Virginia League (1939–1942)
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The Virginia League was the name of an American professional minor league baseball league that operated between 1939 and 1942. This was the fourth of five incarnations of the Virginia League. The league was a Class D level league in 1939 and 1940. It became a Class C level league for the 1941 and 1942 seasons. The Virginia League resumed play in 1948, after the conclusion of World War II.
| Formerly | Virginia League |
|---|---|
| Classification | Class D (1939–1940) Class C (1940–1941) |
| Sport | Minor League Baseball |
| First season | 1939 |
| Ceased | 1942 |
| Replaced by | Virginia League (1948-1951) |
| President | Ray Ryan (1939–1941) C.R. Williams (1942) |
| No. of teams | 7 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Most titles | 1 1939: Harrisonburg Turks 1940: Lynchburg Senators 1941: Salem-Roanoke Friends 1942: Pulaski Counts |
History
After the Virginia League ceased operations following the 1928 season, the league returned to play in 1939 as a four-team Class D level league. The Harrisonburg Turks, Lynchburg Grays, the Salem-Roanoke Friends, and the Staunton Presidents began league play in 1939.[1]
In 1941, two new teams were added: the Newport News Pilots and the Petersburg Rebels.[2]
In 1942, the Turks were replaced in the league by the Pulaski Counts.[3]
The Virginia League returned to play in 1948, following the conclusion of World War II.
Virginia League 1939–1942 cities represented
- Harrisonburg, VA: Harrisonburg Turks 1939–1941
- Lynchburg, VA: Lynchburg Grays 1939; Lynchburg Senators 1940–1942
- Newport News, VA: Newport News Pilots 1941; Newport News Builders 1942
- Petersburg, VA: Petersburg Rebels 1941–1942
- Pulaski, VA: Pulaski Counts 1942
- Salem, VA & Roanoke, VA: Salem-Roanoke Friends 1939–1942
- Staunton, VA: Staunton Presidents 1939–1942
Standings and statistics
1939 Virginia League
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisonburg Turks | 61 | 47 | .565 | - | Hank Hulvey |
| Lynchburg Grays | 55 | 51 | .519 | 5 | Al Weisman |
| Staunton Presidents | 51 | 56 | .477 | 9½ | Jimmy Bair |
| Salem-Roanoke Friends | 47 | 60 | .439 | 13½ | Bob Schleicher |
Playoff: Lynchburg 1 game, Staunton 0.
Finals: Harrisonburg 3 games, Lynchburg 0.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warren Huffman | Staunton | BA | .415 | Vincent Polumbo | Salem-Roanoke | W | 18 | |
| Russ Mincy | Salem-Roanoke | Runs | 92 | Ernie Utz | Harrisonburg | SO | 183 | |
| Nicholas Rhabe | Lynch/Harrison | Hits | 156 | Michael Marko | Staunton | ERA | 2.52 | |
| Kenneth Moore | Salem-Roanoke | RBI | 95 | Ernie Utz | Harrisonburg | PCT | .714 15-6 | |
| Louis Cipalla | Harrison/Lynch | HR | 10 | Walter Poland | Staunton | PCT | .714 15-6 |
1940 Virginia League
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lynchburg Senators | 70 | 45 | .609 | - | Guy Lacy |
| Harrisonburg Turks | 61 | 56 | .521 | 10 | Hank Hulvey |
| Salem-Roanoke Friends | 55 | 62 | .470 | 16 | Eli Harris / Arnold Anderson |
| Staunton Presidents | 46 | 69 | .400 | 24 | Vernon Brandes / John Brennan |
Playoff: Harrisonburg 2 games, Salem-Roanoke 1.
Finals: Lynchburg 3 games, Harrisonburg 2.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Loman | Harrisonburg | BA | .322 | Dick Tate | Lynchburg | W | 17 | |
| Glen Adkins | Harrisonburg | Runs | 119 | Ed Haswell | Lynchburg | SO | 162 | |
| Glen Adkins | Harrisonburg | Hits | 149 | Lewis Utz | Harrisonburg | ERA | 2.87 | |
| Joe Kruppa | Salem-Roanoke | RBI | 91 | Dick Tate | Lynchburg | PCT | .739 17-6 | |
| Crawford Howard | Lynchburg | HR | 16 |
1941 Virginia League
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petersburg Rebels | 66 | 53 | .555 | - | Clarence Pickrel / Possum Whitted |
| Salem-Roanoke Friends | 64 | 55 | .538 | 2 | Vernon Mackie |
| Lynchburg Senators | 62 | 56 | .525 | 3½ | Guy Lacy |
| Harrisonburg Turks | 62 | 56 | .525 | 3½ | Vernon Brandes / Vance Dinges |
| Newport News Pilots | 58 | 58 | .500 | 6½ | Chief Bender |
| Staunton Presidents | 42 | 76 | .356 | 23½ | Hank Hulvey / Gus Tebell |
Playoffs: Lynchburg 3 games, Petersburg 0; Salem-Roanoke 3 games, Harrisburg 2.
Finals: Salem-Roanoke 3 games, Lynchburg 2.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon Mackie | Salem-Roanoke | BA | .355 | Toy Bowen | Salem-Roanoke | W | 17 | |
| Royce Watson | Lynchburg | Runs | 125 | Ed Haswell | Lynchburg | SO | 226 | |
| Nicholas Rhabe | Peters/Harrison | Hits | 164 | Don Black | Petersburg | ERA | 2.34 | |
| Ben Drake | Newport News | RBI | 117 | Don Black | Petersburg | PCT | .688 11-5 | |
| Noel Casbier | Salem-Roanoke | HR | 21 |
1942 Virginia League
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulaski Counts | 79 | 47 | .627 | - | Jack Crosswhite |
| Lynchburg Senators | 74 | 51 | .592 | 4½ | Wes Ferrell |
| Petersburg Rebels | 74 | 52 | .587 | 5 | Steve Mizerak |
| Newport News Builders | 62 | 67 | .483 | 18½ | Harry Chozen |
| Salem-Roanoke Friends | 59 | 69 | .461 | 21 | Vernon Mackie |
| Staunton Presidents | 32 | 94 | .254 | 47 | Taylor Sanford |
Playoffs: Lynchburg 4 games, Newport News 2; Pulaski 4 games, Petersburg 2.
Finals: Pulaski 4 games, Lynchburg 2.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wes Ferrell | Lynchburg | BA | .361 | Everett Fagan | Pulaski | W | 20 | |
| Ray Rudisill | Pulaski | Runs | 108 | Ed Haswell | Lynchburg | SO | 212 | |
| James Blair | Petersburg | Hits | 167 | Ted Garbee | Lynchburg | ERA | 1.97 | |
| James Blair | Petersburg | RBI | 103 | Ted Garbee | Lynchburg | PCT | .850 17-3 | |
| Wes Ferrell | Lynchburg | HR | 31 |