Middle Atlantic League
The Middle Atlantic League was a lower-level circuit in American minor league baseball that played during the second quarter of the 20th century.
History
The Middle Atlantic League played from 1925 through 1951, pausing for three seasons when the league suspended operations during World War II. The league primarily featured clubs based in the U.S. states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, although it had a team in Maryland and, in its final season, one in New York. Its longest-tenured team, the Johnstown Johnnies from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, played for 19 seasons. The final champions were the 1951 Niagara Falls Citizens.Throughout its 24-year history, the Middle Atlantic League was designated by the National Association as a Class C level league, one level up from the lowest classification in the era, Class D.
Elmer M. Daily served as president of the Middle Atlantic League for the entirety of its 24 seasons of play.
List of teams
- Akron, OH: Akron Yankees 1935-1941
- Altoona, PA: Altoona Engineers 1931
- Beaver Falls, PA: Beaver Falls Beavers 1931
- Beckley, WV: Beckley Black Knights 1931-1934; Beckley Miners 1935
- Butler, PA: Butler Yankees 1946-1947; Butler Tigers 1948-1951
- Canton, OH: Canton Terriers 1936-1942
- Charleroi, PA: Charleroi Babes 1927-1928; Charleroi Governors 1929-1931
- Charleston, WV: Charleston Senators 1931-1942
- Clarksburg, WV: Clarksburg Generals 1925-1932
- Cumberland, MD: Cumberland Colts 1925-1932, 1941-1942
- Dayton, OH: Dayton Ducks 1933-1938; Dayton Wings 1939-1940
- Erie, PA: Erie Sailors 1938-1939, 1941-1942,1946-1951
- Fairmont, WV: Fairmont Maroons 1925; Fairmont Black Diamonds 1926-1931
- Hagerstown, MD: Hagerstown Hubs 1931
- Huntington, WV: Huntington Boosters 1931-1933; Huntington Red Birds 1934-1936
- Jeannette, PA: Jeannette Jays 1926-1931
- Johnstown, PA: Johnstown Johnnies 1925-1938, 1946-1950
- Lockport, NY: Lockport Locks 1951
- New Castle, PA: New Castle Chiefs 1948; New Castle Nats 1949-1950; New Castle Indians 1951
- Niagara Falls, NY: Niagara Falls Frontiers 1946-1947; Niagara Falls Citizens 1950-1951
- Oil City, PA: Oil City Oilers 1946; Oil City Refiners 1947-1950; Oil City A's 1951
- Parkersburg, WV: Parkersburg Parkers 1931
- Portsmouth, OH: Portsmouth Pirates 1935-1936; Portsmouth Red Birds 1937-1940
- Scottdale, PA: Scottdale Scotties 1925-1930; Scottdale Cardinals 1931
- Springfield, OH: Springfield Chicks 1933; Springfield Pirates 1934; Springfield Indians 1937-1939; Springfield Cardinals 1941-1942
- Uniontown, PA: Uniontown Cokers 1926; Uniontown Coal Barons 1947-1949
- Vandergrift, PA: Vandergrift Pioneers 1947-1950
- Wheeling, WV: Wheeling Stogies 1925-1931, 1933-1934
- Youngstown, OH: Youngstown Tubers 1931; Youngstown Browns 1939-1941; Youngstown Gremlins 1946; Youngstown Colts 1947-1948; Youngstown Athletics 1949-1951
- Zanesville, OH: Zanesville Grays 1933-1937; Zanesville Cubs 1941-1942
League champions
- 1925 - Johnstown Johnnies
- 1926 - Johnstown Johnnies -2
- 1927 - Cumberland Colts
- 1928 - Fairmont Black Diamonds
- 1929 - Charleroi Governors
- 1930 - Johnstown Johnnies -3
- 1931 - Cumberland Colts -2
- 1932 - Charleston Senators -2
- 1933 - Zanesville Grays
- 1934 - Zanesville Grays - 2
- 1935 - Huntington Red Birds
- 1936 - Zanesville Grays - 3
- 1937 - Canton Terriers
- 1938 - Portsmouth Red Birds
- 1939 - Canton Terriers -2
- 1940 - Akron Yankees
- 1941 - Erie Sailors
- 1942 - Erie Sailors -2
- 1943 - League shutdown due to World War II
- 1944 - League shutdown due to World War II
- 1945 - League shutdown due to World War II
- 1946 - Erie Sailors -3
- 1947 - Vandergrift Pioneers
- 1948 - Erie Sailors -4
- 1949 - Erie Sailors -5
- 1950 - Butler Tigers
- 1951 - Niagara Falls Citizens
Standings & statistics
1925 to 1930
1925 Middle Atlantic League| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
| Johnstown Johnnies | 64 | 31 | .674 | - | Norm McNeill |
| Cumberland Colts | 56 | 40 | .583 | 8½ | Tom Ray / Hank McEnroe Jim McGuire |
| Clarksburg Cyrians/Ghosts | 48 | 45 | .516 | 15 | Blake Lytle / Harry Shriver |
| Fairmont Maroons | 47 | 53 | .470 | 19½ | Cy Perry / Ira Erret |
| Wheeling Stogies | 39 | 62 | .386 | 28 | Art Rooney / Frank Eastley |
| Scottdale Scotties | 18 | 41 | .305 | NA | Joe Brahaney |
Scottdale joined league July 12.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
| Mike Martineck | Johnstown | BA | .372 | John Schmutte | Johnstown | W | 19 | |
| Art Rooney | Wheeling | Runs | 109 | Charles Harkins | Clarksburg | SO | 123 | |
| Art Rooney | Wheeling | Hits | 143 | Paul Secrist | Cumberland | Pct | .909; 10–1 | |
| Mike Martineck | Johnstown | HR | 18 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Art Rooney | Wheeling | SB | 58 | - | - | - | - | - |
1926 Middle Atlantic League
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
| Fairmont Diamonds | 68 | 44 | .607 | - | Joe Phillips |
| Johnstown Johnnies | 63 | 43 | .594 | 2 | Norm McNeill |
| Cumberland Colts | 62 | 48 | .564 | 5 | Pat Ragan |
| Clarksburg Generals | 56 | 51 | .523 | 9½ | Harry Shriver / Bill Pike |
| Scottdale Scotties | 51 | 61 | .455 | 17 | Mike Mowrey |
| Uniontown Cokers | 47 | 61 | .435 | 19 | Tommy Ray / Jim McGuire Lee King / John Bail |
| Jeannette Jays | 45 | 64 | .413 | 21½ | Jack Snyder / Warwick Comstock |
| Wheeling Stogies | 44 | 64 | .407 | 22 | Eddie Lennox / John Hummel |
Playoff: Johnstown 4 games, Fairmont 2.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
| Denny Sothern | Cumberland | BA | .374 | Arthur Cousins | Fairmont | W | 21 | |
| Edward Sobb | Clarksburg | Runs | 113 | Buck Hopkins | Scottdale | SO | 193 | |
| Dewey Stover | Clarksburg | Hits | 152 | Arthur Cousins | Fairmont | Pct | .750; 21–7 | |
| Jack Smith | Uniontown | HR | 28 | - | - | - | - |
1927 Middle Atlantic League
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
| Cumberland Colts | 66 | 47 | .584 | - | Guy Thompson |
| Fairmont Black Diamonds | 64 | 50 | .561 | 2½ | Joe Phillips |
| Clarksburg Generals | 63 | 55 | .534 | 5½ | Greasy Neale |
| Wheeling Stogies | 59 | 55 | .518 | 7½ | Bobby Prysock |
| Scottdale Scotties | 57 | 54 | .514 | 8 | Moose Marshall |
| Johnstown Johnnies | 57 | 55 | .509 | 8½ | Babe Adams / Chief Bender |
| Jeannette Jays | 48 | 65 | .425 | 18 | Jim Ferguson / Lee Strait Elmer Knetzer |
| Charleroi Babes | 42 | 75 | .359 | 26 | John McIlvain / Warwick Comstock |
Playoff: Cumberland 4 games, Johnstown 2.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
| Karl Weber | Wheeling | BA | .340 | William Helmick | Fairmont | W | 18 | |
| Edward Sobb | Clarksburg | Runs | 74 | Carl Fisher | Johnstown | SO | 133 | |
| Karl Weber | Wheeling | Hits | 155 | Clral Gillenwater | Wheeling | ERA | 1.66 | |
| Ed Conley | Cumberland | HR | 16 | Chuck Trader | Fairmont/Wheeling | PCT | .765 13–4 |
1928 Middle Atlantic League
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
| Cumberland Colts | 75 | 49 | .605 | - | Johnny Byrne |
| Fairmont Black Diamonds | 70 | 51 | .578 | 3½ | Joe Phillips |
| Wheeling Stogies | 68 | 52 | .567 | 5 | Bobby Prysock |
| Jeannette Jays | 65 | 54 | .546 | 7½ | Lee Strait |
| Charleroi Babes | 62 | 60 | .508 | 12 | Bill Phillips |
| Johnstown Johnnies | 55 | 59 | .482 | 15 | Chief Bender / Claude Roth Mike Thompson |
| Clarksburg Generals | 42 | 76 | .356 | 30 | Moose Marshall / Webb Cashion Greasy Neale |
| Scottdale Scotties | 40 | 76 | .345 | 31 | Mike Flaherty |
Playoff: Fairmont 4 games, Wheeling 2.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
| Bill Pritchard | Clarksburg/Wheeling | BA | .370 | Joseph Drugmond | Charleroi | W | 23 | |
| Ed Conley | Cumberland | Runs | 99 | Joseph Drugmond | Charleroi | SO | 149 | |
| Dewey Stover | Clarksburg | Hits | 165 | Charles Herrell | Cumberland | ERA | 2.23 | |
| Bob Holland | Fairmont | RBI | 96 | James Tennant | Cumberland | PCT | .857 12–2 | |
| Bob Holland | Fairmont | HR | 20 | - | - | - | - | - |
1929 Middle Atlantic League
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
| Charleroi Governors | 67 | 47 | .587 | - | Bob Rice |
| Wheeling Stogies | 67 | 47 | .587 | - | Pat Haley |
| Cumberland Colts | 65 | 53 | .551 | 4 | Johnny Byrne |
| Fairmont Black Diamonds | 58 | 55 | .513 | 8½ | Joe Phillips |
| Scottdale Scotties | 57 | 58 | .496 | 10½ | Eddie Dyer |
| Clarksburg Generals | 53 | 63 | .457 | 15 | Chap Marable |
| Jeannette Jays | 50 | 66 | .431 | 18 | Lee Strait / Leo Hanley |
| Johnstown Johnnies | 44 | 72 | .379 | 24 | Norm McNeil / Marty Fielder |
Playoff: Charleroi 4 games, Wheeling 1.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
| Fred Lucas | Charleroi | BA | .407 | Irvin Rase | Cumberland | W | 22 | |
| George Durning | Cumberland | Runs | 96 | Clarence Heise | Scottdale | SO | 154 | |
| Fred Lucas | Charleroi | Hits | 178 | Irvin Rase | Cumberland | ERA | 2.63 | |
| Fred Lucas | Charleroi | RBI | 113 | Mike Ryba | Scottdale | PCT | .909 10–1 | |
| Fred Lucas | Charleroi | HR | 21 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Moose Solters | Fairmont | HR | 21 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Jimmy Ripple | Jeanette | 3B | 24 | - | - | - | - | - |
1930 Middle Atlantic League
| Team standings | W | L | PCT | GB | Managers |
| Johnstown Johnnies | 64 | 53 | .547 | - | Wilbur Good |
| Clarksburg Generals | 64 | 53 | .547 | - | Greasy Neale |
| Fairmont Black Diamonds | 61 | 55 | .526 | 2½ | Del Gainer / Tony Cyran Jim Walsh |
| Scottdale Scotties | 59 | 55 | .518 | 3½ | Eddie Dyer |
| Charleroi Governors | 58 | 57 | .504 | 5 | Dave Lamb |
| Cumberland Colts | 59 | 59 | .500 | 5½ | Joe Phillips |
| Wheeling Stogies | 50 | 65 | .435 | 13 | Bobby Prysock / Dan Tapson |
| Jeannette Jays | 49 | 67 | .422 | 14½ | Dan Pasquella |
Playoff: Johnstown 4 games, Clarksburg 3.
| Player | Team | Stat | Tot | Player | Team | Stat | Tot | |
| Joe Medwick | Scottdale | BA | .419 | Red Proctor | Clarksburg | W | 24 | |
| Sam Thomas | Johnstown | Runs | 125 | Ed Chapman | Scottdale | SO | 207 | |
| Frank Doljack | Wheeling | Hits | 176 | Cecil Slaughter | Fairmont | ERA | 3.23 | |
| Hal Stricklin | Charleroi | RBI | 108 | Tommy Thompson | Johnstown | PCT | .720 18–7 | |
| Hal Stricklin | Charleroi | HR | 31 | - | - | - | - | - |