Wilkes-Barre (minor league baseball club)

The Wilkes-Barre Barons were a minor league baseball team that existed off-and-on from 1886 to 1955. They began as an unnamed team in the Pennsylvania State Association in 1886.

Wilkes-Barre Barons
Minor league affiliations
Previous classes
  • Class A (1933–1955)
  • Class B (1905–1932)
  • Class D (1902)
  • Class A (1895–1899)
  • Class B (1892)
LeagueEastern League (1938–1955)
Previous leagues
Major league affiliations
Previous teams
Minor league titles
League titles 7 (1909, 1910, 1911, 1917, 1930, 1932, 1950)
Team data
Previous names
  • Wilkes-Barre Barons (1953–1955)
  • Wilkes-Barre Indians (1948–1951)
  • Wilkes-Barre Barons (1905–1947)
  • Wilkes-Barre/Mount Carmel (1902)
  • Wilkes-Barre Coal Barons (1893–1900)
  • Wilkes-Barre Coal Barons/Pittsburgh (1892)
  • Wilkes-Barre Barons (1888–1889)
  • Wilkes-Barre Coal Barons (1887)
  • Wilkes-Barre (1886)
Previous parks
Artillery Park

The following season the team was known as the Wilkes-Barre Coal Barons and played in the Central League in 1888, but the league disbanded after that season. Two Wilkes-Barre team took the field in 1889 and 1892, with the later sharing representation with Pittsburgh, as Wilkes-Barre Coal Barons/Pittsburgh in the record books. The team then played from 1893 until 1898 in the Eastern League, and from 1898 to 1900 in the Atlantic League.

After spending the 1902 season in the Pennsylvania State League, as Wilkes-Barre/Mount Carmel. Their next incarnation came about in 1905, when they began playing in the New York State League, as the Wilkes-Barre Barons. They played in that league until 1917. From 1923 to 1937, they played in the New York–Pennsylvania League and from 1938 to 1948 they played in the Eastern League. Until 1939, they did not have any affiliations, however from 1939 to 1951 they were affiliated with the Cleveland Indians. The team was briefly named the Wilkes-Barre Indians from 1949 to 1951 and were managed by Bill Norman. They won a league championship in 1950 and made the league playoffs each year they played between 1949 and 1951.

From 1953 to 1955 the team regained the Barons name and once again played in the Eastern League, and in 1954 they were affiliated with the Chicago White Sox. In 1955, they were affiliated with the New York Giants when the franchise moved midseason to become the Johnstown Johnnies.[citation needed]

The ballpark

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They played home games at Artillery Park some seasons.

Notable alumni

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Multiple notable players spent time with the team, including:

[2]

Year-by-year record

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Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs
1888 59-48 3rd James Donnelly / John Irwin none
1905 70-52 3rd John Sharrott none
1906 52-76 8th John Sharrott / Mike Donovan none
1907 69-66 5th Abel Lizotte none
1908 60-77 7th Abel Lizotte / Robert Drury none
1909 88-53 1st Malachi Kittridge League Champs
1910 85-53 1st Bill Clymer League Champs
1911 82-61 1st Bill Clymer League Champs
1912 81-57 2nd Bill Clymer none
1913 84-56 2nd Joe McCarthy none
1914 79-55 2nd Joe McCarthy none
1915 54-60 6th Peter Noonan none
1916 62-63 4th Joe McCarthy none
1917 81-37 1st Jack Calhoun League Champs
1923 47-74 5th Tom Downey none
1924 51-82 7th Tom Downey / Dutch Brannan / Joe Wall none
1925 60-71 7th James Sharp / George Maisel
1926 56-73 7th George Maisel / Earl Potteiger none
1927 80-56 2nd Earl Potteiger none
1928 71-65 3rd Mike Konnick none
1929 50-86 8th Mike Konnick / Don Sykes / Punch Knoll none
1930 79-59 1st Mike McNally League Champs
1931 80-59 2nd Mike McNally none
1932 78-61 1st Mike McNally League Champs
1933 71-67 3rd Elmer Yoter none
1934 66-67 5th Elmer Yoter
1935 79-57 2nd Elmer Yoter
1936 62-75 7th Jake Pitler
1937 77-57 2nd Mike McNally Lost League Finals
1938 51-87 8th Mike McNally
1939 58-82 8th Eddie Phillips
1940 56-76 8th Earl Wolgamot
1941 87-51 1st Earl Wolgamot Lost in 1st round
1942 79-61 4th Earl Wolgamot Lost in 1st round
1943 77-61 4th Tony Lazzeri Lost in 1st round
1944 51-89 8th Jack Sanford
1945 78-59 2nd Dick Porter / Mike McNally Lost League Finals
1946 76-62 3rd Dick Porter Lost in 1st round
1947 80-60 3rd Bill Norman Lost in 1st round
1948 48-91 8th Bill Norman
1953 54-95 7th Danny Litwhiler
1954 80-59 1st Danny Carnevale Lost in 1st round
1955 59-78 overall -- Mike McCormick Wilkes-Barre moved to Johnstown July 1

References

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  1. ^ Hendriks, Andrew. "July 4, 1948: Thomas first Canuck to break color barrier in pro ball". canadianbaseballnetwork.com. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  2. ^ "Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com.