Western Carolinas League (1960-1979)

Tombstone

Formed:
Re-Branded: 1980 (South Atlantic League)

First Game: May 25, 1960
Last Game: September 5, 1979

Seasons: 20
States & Provinces: 2
(North Carolina  & South Carolina)

Leadership

President: John Henry Moss

Trophy Case

Western Carolinas League Most Valuable Player

Year Player Position Team
1970 George Hodge Third Base Spartanburg Phillies
1978 Jim Barbe First Base Asheville Tourists

 

Western Carolinas League Most Valuable Pitcher

Year Pitcher Team
1970 Craig Skok Greenville Red Sox
1978 Scott Munninghoff Spartanburg Phillies

 

Western Carolinas League Most Outstanding Major League Prospect

Year Player Position Team
1970 Nelson Garcia Outfielder Spartanburg Phillies
1978 Scott Munninghoff Spartanburg Phillies

 

Western Carolinas League Manager of the Year

Year Pitcher Team
1978 Jim Lett Shelby Reds

 

Background

The Western Carolinas League formed as a Class D circuit in late 1959/early 1960 with the intention of providing farm clubs to the Continental League, a proposed third addition to the ranks of the Major Leagues that would bring top-flight baseball to cities such as Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis, Toronto and New York (to replace the recently departed Dodgers and Giants). The Continental League intended to throw its first pitch in April 1961. The Western Carolinas League would get underway a year earlier in the summer of 1960.

The American and National Leagues ultimately scuttled the challenge posed by the Continental League with pre-emptive expansion. The Continental League disbanded in August 1960. But the Western Carolinas League opened for business that summer with eight clubs in North Carolina.

That number was reduced to six teams in 1961. And those clubs began pursuing American and National League affiliations. Four of the six club in the 1961 WCL secured Major League parent club partnerships.  But 1962 saw a step back, as the WCL fielded just four clubs and only the Salisbury Braves (hitched up with the expansion New York Mets) had a Major League tie-up.

Surviving the 70’s

Minor league baseball re-classified its Class structure prior to the 1963 season and the Western Carolinas League shifted from the abandoned Class D designation to Class A. The league grew back to eight clubs in 1963, six of whom had Major League affiliations. 1963 also saw the WCL expand into South Carolina for the first time.

For the next 16 summers the WCL carried on a rather precarious existence, never expanding beyond its North Carolina and South Carolina homeland. In both 1975 and 1976 the league operated with just four member teams. But fortunes began to improve by the late 1970’s as the league built back to six teams. In 1979, the league added a notably strong new expansion club in Greensboro, North Carolina operated by Nashville’s Larry Schmittou, one of the top minor league promoters of the late 1970’s and 1980’s.

1980 Re-Branding

The Western Carolinas League re-branded itself as the South Atlantic League in 1980. Expansion beyond the Carolinas coincided with the new name as a team in Macon, Georgia was added for the 1980 season. The South Atlantic League thrives today with 14 franchises and has expanded as far afield as Kentucky and New Jersey.

 

Western Carolinas League Franchise List

FRANCHISEYEARS ACTIVEWCL CHAMPIONS
Anderson Giants1972Never
Anderson Mets1974Never
Anderson Rangers1975Never
Anderson Senators1970-1971Never
Anderson Tigers1973Never
Asheville Tourists1976-1979Never
Belmont Chiefs1961Never
Charleston Patriots1976-1977Never
Charleston Pirates1973-1975 & 1978Never
Charlotte Twins1972Never
Gastonia Cardinals1977-19791977
Gastonia Pirates1963-1970 & 1972Never
Gastonia Rangers1973-19741974
Gastonia Rippers1960Never
Greensboro Hornets1979Never
Greenville Braves1963-19641963
Greenville Mets1965-1966Never
Greenville Rangers1972Never
Greenville Red Sox1967-19711970
Greenwood Braves1968-19791968, 1969, 1971, 1976, 1978 & 1979
Hickory Rebels1960Never
Lexington Braves1967Never
Lexington Giants1963-1966Never
Lexington Indians1960-1961Never
Monroe Indians1969Never
Monroe Pirates1971Never
Newton-Conover Twins1960-1962Never
Orangeburg Cardinals1973Never
Orangeburg Dodgers1974Never
Rock Hill Cardinals1964-19651965
Rock Hill Indians1967-1968Never
Rock Hill Wrens1963Never
Rutherford County Owls1960Never
Salisbury Astros1965-1966Never
Salisbury Braves1960-19621960
Salisbury Dodgers1963-19641964
Shelby Colonels1960-19631961
Shelby Pirates1979Never
Shelby Rebels1965Never
Shelby Reds1977-1978Never
Shelby Senators1969Never
Shelby Yankees1964Never
Spartanburg Phillies1963-19791966, 1967, 1972, 1973 & 1975
Statesville Colts1964Never
Statesville Indians1969Never
Statesville Owls1960-19631962
Statesville Tigers1966-1967Never
Sumter Astros1971Never
Sumter Indians1970Never
Thomasville Hi-Toms1965-1966Never

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