The Virginia Mountain League was a minor league baseball organization active in central western Virginia in 1914. The Class D level league folded during its only season of play.
History
On March 3, 1914, at a meeting in Lynchburg, Virginia, discussions began for the formulation of a six–team, Class D level baseball league. Teams were tentatively slated to be based in Lynchburg, Danville, Charlottesville, Clifton Forge, Staunton and Covington, with a salary limit of $800 (per team) monthly. Lynchburg was hesitant to commit because of a previous $700 lien on its territory, a result of a previous team in the Virginia League.[1]
The league was then formed at a March 12, 1914, meeting, without Danville and Lynchburg franchises. B.F. Donovan, of Clifton Forge, was elected league president. D. R. Ellis, of Covington, was elected as vice-president.[1]
The Virginia Mountain League had four teams: the Charlottesville Tuckahoes, the Clifton Forge, Virginia based Clifton Forge Railroaders, the Covington, Virginia based Covington Papermakers; the Staunton, Virginia based Staunton Lunatics and the Harrisonburg, Virginia hosted Harrisonburg Lunatics, The Staunton team later moved to Harrisonburg in July 1914.[2] The league disbanded on July 25, 1914, with Covington in first place with a 37–26 record, 5.0 games ahead of second place Charlottesville.[3]
The Virginia Mountain League was reported to have folded due to poor attendance and the onset of World War I amid "rumors of fixed games."[4][5]
Shortly after the Virginia Mountain League folded, there was an unsuccessful attempt, headed by Clifton Forge manager Buck Hooker, in August 1914, to revive the league and the teams.[6]
However, following the collapse of the league, the Covington and Clifton Forge teams elected to play a 10–game championship series. The Railroaders captured the unofficial league “title,” winning 7 of the 10 games. After winning a final doubleheader against Covington by scores of 5–4 and 5–3, a farewell reception and banquet was held for the players at Clifton Forge.[1]
Cities represented
- Charlottesville, VA: Charlottesville Tuckahoes 1914
- Clifton Forge, VA: Clifton Forge Railroaders 1914
- Covington, VA: Covington Papermakers 1914
- Harrisonburg, VA: Harrisonburg Lunatics 1914
- Staunton, VA: Staunton Lunatics 1914
1914 Virginia Mountain League standings
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covington Papermakers | 37 | 26 | .587 | – | Frank Moore / Nick Carter |
| Charlottesville Tuckahoes | 31 | 30 | .508 | 5.0 | Walter Steinhause |
| Clifton Forge Railroaders | 28 | 34 | .452 | 8.5 | Clarence Irwin / Harvey Bailey Edward Eschback / Buck Hooker |
| Staunton Lunatics / Harrisonburg Lunatics |
26 | 32 | .448 | 8.5 | Davey Crockett / Pat Krebs |
Staunton (15–22) moved to Harrisonburg July 21.[3]
References
- ^ a b c "1914 Virginia Mountain League, "One & Done"" (PDF), Diamonds in the Dusk: 3, 3 February 2014
- ^ "1914 Virginia Mountain League". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
- ^ a b The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, editors (Third ed.). Baseball America. 2007. ISBN 978-1932391176.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ The Valley Baseball League: A History of Baseball in the Shenandoah Valley. Lulu Press. 24 June 2014. ISBN 9781483411385.
- ^ “‘A Good Base Ball Club Is a Splendid Advertisement to a Town’: Baseball and the New South in Clifton Forge, Virginia,” Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 124, No. 3 (2016): 186-215
- ^ "Evening journal 11 August 1914 — Virginia Chronicle: Digital Newspaper Archive". virginiachronicle.com.