Industrial League: Difference between revisions
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The '''Industrial League''' is a general term for several semi-professional baseball leagues pitting company-sponsored teams made up of employees against each other. | The '''Industrial League''' is a general term for several amateur or semi-professional baseball leagues pitting company-sponsored teams made up of employees against each other. Industrial League and sandlot baseball was an extremely popular past-time in the [[Birmingham District]] and is credited with serving as a seed-bed for numerous professional ball-players. | ||
In [[ | During [[segregation laws|enforced segregation]], separate leagues were organized for Black and white ballplayers. In the context of the [[Birmingham Amateur Baseball Federation]], which sent its champions to play in regional and national tournaments, the term "industrial league" often was used to refer to the Black organizations, which only played for a local championship. | ||
==Industrial League== | In the heyday of amateur baseball, industrial league games attracted as many or more fans than the professional [[Birmingham Barons]] and [[Birmingham Black Barons]], with reports of more than 10,000 spectators for the biggest games between [[ACIPCO]] and [[Stockham Valves & Fittings|Stockham Valve]] at [[Sloss Field]], and an observation by [[Frank McGowan]] of {{BN}} that crowds of 3,000 to 5,000 were fairly common in [[1940]]. | ||
===Eastern Division=== | |||
Before the 1930s, Birmingham's "Blue Laws" or "Sunday Laws" precluded the playing of baseball on Sundays. Pioneering Sunday leagues such as the [[Italian League]] held games outside the city limits in [[Dolomite]] and [[Yarbrough]], attracting large crowds or picnickers from Birmingham. A [[1932 Sunday sports referendum]] was held on [[July 13]], resulting in overwhelming approval of the initiative, that had been spearheaded by [[Bull Connor]], then a popular Barons announcer. | |||
During [[World War II]] many of Birmingham's Industrial League baseball players had opportunities to play alongside and against professional minor and major leaguers from around the country on military teams. More than one reported that many of those pro players would have struggled to stay on a roster in Birmingham's amateur leagues. | |||
Several of the best players from ACIPCO's team formed the nucleus of [[Frank Perdue]]'s [[1919 Birmingham All-Stars]], which continued to play in the Negro Southern League as the [[Birmingham Black Barons]]. | |||
__NOTOC__ | |||
==1907== | |||
In [[1907]] the [[Birmingham YMCA]] organized a four-team amateur baseball league, with each team named for a commercial sponsor: | |||
* [[Prowell Hardware Co.]] | |||
* [[Cotton, Odum & Bowers]] | |||
* [[Massey Business College]] | |||
* [[Birmingham Railway, Light & Power Company|Birmingham Railway, Light & Power Co.]] | |||
==1926== | |||
In [[1926]] there was an Industrial League and a City League, each organized into three divisions: | |||
===Industrial League=== | |||
{|- | |||
| valign="top" width=250 | | |||
====Eastern Division==== | |||
* [[Boyles]] | * [[Boyles]] | ||
* [[Continental Gin]] | * [[Continental Gin]] | ||
| Line 11: | Line 33: | ||
* [[Pinson]] | * [[Pinson]] | ||
* [[Center]] | * [[Center]] | ||
===Central Division=== | | valign="top" width=250 | | ||
====Central Division==== | |||
* [[NCIP Co.]] | * [[NCIP Co.]] | ||
* [[East Lake]] | * [[East Lake]] | ||
| Line 18: | Line 41: | ||
* [[Pan-American]] | * [[Pan-American]] | ||
* [[Gulf States]] | * [[Gulf States]] | ||
===Western Division=== | | valign="top" | | ||
====Western Division==== | |||
* [[Brookside]] | * [[Brookside]] | ||
* [[Mineral Springs (Jefferson County community)|Mineral Springs]] | * [[Mineral Springs (Jefferson County community)|Mineral Springs]] | ||
* [[Bessie Mines]] | * [[Bessie Mines]] | ||
* [[Shades Mountain]] | * [[Shades Mountain]] | ||
|} | |||
==City League== | ===City League=== | ||
===Central Division=== | {|- | ||
| valign="top" width=250 | | |||
====Central Division==== | |||
* [[Southern Bell]] | * [[Southern Bell]] | ||
* [[Sloss]] | * [[Sloss]] | ||
| Line 32: | Line 58: | ||
* [[Avondale Park]] | * [[Avondale Park]] | ||
* [[Thomas]] | * [[Thomas]] | ||
===Eastern Division=== | | valign="top" width=250 | | ||
====Eastern Division==== | |||
* [[Wahouma]] | * [[Wahouma]] | ||
* [[North Birmingham]] | * [[North Birmingham]] | ||
* [[Avondale Mills]] | * [[Avondale Mills]] | ||
* [[Central Park]] | * [[Central Park]] | ||
===Western Division=== | | valign="top" | | ||
====Western Division==== | |||
* [[Industrial School]] | * [[Industrial School]] | ||
* [[Unit Stove]] | * [[Unit Stove]] | ||
| Line 43: | Line 71: | ||
* [[Fire Department]] | * [[Fire Department]] | ||
* [[Welded Products]] | * [[Welded Products]] | ||
|} | |||
==1936== | |||
By [[1936]] there were more than 150 company-sponsored teams in more than a dozen leagues across five divisions playing under the umbrella of the [[Birmingham Amateur Baseball Federation]]. The [[Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Company]] sponsored two of those leagues and eleven teams. | |||
==Notable industrial league players== | |||
* [[Ivy Andrews]] | |||
* [[Dan Bankhead]] | |||
* [[Sam Byrd]] | |||
* [[Ben Chapman]] | |||
* [[Cat Mays|Willie "Cat" Mays]] | |||
* [[Willie Mays]] | |||
* [[Nat Pollard]] | |||
* [[Harry Salmon]] | |||
* [[Joe Sewell]] | |||
* [[Mule Suttles]] | |||
* [[Dixie Walker]] | |||
* [[Artie Wilson]] | |||
{{stub}} | {{stub}} | ||
==References== | |||
* Brasher, Jusin (2006) "The New South and the Sandlot: Company-Sponsored Baseball in Birmingham, AL." ''The Vulcan Historical Review'', Vol. 10, pp. 20–32 | |||
[[Category:Baseball leagues]] | [[Category:Baseball leagues]] | ||
Latest revision as of 18:05, 8 December 2023
The Industrial League is a general term for several amateur or semi-professional baseball leagues pitting company-sponsored teams made up of employees against each other. Industrial League and sandlot baseball was an extremely popular past-time in the Birmingham District and is credited with serving as a seed-bed for numerous professional ball-players.
During enforced segregation, separate leagues were organized for Black and white ballplayers. In the context of the Birmingham Amateur Baseball Federation, which sent its champions to play in regional and national tournaments, the term "industrial league" often was used to refer to the Black organizations, which only played for a local championship.
In the heyday of amateur baseball, industrial league games attracted as many or more fans than the professional Birmingham Barons and Birmingham Black Barons, with reports of more than 10,000 spectators for the biggest games between ACIPCO and Stockham Valve at Sloss Field, and an observation by Frank McGowan of The Birmingham News that crowds of 3,000 to 5,000 were fairly common in 1940.
Before the 1930s, Birmingham's "Blue Laws" or "Sunday Laws" precluded the playing of baseball on Sundays. Pioneering Sunday leagues such as the Italian League held games outside the city limits in Dolomite and Yarbrough, attracting large crowds or picnickers from Birmingham. A 1932 Sunday sports referendum was held on July 13, resulting in overwhelming approval of the initiative, that had been spearheaded by Bull Connor, then a popular Barons announcer.
During World War II many of Birmingham's Industrial League baseball players had opportunities to play alongside and against professional minor and major leaguers from around the country on military teams. More than one reported that many of those pro players would have struggled to stay on a roster in Birmingham's amateur leagues.
Several of the best players from ACIPCO's team formed the nucleus of Frank Perdue's 1919 Birmingham All-Stars, which continued to play in the Negro Southern League as the Birmingham Black Barons.
1907
In 1907 the Birmingham YMCA organized a four-team amateur baseball league, with each team named for a commercial sponsor:
- Prowell Hardware Co.
- Cotton, Odum & Bowers
- Massey Business College
- Birmingham Railway, Light & Power Co.
1926
In 1926 there was an Industrial League and a City League, each organized into three divisions:
Industrial League
Eastern Division |
Central Division |
Western Division |
City League
Central Division |
Eastern Division |
Western Division |
1936
By 1936 there were more than 150 company-sponsored teams in more than a dozen leagues across five divisions playing under the umbrella of the Birmingham Amateur Baseball Federation. The Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Company sponsored two of those leagues and eleven teams.
Notable industrial league players
- Ivy Andrews
- Dan Bankhead
- Sam Byrd
- Ben Chapman
- Willie "Cat" Mays
- Willie Mays
- Nat Pollard
- Harry Salmon
- Joe Sewell
- Mule Suttles
- Dixie Walker
- Artie Wilson
References
- Brasher, Jusin (2006) "The New South and the Sandlot: Company-Sponsored Baseball in Birmingham, AL." The Vulcan Historical Review, Vol. 10, pp. 20–32