The Belmont Chiefs were a minor league baseball team based in Lexington, North Carolina. In 1961, the Chiefs played as members of the Western Carolina League, finishing the season in fifth placce. The Belmont Chiefs were a minor league affiliate of the San Francisco Giants and hosted minor league home games at Davis Park.
| Belmont Chiefs | |
|---|---|
| Minor league affiliations | |
| Class | Class D (1961) |
| League | Western Carolina League (1961) |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Team | San Francisco Giants (1961) |
| Minor league titles | |
| League titles (0) | None |
| Team data | |
| Name | Belmont Chiefs (1961) |
| Ballpark | Davis Park (1961) |
History edit
In 1961, minor league baseball play began in Belmont, North Carolina, when the Belmont "Chiefs" began play as members in the six–team Class D level Western Carolina League. The Chiefs were a minor league affiliate of the San Francisco Giants in 1961. Belmont joined the Salisbury Braves, Statesville Owls, Lexington Indians, Shelby Colonels and Newton-Conover Twins in league play.[1][2]
The Belmont Chiefs were partially owned by Jim Poole, who also began the season at the Chiefs' manager. The team began the season with a 2–22 record. On May 27, 1961, Whitey Ries replaced Poole as manager. On July 17, 1961, Ries was replaced as manager by Max Lanier.[3][4]
After beginning Western Carolina League play on May 1, 1961, Belmont finished the season in fifth place in the final Western Carolina League standings. The Chiefs improved to go 37–39 after their 2–22 start and had a final record of 39–61. The Chiefs finished the season 24.0 games behind the first place Salisbury Braves in the final standings. The Belmont Chiefs folded after the 1961 season, after drawing 10,081 home fans for the season. The Western Carolina League reduced to four teams in 1962.[1][5][2][3][6]
Belmont, North Carolina has not hosted another minor league team.[7]
The ballparks edit
The Belmont Chiefs hosted their minor league home games at Davis Park. Today, Davis Park is still in use as a public park with a "baseball field." Davis Park is located at 203 Park Drive in Belmont, North Carolina.[8][9]
Timeline edit
| Year(s) | # Yrs. | Team | Level | League | Affiliate | Ballpark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1 | Belmont Chiefs | Class D |
Western Carolina League | San Francisco Giants | Davis Park |
Year–by–year record edit
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Attend | Playoffs/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 39–61 | 5th | Jim Poole (2–22) / Whitey Ries / Max Lanier |
10,081 | Did not qualify |
Notable alumni edit
- Max Lanier (1961, MGR) 2x MLB All–Star
- Jim Poole (1961, MGR)
- Fred Wenz (1961)
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b "1961 Western Carolina League". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ a b "1961 Western Carolina League (WCL) minor league baseball on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ a b c "1961 Belmont Chiefs minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ Holaday, J. Chris (September 11, 2015). Professional Baseball in North Carolina: An Illustrated City-by-City History, 1901-1996. McFarland. ISBN 9781476608686 – via Google Books.
- ^ "1961 Belmont Chiefs Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.
- ^ "Belmont, North Carolina Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Davis Park in Belmont, NC minor league baseball history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "Davis Park". Belmont, NC.