1948 Birmingham Barons

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The 1948 Birmingham Barons was the first year of a five-year farm agreement between the Birmingham Barons and the Boston Red Sox. The owner of the team was Gus Jebeles and the general manager was Eddie Glennon. The team was managed on the field by Fred Walters and competed in the Southern Association. Dick Hawley broadcast the games for WSGN-FM and WSGN-AM listeners, joined by Gabby Bell in his first season with the team.

George Wilson's home run helped the farm team defeat the Sox in an exhibition game at Rickwood Field prior to the season opener. The Barons also defeated the Detroit Tigers that year in Birmingham with local hero Virgil Trucks on the mound.

13,834 fans came to the home opener, and over the course of the season the Barons' slugging attracted 445,926 fans to Rickwood over the course of the season. The Barons ended the regular season with a record of 84-69, in 3rd place in the Southern Association behind the Nashville Volunteers (95-58) and the Memphis Chicks (92-61). In the Southern Association playoffs the Barons beat the Vols 4-2 in a seven-game series, then swept Memphis at home to take the championship 4-2. After winning the Association pennant, Birmingham faced Bobby Bragan's Fort Worth Panthers of the Texas League in the 1948 Dixie Series. First baseman Walt Dropo had two home runs in the final game at Fort Worth on October 7. Glennon gave each player a $3,000 bonus after the season.

Roster

See also

References

  • White, Jimmy (May 5, 2008) "In History: Looking back at the B'ham Barons of '48." Prattville Progress