The Virginia League (1894–1896) was a minor league baseball organization active in central Virginia.
History
In 1894, the Virginia League began play as an Independent level league and fielded six teams: the Lynchburg, Virginia based Lynchburg Hill Climbers, the Norfolk, Virginia based Norfolk Clam Eaters, the Petersburg Farmers, the Richmond Bluebirds, the Roanoke, Virginia based Roanoke Magicians, and the Staunton, Virginia based Staunton Hayseeds / Newport News, Virginia-Hampton, Virginia based Newport News-Hampton Deck Hands (the Staunton team relocated in the middle of the 1894 season).
In 1895, the league was upgraded to a Class B level league. The teams during the 1895 season were the Lynchburg Hill Climbers, the Norfolk Clams/Crows, the Petersburg Farmers, the Portsmouth Truckers, the Richmond Blue Birds, and the Roanoke Magicians.
In 1896, the Norfolk team became the Norfolk Braves, the Portsmouth team became the Portsmouth Browns and then moved to Hampton and became the Hampton-Newport News Clamdiggers.
1894–1896 cities represented
Lynchburg, VA: Lynchburg Hill Climbers 1894; Lynchburg Tobacconists 1895–1896 Newport News, VA & Hampton, VA: Newport News-Hampton Deck Hands 1894; Hampton-Newport News Clamdiggers 1896 Norfolk, VA: Norfolk Clam Eaters 1894; Norfolk Clams/Norfolk Crows 1895; Norfolk Braves 1896 Petersburg, VA: Petersburg Farmers 1894–1896 Portsmouth, VA: Portsmouth Truckers 1895; Portsmouth Browns 1896 Richmond, VA: Richmond Crows/Richmond Colts 1894; Richmond Bluebirds 1895-1896 Roanoke, VA: Roanoke Magicians 1894–1896 Staunton, VA: Staunton Hayseeds 1894
1894–1896 standings and statistics 1894 Virginia State League Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Petersburg Farmers 7244.621-H.P. HarrisonNorfolk Clam Eaters6645.5953.5Camden Sommers Richmond Crows / Richmond Colts6748.5834.5Timothy West Staunton Hayseeds / Newport News-Hampton Deck Hands 5064.43921.0Pat Ziegler C.A. Gaussen / William DonovanRoanoke Magicians4571.33827.0George Houston / Hal O'Hagan / Shadrack McHooveter / Bill Stephenson Lynchburg Hill Climbers4371.37728.0E.J. Kerry / Samuel Shaw J. Hofford / S. Moran Staunton (36-53) moved to Newport News-Hampton August 14. +Player statistics Player TeamStat Tot Stuart Sanford PetersburgHits121 1895 Virginia State League Team standingsWLPCTGB ManagersRichmond Bluebirds 7845.634-Jake Wells Lynchburg Tobacconists6752.5639.0Bill SmithNorfolk Clams/Crows5661.47919.0Camden Sommers Bill Hoggins / Pop Tate Portsmouth Truckers5768.45622.0John Brady Charles Bland / George Reed Petersburg Farmers5569.44423.5Bob Pender Roanoke Magicians5270.43125.5Jim Breen / Dick Padden No Playoffs Scheduled. +Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Pop TatePortsmouth/NorfolkBA.412Carney FlynnRichmondW25 Hal O'HaganNorfolkRuns125Carney FlynnRichmondSO203 Pop TatePortsmouth/NorfolkHits194Al OrthLynchburgPCT.774 24-7 Bob BerryhillLynchburgHR19 Charles McIntyre LynchburgHR19 Louis Lippert PetersburgSB77 1896 Virginia State League Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Richmond Bluebirds 7155.563-Jake Wells Norfolk Braves7060.5383.0Claude McFarland Portsmouth Browns6564.5047.5Lefty Marr / Bill Hall Petersburg Farmers / Hampton-Newport News Clamdiggers 3990.30233.5James Breen George Kelly / Charles BoyerLynchburg Tobacconists 6837.648NABill SmithRoanoke Magicians 4956.467NACharles Boyer / Pop Tate Petersburg (32–60) moved to Hampton August 13. Roanoke disbanded August 20; Lynchburg disbanded August 22. The league played a three part split season.
+Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Pop TateRoanokeBA.384Jesse TannehillRichmondW27 Claude McFarland NorfolkRuns123 Cy Malarkey RichmondSO208 Claude McFarland NorfolkHits194 W.F. McFarland LynchburgPCT.741 20-7 Zeke WrigleyRoanokeHR16 Joe DolanLynchburgHR16 Dummy StephensonNorfolk/Portsmouth/PetersburgHR16 Barley Kain RichmondSB94
References