West Palm Beach Indians
Minor league baseball team
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The West Palm Beach Indians were a minor league baseball team based in West Palm Beach, Florida. The team played its home games at Connie Mack Field.[1]
- Class D (1955–1956)
- Class B (1949–1954)
- Class C (1946–1948)
- Class D (1940–1942)
- Florida International League (1946–1954)
- Florida East Coast League (1940–1942)
- Cincinnati Redlegs (1956)
- Milwaukee Braves (1955)
- Philadelphia Athletics (1950)
| West Palm Beach Indians | |
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| Minor league affiliations | |
| Previous classes |
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| League | Florida State League (1955–1956) |
Previous leagues |
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| Major league affiliations | |
| Previous teams |
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| Minor league titles | |
| Conference titles | 1 1941 |
| Team data | |
Previous names |
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Previous parks | Connie Mack Field |
History
Through its existence, the Indians were mostly an independent team playing in the Florida East Coast League from 1940 to 1942, the Florida International League from 1946 to 1954, and the Florida State League in 1955.[2] In between, they were affiliated with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1950, Havana Sugar Kings in 1954, and Milwaukee Braves in 1955.[1]
In 1956, the franchise name was changed to the West Palm Beach Sun Chiefs an affiliate of the Cincinnati Redlegs.[3] Managed by Walt Novick, the 1965 team posted an 81–58 record to finish in third place, 8+1⁄2 games out of the first place spot.[2] The team included on its roster future big leaguers such as Dave Bristol, Duane Richards and Cookie Rojas. The franchise did not return for the 1957 season.[4]
West Palm Beach was then without a professional team until 1965, when the West Palm Beach Braves joined the Florida State League as an affiliate of the Milwaukee Braves.[5][2]
The ballpark
West Palm Beach teams played home minor league games at Connie Mack Field.[6] The ballpark was located at the intersection of Tamarind Avenue and Okeechobee Boulevard. It was demolished in 1992 and a parking garage for the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts occupies the site today.[7]
Notable alumni
- Dave Bristol (1956)
- Lou Finney (1949) MLB All-Star
- Claude Raymond (1955) MLB All-Star
- Cookie Rojas (1956) 5 x MLB All-Star
Year–by–year records
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs/notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 52–60 | 4th | Cecil Downs / Joe Murff | Lost in first round |
| 1941 | 84–55 | 1st | Harry Hughes | Lost league finals |
| 1942 | 9–18 | 6th | Al Reitz | League disbanded May 14 |
| 1946 | 58–64 | 4th | Herb Thomas (6-21) / Shaw Buck (14-11) / Harry Hughes (38-32) | Lost league finals |
| 1947 | 68–86 | 6th | Harry Hughes | Did not qualify |
| 1948 | 70–83 | 6th | Rudy Laskowski / Michael Schemer | Did not qualify |
| 1949 | 74–78 | 5th | Lou Finney | Did not qualify |
| 1950 | 67–85 | 6th | Clyde Smoll / Rudy Laskowski | Did not qualify |
| 1951 | 64–75 | 7th | Rudy Laskowski / Herschel Held | Did not qualify |
| 1952 | 68–85 | 6th | Billy Holm / Bubba Harris | Did not qualify |
| 1953 | 57–80 | 5th | Whitey Platt / Bubba Harris | Did not qualify |
| 1954 | 47–51 | 3rd | Gil Torres | League disbanded July 27 |
| 1955 | 71–68 | 5th | Bill Steinecke | No playoffs held |
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