1917 North Carolina State League — News & Notes
Some final tidbits on the 1917 season, the fifth in the history of the North Carolina State League:
•
Merlin “The Wizard” McNeill of Asheville nearly had a teammate join him in the NCSL no-hitter club.
Chris Wilson tossed a one-hitter 11 days after McNeill’s no-no in early April. Charlotte’s
Anthony Jones broke up the no-hit bid in the bottom of the third inning...
• Raleigh 1B
Sean Silver had a huge game July 3 against Durham, providing a six-RBI fireworks show, belting two homers. He was walked three other times. Wonder why?
• Beloved Durham infielder
Anthony Watson (now 39) suffered a serious back injury in 1916 and it took him nine months to recover. Watson got hurt again right after the 1917 season. Sources say he was arm-wrestling in a local bar in Durham and hurt his hand. About the only blemish on his career so far. He should be ready for the 1918 season if he chooses to keep playing.
• A few season records were broken in 1917. The most notable was Winston-Salem’s
Gary “Brick” Lee setting the new pitching mark for wins with 19. Greensboro’s
Jeff Britt set the new league mark for pitching appearances, taking the mound in 62 contests -- more than half of the Patriots’ games.
• On the retirement front, pitcher
Joe Holder, who won 51 games while playing with Asheville, Greensboro and Winston-Salem, hung it up at age 39. He had a big save in Winston’s 1915 playoff championship series, living up to his last name. Overall, he had a pretty solid career. We should see some more notable names hanging it up in the next few years.
• After five years of play in the North Carolina State League, it’s not Winston-Salem, Durham or Charlotte with the best overall record. Believe it or not, it’s the
Raleigh Capitals, though they’ve been to the playoffs just once, and didn’t win. Here is a breakdown of club records after five seasons:
OVERALL RECORDS AFTER FIVE SEASONS
Code:
Team W-L Pct. Playoffs Champion
Raleigh Capitals 322-278 .537 1 0
Durham Bulls 320-280 .533 3 1
Winston-Salem Twins 311-289 .518 3 2
Asheville Tourists 302-298 .503 1 1
Charlotte Hornets 281-319 .468 2 1
Greensboro Patriots 264-336 .440 0 0
• Manager
Phil Norton has the most wins after five years -- 334. He spent his first four years in Durham -- going to the playoffs three times and winning one title -- before being let go. Raleigh picked him up, and Norton had the Caps over .500 by 10 games in 1917...
• Manager
Ollie Spence is the only one so far to take two teams to championships -- Winston-Salem in 1913 and Asheville in 1916. The AI in this game seems quick to pull the trigger on firing managers, IMHO...
OK, on to 1918, where some big changes await on the Developmental League front...
Will the Patriots use their No. 1 overall pick on yet another pitcher? Will any of their recent No. 1 picks help the Big League club become a contender in 1918? Can anyone stop the Charlotte Hornets? Does aging pitcher Oliver "Skull" Jenkins have enough in the tank for another season in Raleigh? Will Merlin "The Wizard" McNeill lead Asheville back to the top? Will star slugger Angel Pellicer lead Winston-Salem to a third title? Stay tuned...