ | Arnold Anderson |
| Bassett Furnituremakers | 60 | 51 | .541 | 8½ | Walter Novak |
| Martinsville Manufacturers | 61 | 52 | .540 | 8½ | Jim Poole / Al Krupski Harry Daughtry |
| Mayodan Millers | 58 | 57 | .504 | 12½ | Harry Daughtry / Ramon Couto Chink Outen |
| Reidsville Luckies | 48 | 65 | .425 | 21½ | Watty Clark / Broaddus Culler |
| South Boston Wrappers | 46 | 65 | .414 | 22½ | Dixie Parker |
| Mount Airy Graniteers | 42 | 70 | .375 | 27 | Guy Lacy / Walter Stephenson |
Playoff: Leaksville 4 games, Martinsville 1; Danville 4 games, Bassett 3.
Finals: Danville 4 games, Leaksville 2.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Gentile | Danville | BA | .392 | Joseph Weir | Danville | W | 19 | |
| Jim Gruzdis | Leaksville | Runs | 145 | George Kadis | Danville | SO | 199 | |
| Sam Gentile | Danville | Hits | 199 | Frank Hoerst | Mayodan | ERA | 2.82 | |
| James Payne | Leaksville | RBI | 126 | Amerigo Scagliarini | Mayodan | HR | 27 |
1940 Bi-State League
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bassett Furnituremakers | 73 | 44 | .624 | - | Einar Sorenson |
| Martinsville Manufacturers | 68 | 49 | .581 | 5 | Harry Daughtry |
| Mount Airy Graniteers | 63 | 56 | .529 | 11 | Walter Novak |
| Danville-Schoolfield Leafs | 59 | 58 | .504 | 14 | Red Barnes |
| South Boston Wrappers | 56 | 60 | .483 | 16½ | Jack Crosswhite / H.A. Mobley |
| Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets | 56 | 63 | .471 | 18 | Arnold Anderson |
| Mayodan Millers | 53 | 66 | .445 | 21 | Pete Siciliano |
| Reidsville Luckies | 43 | 75 | .364 | 30½ | Jim Callahan / Jim Gruzdis |
Playoff: Martinsville 4 games, Danville 2; Bassett 4 games, Mt Airy 1.
Finals: Martinsville 4 games, Bassett 3.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Amaral | Mayodan | BA | .387 | Roy Peeler | Bassett | W | 17 | |
| Alex Johnson | Mayodan | Runs | 119 | Flory Wojcik | Bassett | W | 17 | |
| Alex Johnson | Mayodan | Hits | 178 | Flory Wojcik | Bassett | ERA | 2.95 | |
| Clyde Vollmer | Bassett | RBI | 117 | Paige Dennis | Reid/Mt.Air | SO | 187 | |
| Orville Nesselrode | South Boston | HR | 25 |
1941 Bi-State League
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets | 64 | 46 | .582 | - | Tim Murchison / Wes Ferrell |
| Martinsville Manufacturers | 63 | 49 | .563 | 2 | George Ferrell |
| Danville-Schoolfield Leafs | 64 | 50 | .561 | 2 | Elmer Yoter |
| Sanford Spinners | 58 | 54 | .518 | 7 | Zeb Harrington |
| Mount Airy Graniteers | 42 | 70 | .375 | 23 | Jimmy Maus |
| Mayodan Millers | 25 | 47 | .347 | NA | Taylor Sanford |
Mayodan disbanded July 18.
Playoff: Sanford 4 games, Martinsville 3,(one tie); Danville-Schoolfield, 4 games, Leaksville 1.
Finals: Sanford 4 games, Danville-Schoolfield 2.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Behrends | Martinsville | BA | .378 | Dave Odom | Sanford | W | 16 | |
| Richard Kalal | Danville | Runs | 119 | Charles Cuellar | Leaksville | W | 16 | |
| Albert Behrends | Martinsville | Hits | 171 | Dave Odom | Sanford | SO | 190 | |
| Tom Burnette | Martinsville | RBI | 114 | Roy Boles | Mt. Airy | Pct | .714; 10-4 | |
| Tom Burnette | Martinsville | HR | 29 | George Ferrell | Martinsville | RBI | 114 |
1942 Bi-State League
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson Tobs | 69 | 53 | .566 | - | Bill Herring |
| Sanford Spinners | 62 | 59 | .512 | 6½ | Frank Rodgers |
| Rocky Mount Rocks | 63 | 60 | .512 | 6½ | George Ferrell |
| Burlington Bees | 62 | 62 | .500 | 8 | Rube Wilson |
| Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets | 57 | 66 | .463 | 12½ | Zip Payne |
| Danville-Schoolfield Leafs | 54 | 67 | .446 | 14½ | Elmer Yoter |
Playoff: Rocky Mount 4 games, Wilson 3; Sanford 4 games, Burlington 1.
Finals: Rocky Mount 4 games, Sanford 1.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Hoyle | Wilson | BA | .338 | Charles Cuellar | Leaksville | W | 22 | |
| Richard Hoyle | Wilson | Runs | 108 | Charles Cuellar | Leaksville | SO | 204 | |
| George Biershenk | Rocky Mount | Hits | 151 | Charles Cuellar | Leaksville | ERA | 1.67 | |
| George Ferrell | Rocky Mount | RBI | 105 | Harry Soufas | Rocky Mount | HR | 29 |
League champions
1934: Danville Leafs
1935: Danville Leafs
1936: Bassett Furniture Makers
1937: Bassett Furniture Makers
1938: Bassett Furniture Makers
1939: Danville-Schoolfield Leafs
1940: Martinsville Manufacturers
1941: Sanford Spinners
1942: Rocky Mount Rocks
[1]
Sources
- Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, Lloyd Johnson, Miles Wolff. Publisher: Baseball America, 1993. Language: English. Format: Softcover, 420pp. ISBN 0-96371-891-6