Virginia League (1894–1896)

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The Virginia League (1894–1896) was a minor league baseball organization active in central Virginia.

Virginia League (1894–1896)
ClassificationIndependent (1894)
Class B (1895–1896)
SportMinor League Baseball
First season1894
Ceased1896
Replaced byVirginia League (1900)
PresidentCamden Sommers (1894)
Judge Samuel B. Witt,Jr. (1895)
James McLaughlin (1896)
No. of teams8
Country United States
Most titles2
Richmond Bluebirds (1895–1896)

History

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In 1894, the Virginia League began play as an Independent level league and fielded six teams: the Lynchburg, Virginia based Lynchburg Hill Climbers, the Norfolk, Virginia based Norfolk Clam Eaters, the Petersburg Farmers, the Richmond Bluebirds, the Roanoke, Virginia based Roanoke Magicians, and the Staunton, Virginia based Staunton Hayseeds / Newport News, Virginia-Hampton, Virginia based Newport News-Hampton Deck Hands (the Staunton team relocated in the middle of the 1894 season).[1]

In 1895, the league was upgraded to a Class B level league. The teams during the 1895 season were the Lynchburg Hill Climbers, the Norfolk Clams/Crows, the Petersburg Farmers, the Portsmouth Truckers, the Richmond Blue Birds, and the Roanoke Magicians.[2]

In 1896, the Norfolk team became the Norfolk Braves, the Portsmouth team became the Portsmouth Browns and then moved to Hampton and became the Hampton-Newport News Clamdiggers.[3]

1894–1896 cities represented

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1894–1896 standings and statistics

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1894 Virginia State League

Team standings W L PCT GB Managers
Petersburg Farmers 72 44 .621 - H.P. Harrison
Norfolk Clam Eaters 66 45 .595 3.5 Camden Sommers
Richmond Crows /
Richmond Colts
67 48 .583 4.5 Timothy West
Staunton Hayseeds /
Newport News-Hampton Deck Hands
50 64 .439 21.0 Pat Ziegler
C.A. Gaussen / William Donovan
Roanoke Magicians 45 71 .338 27.0 George Houston / Hal O'Hagan /
Shadrack McHooveter / Bill Stephenson
Lynchburg Hill Climbers 43 71 .377 28.0 E.J. Kerry / Samuel Shaw
J. Hofford / S. Moran

Staunton (36-53) moved to Newport News-Hampton August 14.

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot
Stuart Sanford Petersburg Hits 121

1895 Virginia State League

Team standings W L PCT GB Managers
Richmond Bluebirds 78 45 .634 - Jake Wells
Lynchburg Tobacconists 67 52 .563 9.0 Bill Smith
Norfolk Clams/Crows 56 61 .479 19.0 Camden Sommers
Bill Hoggins / Pop Tate
Portsmouth Truckers 57 68 .456 22.0 John Brady
Charles Bland / George Reed
Petersburg Farmers 55 69 .444 23.5 Bob Pender
Roanoke Magicians 52 70 .431 25.5 Jim Breen / Dick Padden

No Playoffs Scheduled.

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Pop Tate Portsmouth/Norfolk BA .412 Carney Flynn Richmond W 25
Hal O'Hagan Norfolk Runs 125 Carney Flynn Richmond SO 203
Pop Tate Portsmouth/Norfolk Hits 194 Al Orth Lynchburg PCT .774 24-7
Bob Berryhill Lynchburg HR 19
Charles McIntyre Lynchburg HR 19
Louis Lippert Petersburg SB 77

1896 Virginia State League

Team standings W L PCT GB Managers
Richmond Bluebirds 71 55 .563 - Jake Wells
Norfolk Braves 70 60 .538 3.0 Claude McFarland
Portsmouth Browns 65 64 .504 7.5 Lefty Marr / Bill Hall
Petersburg Farmers /
Hampton-Newport News Clamdiggers
39 90 .302 33.5 James Breen
George Kelly / Charles Boyer
Lynchburg Tobacconists 68 37 .648 NA Bill Smith
Roanoke Magicians 49 56 .467 NA Charles Boyer / Pop Tate

Petersburg (32–60) moved to Hampton August 13.
Roanoke disbanded August 20; Lynchburg disbanded August 22.
The league played a three part split season.

Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Pop Tate Roanoke BA .384 Jesse Tannehill Richmond W 27
Claude McFarland Norfolk Runs 123 Cy Malarkey Richmond SO 208
Claude McFarland Norfolk Hits 194 W.F. McFarland Lynchburg PCT .741 20-7
Zeke Wrigley Roanoke HR 16
Joe Dolan Lynchburg HR 16
Dummy Stephenson Norfolk/Portsmouth/Petersburg HR 16
Barley Kain Richmond SB 94

[4]

References

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  1. ^ "1894 Virginia League". Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  2. ^ "1895 Virginia League". Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  3. ^ "1896 Virginia League". Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  4. ^ Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.