[AZTarHeel]

1917 North Carolina State League — Player Awards & Leaderboards


Most Outstanding Hitter Award
Ho-hum, what else is new. Winston-Salem’s all-star slugger Angel “Sweetness” Pellicer, captures the Most Outstanding Hitter award for the third time in five years -- and for the second year in a row. You’ll see below that Pellicer led the NCSL in most offensive categories. Here is his basic stat line: Pellicer gave pitchers fits all season long by hitting .330 as he collected 146 hits, 29 doubles, 9 triples, 4 home runs and 70 RBIs. The best news for Winston-Salem fans -- he’s only 28 years old.

Past Winners
1913 - Angel "Sweetness" Pellicer (Winston-Salem)
1914 - Randy Downs (Greensboro)
1915 - Antonio Arevalo (Durham)
1916 - Angel "Sweetness" Pellicer (Winston-Salem)
1917 - Angel "Sweetness" Pellicer (Winston-Salem)



Most Outstanding Pitcher Award
Traded from Durham to Winston-Salem, Gary “Brick” Lee thrived from the mound in 1917. He won 19 games, four more than anyone else. Lee had seven losses and an ERA of 2.89 -- sixth best in the league. Lee has a career record of 71-46. Solid…

Past Winners
1913 - Kenny Davis (Durham)
1914 - Oliver “Skull” Jenkins (Raleigh)
1915 - Oliver “Skull” Jenkins (Raleigh)
1916 - Rudy Young (Charlotte)
1917 - Gary “Brick“ Lee (Winston-Salem)



Newcomer Of The Year Award
Winston-Salem swept the top awards this season, despite not winning either the regular season or playoff series. The top rookie was pitcher Jack Fry, age 21. Fry was absolutely dreadful in his first season in the league, posting a 3-15 record for Winston-Salem’s Developmental League team in 1915. He improved in 1916 but was still only 8-13. But Winston noticed his significant drop in ERA last season, and brought him up this season. Fry rewarded his franchise with a 14-8 record, with a 3.07 ERA. He struck out 62 and walked 57. He looks like a good one to follow for many years to come. Frankly when I looked at his initial ratings, I thought he was way over-rated. What do I know?

Past Winners
1913 - Angel "Sweetness" Pellicer (Winston-Salem)
1914 - Vincente Nieves (Raleigh)
1915 - Chris Wilson (Asheville)
1916 - Jose Andres (Asheville)
1917 - Jack Fry (Winston-Salem)


Glove Wizard Awards
Pitcher: Rudy Young (Charlotte Hornets) -- third year in a row for him
Catcher: Vincente Nieves (Raleigh Capitals)
First Baseman: Iván Martínez (Charlotte Hornets) -- repeat winner
Second Baseman: Daniel Smith (Greensboro Patriots) -- third time on the list
Third Baseman: Jose Costello (Raleigh Capitals)
Shortstop: Jeff Sherman (Raleigh Capitals)
Left Fielder: Alfredo Pérez (Asheville Tourists) -- four-time winner, third in a row
Center Fielder: Ryan Travis (Winston-Salem Twins)
Right Fielder: Angel Pellicer (Winston-Salem Twins) -- great year for him! Best player in the league right now?


Offensive Leaderboards



Pitching Leaderboards

[glenn]

Awesome news! Go Hornets!

[AZTarHeel]

1917 North Carolina State League — Developmental League Report

Patriots win another D-League crown

1917 D-LEAGUE STANDINGS

Team                	              W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	M#	Streak	Last10
Greensboro Junior Patriots	54	37	.593	-	56-35	-2	27-19	27-18	7-4	16-14	Clinched	W1	6-4
Raleigh Junior Capitals   	53	38	.582	1.0	53-38	0	25-20	28-18	7-6	18-12		L3	5-5
Charlotte Junior Hornets	48	42	.533	5.5	50-40	-2	23-22	25-20	7-4	13-16		W1	5-5
Asheville Junior Mountaineers	44	46	.489	9.5	44-46	0	24-21	20-25	3-8	18-14		W1	4-6
Durham Junior Bulls       	41	49	.456	12.5	42-48	-1	20-25	21-24	8-6	15-17		L1	2-8
Winston-Salem Junior Twins	31	59	.344	22.5	31-59	0	15-30	16-29	2-6	8-15		W2	7-3

Well, at least Greensboro fans had something to cheer about. The Junior Pats won the Developmental League for the third consecutive year (they were third in 1914 then first the next three seasons). Fans are starting to wonder why management won’t move some of these guys to the Big Club.

Charlotte fans can’t wait to see Tim “T-Rex” Johnston join their Big Club rotation. The 22-year-old went 14-7 for the Junior Hornets, winning top pitcher honors. Though his record seems just above average, his ERA was sick -- 1.11. Johnston, who had a no-hitter in 1916, tossed six shutouts this season. He struck out 215 in 22 starts (with only 22 walks). Yikes.

Johnston did move up to the Big Club after the D-League season ended. He appeared in six games and started three, posting an 0-2 record with a 3.88 ERA. Obviously, T-Rex still has some work to do. He fanned 19 but walked 13. No hurries, Charlotte’s in good shape as we saw in 1917.

Wyatt Sexton of the Durham Junior Bulls was the D-League’s top hitter. Sexton batted .264 with a D-League best nine home runs in 78 games.

Three D-League pitchers tossed NO-HITTERS in 1917 -- Asheville’s Israel Soliz, Durham’s Kent Pugh (PERFECT GAME!) and Greensboro’s Johnny Ward (the No. 1 pick in the 1915 draft). More hope for the Patriots! Ward was one defensive error from a perfect game.

[AZTarHeel]

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

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...

[AZTarHeel]

For folks keeping up with this one, just wondering if the formatting is OK and if it's reading OK. It's a little different doing a whole league with fictional guys as opposed to a dynasty focused on one team or player... Any tips or feedback is welcome (what you like, don't like, want more of, want less of, etc.) ... thanks for reading!

[AZTarHeel]

1918 North Carolina State League — Preseason

NCSL Developmental League gets a facelift
Introducing the Western Carolina League: Rural North Carolina gets some teams!

The biggest change with the North Carolina State League heading into 1918 centered on the Developmental League. For the first time, the “junior” teams no longer would be located in the same city as their parent clubs. Instead, they would have their own league, based in rural communities in the western and northwestern parts of the Tar Heel State. Welcome the Western Carolina League!

There was a big debate about where to place the new-look D-League. Some suggested the creation of a Capital Area League, with teams filling up the small towns and cities around the capital city of Raleigh. Of course, the Capitals were all for that, and Durham didn’t mind. But no one else really bought into it.

Business leaders from the Eastern part of the state -- towns like Rocky Mount, Wilson and Greenville -- suggested placing the D-League in their neck of the woods since at this point and time there are no professional baseball clubs east of Raleigh. But this idea didn’t get much support from NCSL leaders either.

Eventually, it was settled that it would be best to put the junior teams in a rather compact geographic area in the western part of the state, keeping them close to each other and relatively close to a majority of the parent clubs they would support.

A number of towns submitted proposals and the following were selected to host Western Carolina League teams for 1918: Cooleemee, Hickory, Lexington, Mooresville, Mount Airy and Statesville. If you look a modern map, they’re all pretty much located in the Interstate 40/Interstate 77 corridors close to one another, with Mount Airy being the one team a bit far away from the rest. More on these teams and their towns in the next post.


The 1918 Player Draft
The Greensboro Patriots once again used the No. 1 overall pick to grab a potential star pitcher. Their bullpen should be loaded even if half of their No. 1s don’t develop as hoped. This year’s top pick is Howard Miller from California. He's a 6-0 right-hander, age 23. "Nice stuff for a young kid," scouts have said. "But he's still a little inconsistent."

The Durham Bulls are hoping hurler Mark Smith -- a much-taller right-hander at 6-foot-5 -- will help lift their franchise back into contention after a dip in 1917. Smith was the second overall pick.

Arturo Martinez moved from Alaska to North Carolina to play baseball. The switch-hitting left fielder was the first position player picked, going to Raleigh at No. 4. Catcher Cal Wilson, age 18, was born in Greensboro but the Patriots didn’t pick him in the first round. Winston-Salem did. Let’s see how he turns out, and whether he ends up playing in his hometown during his career.


Top 10 Prospects
Some new faces on this list going into the season, as compiled by the fine folks at Baseball Carolina. I have a hunch Tim Johnston will get the call-up for good this season in Charlotte.

Prospects not among the recent draftees have their 1917 stats listed in parenthesis

1) SP Dan “Little Rat” Sutton, 21, Raleigh Capitals (9-4, 2.05 with Raleigh Junior Capitals)
2) SP Tim Johnston, 22, Charlotte Hornets (14-7, 1.11 ERA with Junior Hornets; 0-2, 3.86 ERA with Charlotte big club)
3) C Cal Wilson, 18, Winston-Salem Twins
4) SS Kent Harrington, 19, Greensboro Patriots -- Pats’ second round pick
5) LF Arturo Martínez, 21, Raleigh Capitals
6) 1B Henry “Boom Boom” Butler, 24, Winston-Salem Twins (.305 in 298 AB’s for W-S big club)
7) MR Jimbo Martin, 19, Charlotte Hornets (6-10, 3.61 ERA for Charlotte Junior Hornets)
8) SP Howard Miller, 23, Greensboro Patriots
9) SP Eric Mason, 20, Greensboro Patriots (12-7, 2.49 for Greensboro Junior Hornets)
10) SP Phillip Moreno, 20, Durham Bulls (5-11, 3.78 for Durham and Greensboro junior teams)


Top 10 Position Players
Winston-Salem has the top two position players, according to the Baseball Carolina pundits. Angel Pellicer is widely considered the best player in the short history of the NCSL. What, no Greensboro players on this list?

1. RF Angel Pellicer, 29, Winston-Salem Twins
2. SS Carlos Rodriguez, 39, Winston-Salem Twins
3. 3B Jose Perez, 30, Asheville Tourists
4. LF Alfredo Perez, 27, Asheville Tourists
5. C Marvin Young, 28, Charlotte Hornets
6. 2B Anthony Watson, 39, Durham Bulls
7. 1B Jorge Ledesma, 36, Durham Bulls
8. LF Antonio Arevalo, 29, Charlotte Hornets (1915 Outstanding Hitter traded from the Bulls in off-season - wow!)
9. RF Bill Robbins, 33, Raleigh Capitals
10. 2B Arnie Montgomery, 35, Charlotte Hornets


Top 10 Pitchers
The biggest name not on this list is Asheville ace Merlin “The Wizard” McNeill. His career apparently has been on the decline since last year’s no-hitter in April.

1. Jose Andres, 29, Greensboro Patriots (born in Hickory, has already played for three NCSL teams)
2. Norm Ross, 31, Durham Bulls (part of the trade that sent Arevalo to Winston-Salem)
3. Andy Owens, 31, Raleigh Capitals
4. Chris Wilson, 28, Asheville Tourists
5. Chris Lloyd, 32, Asheville Tourists
6. Jack Fry, 21, Winston-Salem Twins
7. Bill Bergeron, 31, Raleigh Capitals
8. Jerry Parker, 31, Winston-Salem Twins (No. 1 pick from very first draft traded to Raleigh in off-season)
9. Oliver “Skull” Jenkins, 38, Raleigh Capitals (he’s still got something left in the tank!)
10. Gary “Brick” Lee, 33, Winston-Salem Twins (no love for the reigning Outstanding Pitcher?)


AzTarHeel’s Prediction for 1918
To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man. This year, I don’t see anyone beating the man. Charlotte stays on top of the heap, though I’ll go out on a limb and say Greensboro joins them in the playoffs. Yes, Greensboro. And every other team fires its manager, disgusted at letting the lowly Pats pass them by in the standings.

[AZTarHeel]

1918 North Carolina State League — Preseason

Let’s meet the Western Carolina League
A little background on the six new-look D-League franchises

In real life, the Western Carolina League was a Class D League that operated from 1948-52 before combining with the North Carolina State League to form the Tar Heel League in 1953. A second Western Carolina League began play in 1960 and lasted for three years before changing its name to Western Carolinas League (using teams from both North and South Carolina).

I moved up the creation of our Western Carolina League several decades to fit the storyline (wanted somewhere to put the NCSL‘s “minor league“ teams. The team names below are all taken from real minor league teams that existed in North Carolina’s past. Most of them came to life in the 1930s, including some when the North Carolina State League was reborn in 1937. Others came to life in the 1940s.

Here is a look at each new team, their logo and uniform, and some basic historical information:


1. Cooleemee Weavers (Greensboro Patriots)
Stadium: Mill Village Park, capacity 885
Notes: Cooleemee is located in Davie County, and was built as a cotton mill village in 1898 on the shoals of the South Yadkin River. It’s 25 miles from Winston-Salem.

The origin of the cool sounding name: Richmond Pearson, a plantation owner in this area, borrowed the name from the Kulami tribe of Creek Indians in Alabama. "Kulami" is said to mean "place where the white oaks grow."

In real life, the Cooleemee Weavers played for two years in the North Carolina State League in the 1930s. Our Cooleemee club inherits the most successful D-League team in the four-year history of the league. As the Greensboro Junior Patriots, the Weavers have won the last three D-League titles. Lots of great talent should help fill their humble stadium.



2. Hickory Rebels (Asheville Tourists)
Stadium: The Ballpark at Hickory, capacity 1,005
Notes: In 2009, if you get on I-40 in Asheville and go east about 70 miles, coming down the mountain, you’ll get to Hickory. Not sure how those two cities connected back in 1918 but during the trip you may have had to cross the Bunker Hill covered bridge, built in 1894.

Hickory has a long baseball heritage, first with a team known as the Rebels. These days, the Hickory Crawdads have a solid following.



3. Lexington Indians (Durham Bulls)
Stadium: Lexington Grounds, capacity 1,010
Notes: In the early 1900s, much of Lexington’s economy was based on textiles and manufacturing (like a lot of North Carolina’s small communities). I learned only recently that there was also a silver mine just a few miles outside of town that was opened in the early 1800s, one of the earliest operating silver mines in the country.

Lexington these days bills itself as the Barbecue Capital of the World. The unique Lexington style, which we’re sure will be served at the Indians ballpark for the upcoming season, uses a vinegar-based "red" sauce that is seasoned with ketchup, vinegar, and pepper, along with other spices that vary from recipe to recipe.



4. Mooresville Moors (Charlotte Hornets)
Stadium: Mooresville Municipal Park, capacity 995
Notes: Charlotte fans won’t have to travel to far to see their up-and-coming prospects. Mooresville is only about 25 miles away from the Queen City.

Known today as Race City USA, Mooresville houses more than 60 NASCAR race teams and race-affiliated businesses. Of course NASCAR doesn’t exist in 1918, so baseball should take center stage among sports fans.

The big baseball question going into 1918? Will stud pitcher Tim “T-Rex” Johnston stay in Charlotte or begin the season with the Moors a few miles up the road.



5. Mount Airy Graniteers (Winston-Salem Twins)
Stadium: The Quarry, capacity 1,245
Notes: In about eight years from 1918, Mount Airy will become the birth place of Andy Griffith. In about 50 years from 1918, Griffith will bring Mayberry to life on TV screens nationwide when the Andy Griffith Show debuts. Mount Airy is considered the real-life inspiration for Mayberry.

The world’s largest opened-face quarry is located near Mount Airy, hence the baseball team’s nickname. Stone has been extracted from the Mount Airy White Quarry since 1754 -- and should continue to be harvested there for hundreds and hundreds of years more.

If you look at a map of North Carolina, this is the one team that kind of doesn’t fit in the WCL. The other five clubs are pretty close to one another, but since Mount Airy has been a part of my life for most of my 38 years, I couldn’t resist putting them into the Western Carolina League now.



6. Statesville Owls (Raleigh Capitals)
Stadium: Senior High Stadium, capacity 1,100
Notes: I figured Statesville to be a good fit for Raleigh’s franchise after reading that Statesville had served as the temporary capital of North Carolina during the final months of the Civil War, when Union troops occupied Raleigh and forced Gov. Zebulon Vance to relocate the confederate state government.

I found a pretty good photo of the Statesville Owls from 1961, and that served as the model for my uniform for them. I wasn’t sure of the color, so I stuck with red to compliment the Raleigh Caps. Here’s a peek:




OK, let’s play some baseball!! On to the sixth year of the North Carolina State League and the debut season of the Western Carolina League!

[AZTarHeel]

1918 North Carolina State League — Mid-Season Update

Hornets setting the pace again in NCSL
Some new faces producing familiar results in Charlotte

JUNE 24, 1918 STANDINGS

Team                     W       L       PCT     GB      Pyt.Rec Diff    Home    Away    XInn    1Run    M#      Streak  Last10
Charlotte Hornets       50      28      .641    -       49-29   1       27-12   23-16   4-4     21-10   36      L1      6-4
Asheville Tourists      43      35      .551    7.0     45-33   -2      21-18   22-17   4-4     14-16           W1      8-2
Winston-Salem Twins     39      39      .500    11.0    42-36   -3      20-16   19-23   5-8     11-18           W2      5-5
Raleigh Capitals        38      40      .487    12.0    37-41   1       19-20   19-20   4-4     14-15           L2      4-6
Durham Bulls            35      43      .449    15.0    31-47   4       14-25   21-18   2-1     15-14           L2      2-8
Greensboro Patriots     29      49      .372    21.0    31-47   -2      16-26   13-23   6-4     14-16           W2      5-5

There seems to be a true dynasty forming in the North Carolina State League. The Charlotte Hornets, for the third year in a row, have bolted out to an impressive lead in the standings.

The team that was the league's laughingstock in the first few years has now become the dominant presence. On May 20, Charlotte had already built a 10-game lead (with a 33-13 record). Asheville has reeled the Hornets in a little bit but they are going to be tough to catch down the stretch.

Some interesting roster moves have helped the defending champs maintain their spot at the top. In the preseason, Charlotte called up young standout pitcher Tim “T-Rex” Johnston. On April 1, Charlotte felt good enough about Johnston to trade 31-year-old starter Norm Ross to Durham, getting a huge bat in return — outfielder Antonio Arevalo, the 1915 Most Outstanding Hitter. Arevalo quickly won a spot in the middle of the batting order and started producing, batting better than .300.

Then, T-Rex went down with a rotator cuff injury in late April. Lost for the year! Yikes. But the Hornets went out and made a deal with Winston-Salem to bring in veteran hurler Gary “Brick” Lee to take T-Rex’s place. Winston fans were wondering why the Twins would give “Brick” away to the top team in the league, considering Lee had won a league record 19 games for Winston a year ago. Brick was curious as well but quickly became at home in Charlotte. He was 6-1 in May and earned Pitcher of the Month honors. The Hornets just have the golden touch right now, it seems.

A few other mid-season notes

• On May 27, Raleigh pitcher Andy Owens became the second in NCSL history to throw a NO-HITTER. He struck out seven and walked three against Asheville. Asheville's Merlin "The Wizard" McNeill threw the first no-no in 1917.

• On May 15, infielder Anthony Watson of Durham, who was having another great year, broke his ankle and was lost for the season! He missed a lot of 1916 due to a back injury. He’s 39 years old. Will this be the end for one of the most beloved players in the league? He was one of the league leaders in several offensive categories before his latest misfortune.

• Strikeout artist Oliver “Skull” Jenkins was traded! On June 17, the Raleigh Capitals gave up one of the league’s top pitchers. A curious move because Raleigh also traded away a reliever and only got a mediocre 40-year-old outfielder in return. Skull was 8-7 at the time of the trade. His ERA had climbed into the 3.50 range but still Jenkins had been somewhat effective.

• The injury bug hit a handful of big-name players. We haven’t talked much of Raleigh’s Bill Robbins, but the right fielder is a career .311 hitter and on the NCSL career leader board in a number of categories. He screwed up his shoulder in June and will be out 15 months or so. Ouch. Tough times for the Capital City's team. Winston's Jack Fry also missed some time due to injury.

• The Greensboro Patriots are 21 games out and 20 games under .500. Meet the Detroit Lions of the NCSL...

• The Mount Airy Graniteers, the D-League team for Winston-Salem, started the year 4-16. Yikes. They've recovered some but Cooleemee (Greensboro) and Mooresville (Charlotte) lead the Western Carolina League coming down the stretch of their season. Remember, for the first time the D-League will have a best-of-three playoff series once their 90-game schedule is complete...

[AZTarHeel]

1918 Western Carolina League — Season Recap




Weavers spin first WCL title
Cooleemee outduels top-seeded Mooresville in playoff series

The Greensboro Patriots might be a woeful North Carolina State League baseball franchise. But their farm team has been first rate. Greensboro’s “junior” team won the 1915, 1916 and 1917 Developmental League championships after finishing third in 1914. Now known as the Cooleemee Weavers, the Pats’ junior team won again in the inaugural year of the Western Carolina League.

Cooleemee finished second in the regular season standings to Charlotte’s D-League team, the Moorsville Moors (see standings below). But the Weavers, who were 11 games back, swept the best-of-three playoff series against the Moors in two straight, a 7-4 Game One victory in front of 870 delighted home fans and then 3-1 in Game Two in Mooresville.

First baseman William Sullivan (pictured above), who would go on to be named the WCL’s Most Outstanding Batter, put the Cool in Cooleemee during the playoff series. He was 5-for-8 in the two games, hitting a home run and a triple. He had three RBIs and scored three runs. Sullivan was drafted by Greensboro in 1914, and it’s still a mystery why he and some of his stellar teammates aren’t up with the Big Club yet. “At least we’ve got Cooleemee,” Greensboro fans said with a sigh in 1914. "'Cause there ain't much on the Big Club."

Sullivan batted .307 during the 90-game season, with 93 hits, 10 doubles, eight triples, six home runs and 27 RBIs. Interestingly, Sullivan was the only player in the WCL to hit better than .300. Wow. He led the league in 10 different categories.

Charlotte already has some pretty good pitching arms on its Big Club, and there is another in the pipeline. Mooresville right-hander Logan Lorn (pictured above) went 18-3 for the Moors, with a 0.97 ERA to earn the Western Carolina League’s Most Outstanding Pitcher award. He struck out 144 batters — not too shabby for 23 starts. Lorn, 21, was the first pick in round two of the 1914 draft.

Lorn pitched a one-hitter and three two-hitters during the season. One of his two-hitters covered 10 innings.

FINAL WESTERN CAROLINA LEAGUE STANDINGS

Team               	W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	M#	Streak	Last10
Mooresville Moors	61	29	.678	-	59-31	2	30-15	31-14	6-0	20-9	Clinched	W5	7-3
Cooleemee Weavers	50	40	.556	11.0	50-40	0	26-19	24-21	8-5	23-15		W2	8-2
Statesville Owls   	48	42	.533	13.0	46-44	2	22-23	26-19	6-5	17-17		L2	3-7
Hickory Rebels    	45	45	.500	16.0	46-44	-1	26-19	19-26	7-8	20-20		L2	6-4
Lexington Indians 	43	47	.478	18.0	41-49	2	20-25	23-22	3-2	13-14		W2	6-4
Mount Airy Graniteers	23	67	.256	38.0	29-61	-6	12-33	11-34	1-11	5-23		L13	0-10

[AZTarHeel]

3200 Clement Blvd. SW
Hickory, N.C. 28601

Mr. and Mrs. Clint Hartle
5105 Centreville Farms Road
Centreville, Va. 20120


July 23, 1918

Dear mom and dad,

Greetings from the western North Carolina town of Hickory. Thank you for your encouraging letter that I received a few weeks ago, and yes I miss both of you very much, as well as sis. Glad to hear the weather has been good this spring and summer, and that things look good for the harvest this fall.

Yes, it is true that I suffered a serious shoulder injury in a game back in late May. I'm on the mend, but the doctor I see here in Hickory tells me this is going to be a long process before I can play ball again. I may or may not be ready for the start of next season, should the club decide to keep me around.

I hope they will. I was starting to be one of Hickory's top producers before I got hurt. They had me batting in the "clean-up" spot, which means I'm the No. 4 hitter in the order. That means they are relying on me to drive in runs. I had hit three home runs in our first 35 games and recorded 24 hits in all. Against Statesville, I made three hits in three at-bats on May 10.

My average wasn't great, they tell it was .233, but I was starting to feel more comfortable at the plate and at third base. It was neat to have people around town stop me on the street and know who I am. "Hey that's Chris Hartle, Hickory's third baseman!" That really motivated me to play hard for the Rebels.

Now, of course, everything is on hold while I heal up. I'm staying busy helping the team in any way I can. A number of us ball players are living in a boarding house of sorts, owned by a widow that everyone calls Miss Dee. She cooks for us and does our laundry (thank goodness), while we in turn help her with what needs to be done at her house and small farm. I'm doing a lot of the paperwork for her since I can't do a lot of lifting.

If all goes well, I should be back home in time for Labor Day. I can't promise I'll be much help bringing the crops in but I'll do what I can. Hopefully, I'll be back in Hickory (or maybe even Asheville!) ready to play ball by February or March 1919, Good Lord willing.

Be sure to tell my good friend Jeff that I said hello. Has he returned from Arizona yet? I'll bet he's got some stories to tell from that adventure for sure.

Can't wait to see everyone again. All my love,

Your son,
Chris

[AZTarHeel]

1918 North Carolina State League — Regular Season Recap


Charlotte makes it three in a row
Amazing finish for second place

FINAL 1918 STANDINGS

Team               	W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	M#	Streak	Last10
Charlotte Hornets	73	47	.608	-	71-49	2	40-20	33-27	8-9	33-17	Clinched	L1	7-3
Winston-Salem Twins	62	58	.517	11.0	66-54	-4	32-28	30-30	9-10	16-27		W2	4-6
Asheville Tourists	61	59	.508	12.0	64-56	-3	30-30	31-29	9-7	18-22		L1	8-2
Durham Bulls        	61	59	.508	12.0	55-65	6	27-33	34-26	5-3	23-21		W1	4-6
Raleigh Capitals	56	64	.467	17.0	55-65	1	32-28	24-36	7-9	23-22		W1	3-7
Greensboro Patriots	47	73	.392	26.0	50-70	-3	27-33	20-40	8-8	24-28		L2	4-6

The race for first place in the NCSL was pretty much a foregone conclusion by early summer. The Charlotte Hornets had a comfortable lead most of the way. But the battle for second was nip and tuck literally until the final out of the season.

With two games to play, Durham, Asheville and Winston-Salem all were tied at 60-58. Asheville then beat Durham 6-0, outhitting the Bulls 15-4. Winston-Salem beat Greensboro.

On the final day, Durham got back at Asheville by edging the Tourists 6-5. If Greensboro could beat Winston, then the three-way tie would remain. The Patriots had a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the ninth, but hey we’re talking about the Patriots here. Winston-Salem scored two runs to swipe the win and the second playoff spot.

Greensboro didn’t even get an out in the bottom of the ninth. The final sequence saw Winston’s Henry “Boom Boom” Butler living up to his nickname, doubling to lead off the frame. Butler eventually came home after a Greensboro error to tie the score. Another Greensboro error put the winning run (catcher Richard Franklin) in scoring position. A single from 22-year-old 1B Roland Brown brought Franklin home, creating a frenzy of excitement in Winston-Salem.

The Twins have now made the playoffs four times in six years.


But Charlotte will be a formidable foe to overcome in the post-season. The Hornets were led by a deep pitching staff that held together even after young prodigy Tim "T-Rex" Johnston went down with his season-ending injury -- Craig Clark (15-7, 1.81 ERA), Javier Guerra (15-8, 2.16 ERA), Gary “Brick” Lee (12-9), Rudy Young (13-14) and Wayne Grant (8-3) were the best staff in the league. Most Outstanding Hitter candidate Ivan Martinez (.330, 146 hits) and outfielder Antonio Arevalo (.267, 62 RBIs) paced the Charlotte offense with a solid supporting cast around them. Martinez (pictured) was the king of swing in 1918, finishing the year as the batting champ.

Winston-Salem had three of the top eight batters in the league, average-wise -- CF Ryan Travis (.327), Angel “Sweetness” Pellicer (.304) and Henry “Boom Boom“ Butler (.300). Travis led the league in total hits (152) and runs scored (72). No. 1 starting pitcher Jack Fry, last year’s NCSL top rookie, missed two months due to injury. He’s returning just in time for the playoffs, holding a 7-4 record.

Asheville stayed in contention till the end due to solid pitching. Top-flight starter Merlin "The Wizard" McNeill held together pretty well, finishing 10-9 with a 2.31 ERA. Three other pitchers earned 10+ wins -- Chris Lloyd 13, Chris Wilson 11 and Jake Renz 11. Five Asheville batters had 50 or more RBIs.

The Durham Bulls added a couple of veteran pitchers to their lineup in 1918, hoping to get back to the playoffs. Oliver “Skull” Jenkins went 7-2 after being received in a trade from Raleigh. Norm Ross, who came to Durham via Charlotte, was 14-16. In the end, the Bulls ended up missing the big bats of players like OF Antonio Arevalo (traded to Charlotte for Ross) and IF Anthony Watson (missed most of the season with injury). Garrett McDonald could be a superstar before all is said and done. The 25-year-old spent his sixth season in Durham, batting .283. His career average is .291.

Andy Owens earned a no-hitter for the Raleigh Capitals but struggled at other times in the season, finishing 10-15 from the hill. Raleigh’s ace this season was Bill Bergeron, traded to the Caps from Durham in 1917. Bergeron won 15 games and earned four shutouts. Three-sacker Jose Costello has been an unsung hero for Raleigh for six seasons. He’s piled up 723 hits, which ranks seventh all-time in the league. This season, Costello led the Caps with 135 hits and a .304 average (fourth-best NCSL).

Is there any hope for Greensboro? The Patriots in six years have finished fifth, fourth, sixth, sixth, sixth and sixth. Their overall record in that span is a league-worst (311-409). They are the only franchise yet to make the playoffs and one of only two not to win a championship. Conventional wisdom says that when all these all-stars from the Pats’ junior team move up, Greensboro will be a powerhouse. But Greensboro has traded some of these players away (like 1915 top pick Johnny Ward to Raleigh). Time will tell. Right now, the top player for the Patriots is CF Lester Kennedy (.312 average, 49 RBIs).

On a funny note, Greensboro has an Alejandro Rodriguez and an Alberto Rodriguez on its pitching staff. Not related. One’s a left-hander in his late 30s and one’s a right-hander in his mid-20s.

OK, on to the playoffs, where Charlotte will look to make it two in a row, while Winston-Salem will seek it’s third title in six years.

[CatKnight]

It's interesting that the Patriots are so...well, horrible, and yet their D-squad has a mini-dynasty going. In this world I could almost see players preferring to play for the Weavers.

[AZTarHeel]

Originally Posted by CatKnight

It's interesting that the Patriots are so...well, horrible, and yet their D-squad has a mini-dynasty going. In this world I could almost see players preferring to play for the Weavers.

it is kind of strange to see such different results ... for the heck of it, after the playoffs were complete (that post coming up soon), I played an exhibition game between Greensboro and Cooleemee. Greensboro won 8-2 ... Patriots fans will just have to wait for their youngsters to mature and beat out the old guys (most of Greensboro's roster features players 28-older)...

The in-game AI gets bashed on these boards quite a bit but I'll admit I was impressed with how Charlotte's AI handled things this season. The Hornets made some shrewd roster moves and trades to shore up its lineup for another championship campaign...

[AZTarHeel]

1918 North Carolina State League — Carolina Champions Cup Recap



Repeat for Hornets
Charlotte beats Twins again for second straight NCSL title

GAME SCORES
Game 1: Charlotte 2, Winston-Salem 1 -- WP: Miguel Ruiz; LP: Jack Fry; S: Dean Dimond
Game 2: Winston-Salem 4, Charlotte 2 -- WP: Caden Anderson; LP: Javier Guerra
Game 3: Charlotte 2, Winston-Salem 0 -- WP: Gary “Brick“ Lee; LP: Jerry Parker
Game 4: Charlotte 9, Winston-Salem 3 -- WP: Rudy Young; LP: Alejandro Esobar

Charlotte’s move to trade with Durham for outfielder Antonio Arevalo looked better and better as the season wore on. It looked like a move of genius in the playoffs. Arevalo ended up being named Carolina Champions Cup Series MVP (pictured above) after a splendid four-game set batting clean-up against the Winston-Salem Twins.

Arevalo went 8-for-15 during the series, with two doubles and a couple of key RBIs. He finished 3-for-4 in Game One and 3-for-4 again in the decisive Game Four. He didn’t just hit the ball, he had clutch hits that set up runs, moved players around and got himself into scoring position.

Arevalo has definitely been Mr. August (when the playoffs are held in the NCSL) in his career. This was his fourth visit to the playoff series (the first three came with Durham in 1913, 1914 and 1915). His career batting totals in the post-season: a stellar 20-for-45 (.444) with a home run, two triples, four doubles, five RBIs and 12 runs scored.

The Hornets won the 1918 series even though No. 1 starting pitcher Craig Clark (15 wins in the regular season) only pitched 2.2 innings due to injury in Game One. Others stepped up to carry the load, even after another pitcher -- closer Dean Dimond -- suffered a more serious injury which could hamper his playing time early in 1919. Of course, recent D-League call-up Tim “T-Rex” Johnston missed much of the regular season because of injury. No matter, the Hornets prevailed.

Winston-Salem’s Angel “Sweetness” Pellicer had a pretty tame playoff series. He only had three hits, though one was a triple and another was a double. Sweetness also has been in four championships series in his career, batting .317 (13-for-41). Winston RF Junior Young had a pretty good 1918 series, batting .389 to lead his team. The Twins, though, fell short again.

Charlotte is now 2-1 in the Carolina Champions Cup. Winston is 2-2. Both lead the league in terms of championships won.


NORTH CAROLINA STATE LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
1913 - Winston-Salem Twins (defeated Durham 2-1)
1914 - Durham Bulls (defeated Raleigh 2-1)
1915 - Winston-Salem Twins (defeated Durham 2-0)
1916 - Asheville Tourists (defeated Charlotte 3-0)
1917 - Charlotte Hornets (defeated Winston-Salem 3-0)
1918 - Charlotte Hornets (defeated Winston-Salem 3-1)

[AZTarHeel]

1918 North Carolina State League — Player Awards & Leader Boards


Most Outstanding Hitter Award
The Winston-Salem Twins didn’t win the championship but they did have the top hitter in the league in outfielder Angel “Sweetness” Pellicer. This is his third year in a row as the MVP of swing, and the fourth time in the six-year history of the NCSL.

This year, Pellicer put up a batting average of .304 with 21 doubles, 13 triples, 1 home run and 51 RBIs. He led the league in on-base percentage (.389) and walks (67). He was tied for the league lead in extra base hits (35). Pellicer now has 786 hits in his six-year career in the league. Since he’s only 29, he looks to have a lot of years to build on his impressive resume.

Past Winners
1913 - Angel Pellicer (Winston-Salem)
1914 - Randy Downs (Greensboro)
1915 - Antonio Arevalo (Durham)
1916 - Angel Pellicer (Winston-Salem)
1917 - Angel Pellicer (Winston-Salem)
1918 - Angel Pellicer (Winston-Salem)



Most Outstanding Pitcher Award
Craig Clark was Charlotte’s first pick (and the first overall pick) in 1914. He ascended to the NCSL this season and made an immediate impact, posting a 15-7 record with one save. His ERA was 1.81. He had 97 strikeouts and only gave up one homerun. This is the second time a Charlotte pitcher won this prestigious award.

Past Winners
1913 - Kenny Davis (Durham)
1914 - Oliver “Skull” Jenkins (Raleigh)
1915 - Oliver “Skull” Jenkins (Raleigh)
1916 - Rudy Young (Charlotte)
1917 - Gary “Brick“ Lee (Winston-Salem)
1918 - Craig Clark (Charlotte)



Newcomer Of The Year Award
Obviously if a rookie pitcher is good enough to be named the league’s top hurler, he’s going to get consideration for the Rookie of the Year Award, too. A good year for Charlotte’s Craig Clark ends with him getting a championship ring and two top honors. This was the first time Charlotte has enjoyed a Rookie of the Year winner.

Past Winners
1913 - Angel Pellicer (Winston-Salem)
1914 - Vincente Nieves (Raleigh)
1915 - Chris Wilson (Asheville)
1916 - Jose Andres (Asheville)
1917 - Jack Fry (Winston-Salem)
1918 - Craig Clark (Charlotte)


Glove Wizard Awards
Pitcher: Jerry Parker (Winston-Salem Twins) -- the No. 1 pick from the first NCSL draft
Catcher: Vincente Nieves (Raleigh Capitals) -- repeat winner
First Baseman: Ed Winsor (Greensboro Patriots)
Second Baseman: Arnie Montgomery (Charlotte Hornets)
Third Baseman: Robert Blevins (Durham Bulls) -- remember the kid who punched his locker and lost? He’s growing up now and turning into a solid ballplayer
Shortstop: Craig Gray (Charlotte Hornets)
Left Fielder: Alfredo Pérez (Asheville Tourists) -- five-time winner, fourth in a row
Center Fielder: John Stewart (Asheville Tourists)
Right Fielder: Dave Carter (Asheville Tourists) -- steady outfielding platoon in Asheville


Offensive Leaderboards



Pitching Leaderboards

[AZTarHeel]

1918 North Carolina State League — News & Notes


Some final tidbits on the 1918 season:

• Catcher Dave Meeks, who currently holds the longest hitting streak in the NCSL (23 games), retired at the end of the 1918 campaign. He spent all six years of his Tar Heel baseball career with the Asheville Tourists. He set the league hitting-streak mark right off the bat in 1913, the inaugural season for the league. Meeks walks away from the game with 559 total hits and a .259 career average…

As a side note, the Tourists went out in the off-season and traded for catcher Vincente Nieves, who has been a pretty solid backstop for Raleigh the past few years. Nieves was the 1914 Newcomer of the Year and has been a four-time Glove Wizard winner...

• Greensboro hung on to manager Abraham Wise despite the Patriots’ continuing woes. Wise has been with the Pats for three complete seasons, finishing in last place each time. Wise won the league's regular season title with Raleigh in 1914 but got fired after the Caps were fifth in 1915. Greensboro picked him up but he hasn’t fared too well since. Hey, at least he has a job...

• On the other hand, Asheville did fire manager Ollie Spence, who led the Tourists to the 1916 title (and directed Winston to the 1913 championship). Some Tourists fans were upset about this because Spence is considered one of the top managers out there, with two titles under his belt. His Asheville team finished third in 1918 and fourth in 1917, deemed not good enough by team owners to keep around. The Tourists want to contend in 1919 and don't feel Spence is the man to get them there...

• Whoever was throwing batting practice for Raleigh Capitals hitters back in February got dismissed by the club when he beaned 1B Chad Spencer with a hard throw. The ball caught Spencer right in the ribs, forcing him to miss four weeks of time normally devoted to getting ready for the season. Spencer hit .233 once he was cleared to swing again and said he “never felt quite right“ after the bean-ball incident.

• Winston all-star Angel Pellicer had a monster seven-RBI game against Asheville on May 25. He hit a grand slam and later tripled with a couple of guys on base.

• Winston-Salem OF Ryan Travis set a new NCSL single-season record for singles with 129.

• NCSL pitchers set three new single-season league records in 1918 -- for losses (Greensboro’s Alejandro Rodriguez, 18), complete games (Charlotte’s Gary “Brick” Lee, 20) and shutouts (Charlotte’s Craig Clark, 6).

Rodriguez opted to retire after the season. Unfortunately, he doesn’t leave much of a legacy. He’s the current league leader in career losses, posting a 57-89 record in his time in the NCSL. His final ERA was 3.42. It's obviously a lot tougher to generate wins with that kind of ERA when your team stinks...

[AZTarHeel]

1919 North Carolina State League — Preseason

North Carolina State League to expand
Two teams will be added beginning in 1920

The popularity of baseball has grown tremendously in the Tar Heel state since the advent of the North Carolina State League in 1913.

Beginning in 1920, the league itself will grow.

The six inaugural clubs of the NCSL -- Asheville, Durham, Raleigh, Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Greensboro -- will play one more season together before being joined in the quest for the Carolina Champions Cup by a pair of new franchises.

As of early 1919, the two cities who will be awarded clubs had not yet been finalized, but the decision to expand to an eight-team league is definite. It is believed that Wilmington, Greenville, High Point, Goldsboro and Fayetteville are the front-runners for the new franchises. Folks in eastern North Carolina obviously are pulling for cities like Wilmington, Greenville and Goldsboro to get teams. As of now, the NCSL doesn’t have a single team or even a Developmental League club east of Raleigh (which is pretty much in the central part of the state).

League officials hope to have the two new cities named before the end of the 1919 campaign. Both of the new clubs will then select their own developmental league affiliates to play in the Western Carolina League, making that an eight-team division as well.

Also in the works are some changes to the league scheduling system. The NCSL may go to a 154- or even 162-game schedule beginning in 1920. The WCL schedule then would expand as well, taking baseball deep into September and even October, whereas before it has been finishing up by mid-August.

Just before the expansion announcement, Greensboro Patriots officials dispelled the notion that their club was going to fold or be moved. “We have struggled for sure, but we’re not going anywhere,” the club said in an official release early in 1919. “We pledge to bring more competitive baseball to Greensboro in the months and years to come. The foundation for that is currently alive and well in our farm system, and hopefully the results will start showing in Greensboro over the next couple of seasons.”

Greensboro once again had the No. 1 overall pick in the player allocation draft (I believe for the fourth time in a row), and once again the Pats selected a starting pitcher. This year’s No. 1 pick is a hurler they call “Cats.” John “Cats” Rocha is a 6-foot-5 right-hander from Orlando. He’s 22 years old and already looks ready to assume top-flight starting duties in Cooleemee, Greensboro’s Western Carolina League affiliate. Cats can reportedly throw in the low 90s, which puts him among the strongest throwers in the WCL and even NCSL. Impressive.

Raleigh selected Bruce Beltran, another right-handed starting pitcher, at No. 2 overall. The top position player chosen was 23-year-old catcher Boyd Carlson, who went No. 3 to the Durham Bulls. Three position players went in the first round this year, the first time that has happened. This draft appears to be weaker in the pitching department, or maybe some teams’ needs have changed now that the league is maturing a bit.

In other news, the Charlotte Hornets are apparently done “renting” pitcher Gary “Brick” Lee. The 33-year-old starter was traded from Winston to Charlotte early last season. Lee earned a win in the playoffs for champion Charlotte, but the Hornets traded him back to Winston-Salem early in 1919.

Hey, who is to argue with Charlotte’s moves? They’ve ruled the league the past few years. But this one is a little curious. Brick is one of the most accomplished pitchers in the NCSL, posting a career record of 85-59, with an ERA of 2.77. He was 14-13 during his time with the Hornets a year ago. Maybe the return of injured starters like Craig Clark and Tim “T-Rex” Johnston deemed Lee expendable because he‘s much older? The more curious part was that Charlotte traded LF Jeffrey Hanna to Winston-Salem to get Brick in 1918. Now, Hanna is going back to Charlotte and Lee is going back to Winston-Salem, their original teams, as part of this re-trade. Some have accused the two clubs of collusion in this matter. (NOTE, I have trades set on low but there still seems to be a lot of movement between the teams).


Top 10 Prospects
Several new draftees make the list. “Cats” Rocha looks like the real deal. We’ll see what he can do in Cooleemee. Our friend Chris Hartle from the Asheville franchise makes the list again this year. He’s still got some healing up to do before he can take the diamond again, most likely starting in Hickory once he's back in action.

1) 3B George Romano, 18, Winston-Salem Twins
2) SP Dan “Little Rat” Sutton, 22, Durham Bulls -- traded from Raleigh last season
3) SP John “Cats” Rocha, 23, Greensboro Patriots -- No. 1 pick for 1919 looks to make quick impact
4) SP Bruce Beltran, 21, Raleigh Capitals -- same for the No. 2 overall pick
5) MR Jim Hamelton, 18, Charlotte Hornets
6) LF John O’Reilly, 22, Asheville Tourists
7) 2B Colton McQueen, 20, Winston-Salem Twins
8) SP Jimbo Martin, 20, Charlotte Hornets
9) C Body Carlson, 23, Durham Bulls
10) 3B Chris Hartle, 22, Asheville


Top 10 Position Players
This list features a lot of NCSL “old-timers.” Three guys in their 40s are on there. Winston looks on paper ready to have a monster year at the plate…

1. LF Angel “Sweetness” Pellicer, 30, Winston-Salem Twins - he was No. 1 last year also
2. CF Ryan Travis, 30, Winston-Salem Twins
3. SS Carlos Rodriguez, 40, Winston-Salem Twins
4. RF Bill Robbins, 34, Raleigh Capitals
5. 1B Henry “Boom Boom” Butler, Winston-Salem Twins
6. LF Antonio Arevalo, 30, Charlotte Hornets
7. 1B Ivan Martinez, 40, Charlotte Hornets
8. SS Anthony Watson, 40, Durham Bulls
9. SS Jerry Johnson, 33, Asheville Tourists
10. CF Lester Kennedy, 34, Greensboro Patriots


Top 10 Pitchers
Charlotte and Winston-Salem both have solid staffs coming back, according to this list, published before Opening Day 1919.

1. Jose Andres, 30, Greensboro Patriots (he started No. 1 last year)
2. Craig Clark, 26, Charlotte Hornets (reigning Most Outstanding Pitcher)
3. Merlin McNeill, 36, Asheville Tourists (ready for a comeback year?)
4. Bill Bergeron, 32, Raleigh Capitals
5. Chris Lloyd, 33, Asheville Tourists
6. Javier Guerra, 34, Charlotte Hornets
7. Jack Fry, 22, Winston-Salem Twins
8. Andy Owens, 32, Raleigh Capitals
9. Gary Lee, 34, Winston-Salem Twins
10. Rudy Young, 34, Charlotte Hornets


AzTarHeel’s Prediction for 1918
The North Carolina State League appears to be developing into a two-horse race. This year, our fearless prognosticators will go with Charlotte and Winston-Salem taking the top spots again, but this time the Twins get the better of the Hornets in the playoffs. And we’ll go out on a limb and say that Greensboro finishes last again.

[AZTarHeel]

1919 North Carolina State League — Mid-Season Update


Asheville making some noise
Defending champs looking up at Tourists for now

NCSL STANDINGS - JUNE 16, 1919

Team                    W       L       PCT     GB      Pyt.Rec Diff    Home    Away    XInn    1Run    M#      Streak  Last10
Asheville Tourists      38      27      .585    -       35-30   3       18-15   20-12   6-3     10-7    53      W5      7-3
Charlotte Hornets       35      30      .538    3.0     37-28   -2      14-16   21-14   3-4     10-10           W1      7-3
Durham Bulls            34      31      .523    4.0     36-29   -2      16-16   18-15   5-7     14-11           L1      7-3
Winston-Salem Twins     33      32      .508    5.0     31-34   2       16-19   17-13   2-2     11-8            L5      3-7
Raleigh Capitals        30      35      .462    8.0     29-36   1       16-17   14-18   5-2     9-12            L1      3-7
Greensboro Patriots     25      40      .385    13.0    27-38   -2      10-22   15-18   1-4     7-13            W1      3-7

The Asheville Tourists bolted out of the gates by winning six of their first seven games. The Tourists and Charlotte Hornets have traded the top spot in the league back and forth ever since. On May 1, Charlotte led the way at 16-7, while on June 1 Asheville had claimed the No. 1 position with a 29-23 record.

The Winston-Salem Twins have been the tough team to figure out. The Twins started 1-6, then rallied to pull within a game of first-place Asheville. Now, Winston appears to be fading again, losing seven of its last 10 games.

Charlotte’s No. 1 starting pitcher, reigning Pitcher of the Year Craig Clark, saw his season come to a quick end due to injury on May 3. This is a huge blow to the Hornets’ three-peat chances as Clark was 3-1 with a 2.05 ERA when he was sidelined.

Durham ace Dan “Little Rat” Sutton, considered one of the top prospects in the league, also suffered a season-ending injury. It happened the day after Clark’s injury. Wow. Tough blows for both of those guys. Durham’s Kenny Davis has been trying his best to fill the void for the Bulls. He has a league-best 12 wins.. He’s lost only three times. Oliver “Skull” Jenkins may be in his swan song, though. The Bulls’ No. 4 starter now (after several successful years as the No. 1 in Raleigh), Skull is just 4-8.

Asheville left-hander Chris Lloyd is twirling a great season so far. He’s 11-3. Fellow starter Johnny Ward, traded from Greensboro to Raleigh to Asheville within the past year, is 8-5 as the Tourists’ No. 4 guy. Hard to believe that Greensboro gave up on its No. 1 overall pick from 1915 so quickly, and here Ward is contributing on a first-place team.

Another storyline coming out of Asheville has been the play of 33-year-old shortstop Jerry Johnson. He’s been a fair hitter for the Tourists in recent years but has a .360 average at this point (leading the NCSL). He already has 93 hits, about 40 shy from his single-season career best with a lot of time to pile up a lot more hits. Asheville CF John Stewart has scored a league best 49 runs thus far and stolen 34 bases. Recent call-up Clint Moran (23 years old, 1B) gives the Tourists another solid bat. He was hitting well over .400 for Hickory in the Western Carolina League when Asheville officials brought him up the mountain. He’s batting .327 after 52 at-bats with the big club. Nice.

Charlotte, which lurks in second place, may yet win another NCSL championship. But Asheville certainly isn’t going to back down without a fight. Things are close enough in the standings that both of these clubs could end up out of the running, of course, if they let up at all. One thing is for sure -- Greensboro is a non-factor yet again. Sigh… Poor Patriots…

Down on the farm in the Western Carolina League, defending champion Cooleemee has a one-game lead over Mooresville. Both of those clubs are a comfortable seven to eight games ahead of their nearest challengers. Cooleemee pitcher John “Cats” Rocha, the No. 1 pick in the most recent draft, is 11-1 for the Weavers with an ERA of 1.32. Man, call him up now, Greensboro!

[AZTarHeel]

1919 Western Carolina League — Season Recap



Cooleemee chills Mooresville again
Weavers get the best of Moors for second-straight season

It’s still cool to be Cooleemee. The Weavers won their second straight Western Carolina League crown, defeating the Mooresville Moors 3-1 in a best-of-five playoff series. Three of the four games went extra innings!

The same two teams met for last year’s title, with Cooleemee winning the best-of-three series in two straight over Charlotte’s minor league affiliate.

The Weavers won a tense Game One by a 4-1 score. This contest went 11 innings before Cooleemee erupted for three runs in the top of the 11th. Jerome Edwards got the pitching victory, going all 11 innings and surrendering just four hits. He was efficient, throwing only 104 pitches. The Weavers outhit the Moors 17-4 but just couldn’t get runs across until the end.

Cooleemee won Game Two by 2-0 count. Starter Fernando Avalos (who grew up in Goldsboro, NC) threw a complete-game six-hit shutout.

The series moved back to Cooleemee, and the Weavers looked ready to celebrate a sweep but Mooresville won Game Three 4-3, in 13 innings. Back to back errors brought in the winning run for the Moors in the 13th. The Weavers recovered the next day, though, to take a series clinching 3-2 victory in 12 innings.

In the bottom of the 12th, the vastly underrated and underappreciated Joe Unknown doubled home the winning run with two outs. His lined shot over the centerfielder’s head scored catcher Cal Wilson, who had gotten aboard with a one-out double. Wow, fans got their money’s worth out of this series for sure. And fans are continuing to ask, “Just who is Joe Unknown and how come we haven’t heard about him before?” He seemed to come out of nowhere to win the game and vanished shortly after the celebrations in Cooleemee died down.

Mooresville won the regular season banner by one game over Cooleemee. The Lexington Indians (Durham) finished seven games out in third place. The Mount Airy Graniteers (Winston-Salem) have become the Greensboro Patriots of the WCL, posting their second-straight dreadful campaign. But Winston, the parent club, is still chugging along strong, and that's what counts the most.

This year’s Most Outstanding Batter Award went to Clint Moran of the Hickory Rebels. The 23-year-old first baseman put up a .408 average and a .470 on-base percentage, piling up 71 hits, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 6 home runs, 26 RBIs and 22 runs scored. Asheville brought him up mid-season, and the Tourists are hoping he'll help them hold on to first place in the NCSL standings.

The Most Outstanding Pitcher for 1919 was Mooresville’s Kenny Craft. The 27-year-old excelled with an impressive 15-6 record in 23 starts. In 195.2 innings he yielded 141 hits and 30 walks, while striking out 92 and compiling a fine 1.70 ERA.

A few other Western Carolina League highlights:
• John “Cats” Rocha, the No. 1 overall draft pick before the season, had a blazing debut with Cooleemee. He finished 13-4 with a 1.70 ERA and got votes for Most Outstanding Pitcher. Cats threw a no-hitter against the Lexington Indians on May 10. He fanned 15 in 7.2 innings of work against Mooresville in an early July regular season game. Welcome to the league, big fella!

• Jerome Edwards threw two one-hitters against the Mount Airy Graniteers -- for two different teams. His first one-hitter came for the Lexington Indians. But then Edwards was traded to Greensboro in June, where he nailed the Graniteers with another one-hit effort wearing the green and white of the Weavers.

• LF Aiden Arispe of the Statesville Owls had the top batting average in the WCL, .304 with five home runs. The junior circuit was definitely a pitcher’s league in 1919.

• Three WCL players had 5-for-5 games -- 2B Colton McQueen (Mount Airy), 1B Andy Smith (Statesville) and 1B Aaron Brown (Mooresville). Brown’s perfect day included two home runs and four RBIs.

• Mooresville’s Logan Lorn led the WCL with 156 strikeouts. Cats Rocha wasn’t far behind with 153.

• Bob Neal has been the manager of the Greensboro D-League team since that league began in 1914. He now has five championships to his credit (three with the Greensboro Junior Patriots and now back-to-back WCL titles with Cooleemee). In 1914, Neal’s team finished third. He’s only 45, so maybe a NCSL team will bring aboard at some point. Maybe Greensboro should fire its top brass and let him run the show...

FINAL 1919 WESTERN CAROLINA LEAGUE STANDINGS

Team                    W       L       PCT     GB      Pyt.Rec Diff    Home    Away    XInn    1Run    M#      Streak  Last10
Mooresville Moors       53      37      .589    -       56-34   -3      29-16   24-21   10-6    19-17   Clinched        W1      7-3
Cooleemee Weavers       52      38      .578    1.0     56-34   -4      24-21   28-17   4-8     22-21           L1      5-5
Lexington Indians       46      44      .511    7.0     49-41   -3      21-24   25-20   6-6     17-18           W3      6-4
Statesville Owls        45      45      .500    8.0     43-47   2       22-23   23-22   7-7     19-23           L1      6-4
Hickory Rebels          41      49      .456    12.0    43-47   -2      14-31   27-18   4-10    16-23           W1      2-8
Mount Airy Graniteers   33      57      .367    20.0    27-63   6       15-30   18-27   8-2     17-8            L3      4-6

[AZTarHeel]

1919 North Carolina State League — Regular Season Recap



Asheville holds on down the stretch
Tourists fight off three others for regular season crown

FINAL 1919 STANDINGS

Team               	W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	M#	Streak	Last10
Asheville Tourists	65	55	.542	-	63-57	2	32-28	33-27	10-4	21-17	Clinched	L1	5-5
Charlotte Hornets	63	57	.525	2.0	68-52	-5	27-33	36-24	5-9	17-20		L2	5-5
Winston-Salem Twins	62	58	.517	3.0	62-58	0	29-31	33-27	6-5	21-22		W2	5-5
Durham Bulls        	61	59	.508	4.0	61-59	0	28-32	33-27	10-8	25-20		W1	5-5
Greensboro Patriots	57	63	.475	8.0	56-64	1	25-35	32-28	4-7	20-20		W2	5-5
Raleigh Capitals	52	68	.433	13.0	50-70	2	28-32	24-36	5-7	16-21		L2	5-5

North Carolina State League officials may want to rethink their ideas about extending the season to 154 or 162 games. Right now, the 120-game schedule is producing some dandy finishes in the NCSL standings.

This year, five out of the six clubs finished within eight games of each other. Four of those teams had winning records in what looks like the most balanced year in the seven-year history of the North Carolina State League. All six teams were 5-5 over their final 10 games.

Asheville took the lead in June and despite some white-knuckle moments down the stretch hung on to claim the regular season banner. Charlotte edged rival Winston-Salem for the runner-up spot by one game, with Durham lurking just one game behind the Twins. This will bet the fourth year in a row that Charlotte has made the playoffs, while Asheville is returning for the first time since the 1916 season (when the Tourists also won the Carolina Champions Cup).

Asheville was the team making the deft roster moves this season. Trading for glove-wizard catcher Vincente Nieves (formerly of Raleigh) proved big. Nieves also had his best year at the plate since 1914, batting .281 with 23 doubles, 50 RBIs and six triples. Pretty solid for the usual No. 8 guy in the lineup.

Shortstop Jerry Johnson had his best season with the Tourists by far since joining the club in 1915, hitting a whopping .341 with 22 doubles, five triples and three homers. He drove home a team-best 62 runs. Cousins Alfredo Perez (LF) and Jose Perez (3B) had 61 RBIs each in a year when scoring and hitting numbers went up pretty substantially around the league.

Pitching-wise, no one really dazzled for Asheville but everyone was pretty dependable. Chris Lloyd led the way in wins with 15. Merlin McNeill had a rougher time (16 losses) but still picked up 12 wins. Newcomer Johnny Ward finished 12-6.

Popular 3B Chris Hartle saw his first action with the Asheville big club. He didn’t come back from an 1918 injury until June of this season. He had 11 at-bats with Hickory of the Western Carolina League, then the Tourists brought him up the mountain. Hartle ended up platooning at third base with Jose Perez, finishing with a .321 average in 53 at-bats (17 hits, 5 doubles, 8 RBIs). Pretty solid for a 22-year-old. It will be interesting to see if Asheville keeps him up in 1920 -- and how much he‘ll factor into this year‘s playoffs.

When Charlotte’s No. 1 ace pitcher, Craig Clark, went down with a season-ending injury in May, many thought the Hornets would be done. But Charlotte just plugged some others into the rotation and fought their way to another playoff berth. The new No. 1 pitcher turned out to be Javier Guerra, who was 16-8 with a sub 2.50 ERA. Rudy Young, a past Most Outstanding Pitcher winner, went 14-11. Tim “T-Rex” Johnston was 13-14 in his first full season in the NCSL.

Ivan Martinez (1B) and Antonio Arevalo (RF) continued to carry big sticks for Charlotte. Each had 67 RBIs and averages right near the .300 mark. Shortstop Craig Gray had a breakout year, batting .306 with a league-best 13 triples. The man could motor around the bases and find the gaps the defense for sure…

The Winston-Salem Twins got their usual production from OF Angel “Sweetness” Pellicer. Can he win a fifth Most Outstanding Batter title? His numbers should put him in the running: .349 average, .439 OBP (tops in the league), 54 RBIs, 10 triples, 18 doubles. He was the league Batter of the Month for July.

Winston had four regulars bat .297 or better -- Pellicer, SS Carlos Rodriguez (.318), CF Ryan Travis (.308) and 1B Henry “Boom Boom” Butler (.297). Butler had a 21-game hitting streak going at one point. Late-season call-up Colton McQueen, a 21-year-old second baseman, posted a .319 average with 20 RBIs in 119 at-bats for the W-S crew. He had six triples and stole 20 bases. Winston could hit it with anyone but just didn’t quite have enough pitching to get back into the playoffs this season (much to the chagrin of AzTarHeel’s prognosticating skills). After starters Jack Fry (14-10) and Gary “Brick” Lee (14-13), the Twins really lacked dependable arms.


The Durham Bulls’ fortunes took a wrong turn when the club lost ace pitcher Dan “Little Rat” Sutton for the season due to injury. The ruptured disc in his back likely means he won’t be at full health at the start of next season either. The real highlight for the Bulls was the play of right fielder Garrett McDonald. The 26-year-old (pictured) earned a .352 average to win the regular season batting title. His previous best season was .301, the only time he crossed into the .300s since joining the league in 1913. LF Jason Wilson stole 63 bases for the Bulls.

Well, what do you know, the Greensboro Patriots didn’t finish last! In fact, the Patriots took great pride at only being eight games back of the champion Tourists after the season ended. They improved by 10 games from their 1918 win totals. In their final game, the Pats drilled Charlotte 12-8, going into the off-season on a great note (with back-to-back wins over the Hornets, who seemed to be resting a few starters for the playoffs).

After winning the 1918 Western Carolina League Most Outstanding Hitter award, William Sullivan (1B) spent his first full season with Greensboro’s Big Club. He batted a cool .316 with a league best 32 doubles. RF Lester “Blitz” Kennedy led the Patriots’ offense with a .329 average, 22 doubles and nine triples. He batted home 52 runs. If Greensboro fans can hold on another few years, maybe they’ll see some playoff baseball in their town. Maybe.

The Raleigh Capitals are the club that’s reeling these days. The Caps suffered their worst season in their seven-year history, winning only 52 games (and finishing behind Greensboro -- ACCK!). It wasn’t really a ton of injuries that did the team in, though their top bat (RF Bill Robbins, .343 average in 72 games) missed nearly half of the year recovering from a 1918 ailment. The Caps just weren’t that good as a unit. No. 4 starter Jake Renz was 6-18 after coming to Raleigh from Asheville as part of the Vincente Nieves trade.

On to the playoffs, where Asheville will try to derail Charlotte's bid for a three-peat...