The offense was able to put up 19runs in two games while holding an impressive A's lineup to 8 total runs. The order is scheduled to run through June 26. Click here to watch the video. I learned a lot with the Spinners. Statesville, North Carolina was Class D, a rough equivalent to todays Low Class-A. The Owls finished the 1960 season with a record of 3862 to place 7th. The photos give us a much better look at what the stadium structure itself looked like in the Angels era. The 1960s ball club followed the original Owls (1939-1942) of the Tarheel League and the North Carolina State League and a post-WWII revival that played in the latter league from 1947 until 1952. They were teammates of the Angels minor leaguers sent to Statesville from California, Florida and even from Canada. In the above photo, behind us is a display he created of Statesville baseball history going back to 1939, when Statesville High School Stadium was built. Im home from Statesville, with lots of Angels minor league history in tow. @ Statesville Owls. 288 Pages, Midwest League Logo Minor League Baseball, 2003 Northeast League baseball Media Guide, 1989-90 Senior Professional Baseball Association Yearbook, 1989-90 Senior Professional Baseball Association Yearbook Full-Time. All games and results for Owls in Summer 2022. [citation needed][7][12], In 1953, Statesville had two teams during the season, both playing in the Tar Heel League. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). As the almuni departed, they tasked me with a solemn responsibility to reunite them in Statesville for their 50th anniversary. Statesville Owls @StatesvilleOwls. He passed through Quad Cities, San Jose, Tri-City, and El Paso, as well as attending the minor league spring training camps. The High Point Locos and Salisbury Stallions are the other independent opponents. ), Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, 1993. 64 Pages, 1993-94 Central Hockey League Media Guide & Record Book, 1978-79 International Hockey League Yearbook, 1978-79 International Hockey League Yearbook Their leading pitcher was Ben Gilks, 4-1 with two saves. One things for sure a lot of people in this town are thirsting for the return of professional baseball. One was Clyde Wright. Im not much for sentimentality, but when I walk on that field this week Ill be very aware that Im where the Angels future began. From past research, we have some clues as to when it was shot. Its raining right now, so I wont get over to the field until Monday or Tuesday. April 2, 1979, Womens Professional Basketball League 1978-1981, 1978-79 Womens Professional Basketball League Media Guide. The Statesville Owls are a Independent Summer College team looking to help build the community and help young man. Airy, NC 7 pm (postponed), MON, 7/4 V. MORAVIANS TRUIST POINT STADIUM, HIGH POINT ROCKERS BALLPARK, 4 pm (L, 12-4), TUE, 7/5 V. NATIVE AMERICAN NATIONAL TEAM TRUIST POINT STADIUM, HIGH POINT ROCKERS BALLPARK, 5 pm (rainout, DTs leading 8-0 after 4 inn. Taipei . Cover: Curt Flood, South Coast League Logo He threw the first Angels organizational no-hitter on this field on August 26, 1961. The Colts drew 26,324 for the season, an average of 432 per game. Former Statesville Owl Mason Stikeleather (44) makes contact with the ball. Steve Hill, the collector who sent along the photos of Statesville Stadium, e-mailed the below scan of a March 1961 letter sent by Angels farm director Roland Hemond. An independent, the Owls will play a mixed schedule. J.C. Snead notched 8 Tour victories and was the runner up at the 1973 Masters Tournament and at the 1978 U.S. Open. MOORESVILLEOne win closer to 30. Western Basketball Association Tucson Gunners 104 Reno Bighorns 90 Merchandise . It all began when the Los Angeles Angels, one of two American League expansion teams in 1961, desperately needed minor league affiliates. Your email address will not be published. Hiatt and Simpson, along with Dick Wantz, were the three 1961 Owls who went on to play in the majors. The old infield was all dirt! The winning pitcher was John Bakke, who went 5.0 scoreless innings, giving up two hits, with five strikeouts and one walk. Godwin Fieldhouse This year, the Owls will play their home games at West Iredell High School. Home > United States > . Current Greats: . There are 31 scheduled games. Each team's icon will provide you with a direct link to your teams schedule for purchasing tickets. Memorial Stadium The strong second round catapulted Zambrano into the finals where he took on Will McClellan of the Concord Athletics. The scrapbook also had a copy of a 1965 Angels minor league spring training program, a rather unique item: One side of this folded program is still glued to the scrapbook, so I couldnt remove it, but I scanned the rest and used Adobe PhotoShop to reassemble it into a digital document. Learn how your comment data is processed. The franchise folded after the 1964 season. MONDAY JUNE 27TH AND TUESDAY JUNE 28TH @ LIBERTY UNIVERSITY. The ballpark had a capacity of 3,600 in 1950 and 2,000 in 1967 with dimensions (Left, Center, Right) of 414386308 in 1950, 340408287 in 1961 and 321426287 in 1969. The field still exists. Kulky brought the oversized props; no idea where he got them. The Rangers had both Angels and Phillies players. With respective college seasons ending prematurely due to the coronavirus, eagerness to get back on the diamond is certain to be at an all-time high for Owls players. The Statesville Owls are a Independent Summer College team looking to help build the community and help young man. Windows Media Player and a broadband (cable modem, DSL) Internet connection are required. More reunions of the 1960s Angels minor leaguers are being planned. He was the first Owls player I found. Scott Meitzler throws 4 innings! Don't forget to download the FloSports app on iOS or Android! The Statesville Owls are a Independent Summer College team looking to help build the community and h SEASON OPENER - TBA (June 2015) Home Cities Countries. [5] Joining the Owls as Tar Heel League charter members were the Gastonia Cardinals, Hickory Rebels, Lenoir Indians, Newton-Conover Twins and Shelby Nationals. The, um, family-friendly version is available to watch online. Wrigley Field was torn down in the 1960s, the Dallas ballpark has alsopassed into history, but the Statesville field remains as the only surviving remnant of 1961. *Like our new look? I wish the Angels would bring that back, even if just for an alternate jersey. With its assumed Major League patron dead, the WCL contracted from 8 to 6 teams in 1961 and the surviving teams hustled to secure Major League affiliations. Its in much better condition than 1961. June 20. vs. HPT Locos. We made the drive this weekend, and arrived this afternoon. Year? Congratulations to the Piedmont Pride on winning the 2019 SCBL championship over the Carolina Vipers. The proposed 50th anniversary reunion next year in Statesville should be another big step. The park looks much different than 1961. Mooresville Spinners. Bold - home games; Italics - barnstorming home dates. Affiliation simply meant they got some players from a major league operation, otherwise they were as independent as todays indy leagues. The Owls play their home opener June 2 against the High Point Locos. The other teams appearing on their scheduleCharlotte Crushers, Catawba Valley Stars, Lenoir Oilers, Kernersville Bulldogs, Mooresville Spinners and Race City Bootleggersare members of either the SCBL or Carolina Virginia Collegiate League. 96 Pages, 1975-76 North American Hockey League Media Guide, 1976-77 Southern Hockey League Media Guide, Portland Buckaroos vs. Denver Spurs. In the top of the ninth, Lizdas induced a groundout to finish off the game. ), Wed, 7/6 @ Martinsville Mustangs (CPL), 7 pm (L, 15-2), Thu, 7/7 @ Mooresville Spinners, 7 pm (L, 6-2), Fri, 7/8 @ Race City Bootleggers, Mooresville, NC, 7 pm (rainout), Sun, 7/10 @ Boone Bigfoots, 4 pm (L, 8-2), Tue, 7/12 @ High-Point Thomasville Hi-Toms (CPL), 6:30 pm (W, 7-3), THU, 7/14 V. BOONE BIGFOOTS, TRUIST STADIUM, 6:30 PM (L, 8-4), FRI, 7/15 V. BOONE BIGFOOTS, TRUIST STADIUM, 6:30 PM (L, 13-12), SAT, 7/16 V. GREENSBORO MONARCHS, 6:30 PM (W, 5-4), Sun, 7/17 @Wilmington Sharks (CPL), 4 pm (W, 11-8), Tue, 7/19 @ Locos, Thomasville, NC (T, 5-5), Thu, 7/21 @ Mooresville Spinners (L, 12-7), Fri, 7/22 @ Boone Bigfoots, 6:30 pm (W, 7-5), Sat, 7/23 @ Mooresville Spinners (L, 7-2), Mon, 7/25 @ Locos, Thomasville, NC, 6 pm (L, 10-2), Tue, 7/26 @ Asheboro Zookeepers (CPL), 7 pm (L, 10 - 5), Wed, 7/27 @ Greensboro Monarchs, Finch Field, 6 pm (rain out), THU, 7/28 V. GREENSBORO YARD GOATS, TRUIST STADIUM, 6:30 PM (W, 12-2), FRI, 7/29 V. CHARLOTTE BLAZE, TRUIST STADIUM, 6:30 PM (W, 18-8), Aug. 1-6, AAABA National Tournament, Johnstown, PA, 0-3 with losses to eventual champion New Orleans, Philadelphia and Columbus, PLAYING AT WINSTON-SALEM'S TRUIST STADIUM, FRI, 5/27 v. Yard Goats Truist Stadium (WS Dash) 6:30 pm, SAT, 5/28 v. Kingsmen Truist Stadium (WS Dash) 6:30 pm, FRI, 6/17 v. Clovers Truist Stadium (WS Dash) 6:30 pm, SAT, 6/18 v. Owls Truist Stadium (WS Dash) 6:30 pm, SUN, 6/19 v. Moravians Truist Stadium (WS Dash) 1 pm, FRI, 7/1 v. Locos -- Forbush HS, East Bend, NC, THU, 7/14 v. Bigfoots, Truist Stadium (WS Dash), 6:30 PM, FRI, 7/15 v. Bigfoots, Truist Stadium (WS Dash), 6:30 PM, THU, 7/28 v. Yard Goats, Truist Stadium (WS Dash), 6:30 PM, FRI, 7/29 v. Blaze, Truist Stadium (WS Dash), 6:30 PM. The Statesville Owls, a minor league baseball team, played in the North Carolina State League, Tar Heel League, Western Carolina League and Western Carolinas League between 1939 and 1963. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'statscrew_com-banner-1','ezslot_11',158,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-statscrew_com-banner-1-0'); Average attendance is based upon the number of actual home dates where known (most leagues from 1992 and later). When my wife and I drove cross-country last May to move from California to Florida, Paul and his wife Betty Jo were gracious enough to let us stay overnight at their home near Houston. It was once glued to a page, but I found it torn and loose. Click here to view photos of Statesville Stadium circa 1961. IT WAS A GREAT NIGHT AT MOOR PARK, BALLS WERE FLYING OUT OF THE BALL PARK RIGHT AND LEFT AND A FEW EVEN LEFT OUT OVER THE LARGE VIDEO BOARD IN RIGHT CENTER. That is about 15 fewer than normal. Congratulations to the Piedmont Pride on winning the 2019 SCBL championship over the Carolina Vipers. The Statesville Record & Landmark published a June 19 article about the reunion. The Statesville Owls were part of the Western Carolina League, a circuit created to feed talent into the Contintental League, a proposed third major league. International Womens Professional Softball Association, 1974 Golden Gaters Program The championship was decided in two games with the Spinners putting together quite and offensive explosion in both games. The Owls will have three different uniforms with their traditional black and gold colors. Attendance: ~4,000, Tucson Gunners vs. Reno Bighorns. Click on the above image to download the file. The Angels had only two minor league teams in their 1961 inaugural season, the Triple-A Dallas-Ft. Worth Rangers and the Class D Western Carolina Leagues Statesville Owls. Football Stats - NFL - CFL - AFL - Arena Football - Indoor Football - Search After 5th place finishes in 1949 and 1950, the Owls advanced to the 1951 finals, where they were swept by the High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms. If youre a regular reader of this blog, you know Ive been researching the early history of the Angels minor leagues. 1998-99 International Basketball Association Media Guide Your Privacy Choices The players posed for a Field of Dreams photo in the corn field. TUTTI I PRODOTTI; PROTEINE; TONO MUSCOLARE-FORZA-RECUPERO THE PIEDMONT PRIDE ARE YOUR 2020 SCBL CHAMPIONS. Of those shown in the photo, four are still with us Jack Hiatt, Dick Simpson, Paul Mosley and George Bryson. [citation needed][7][15], Statesville was without a team until the Statesville Owls joined the reorganized Western Carolina League in 1960. Click here to watch the video. Owls are back at home tomorrow night! The 1962 Owls squad is worth an extra mention. Owls are now 14-8 on the summer winning 8 of He played at nearly every level in the system, starting with Class D Statesville in the Angels inaugural 1961 season. COVID-19 delayed the start to the campaign. The Angels loaned him out to a Dodgers affiliate in Artesia, New Mexico. September 3, 1967, North American Soccer League Logo 272 Pages, 1997 Eastern Indoor Soccer League media guide, 1992-93 National Professional Soccer League Media Guide. DFW had players from the Angels, Phillies, Twins and a few from other organizations. The Owls are members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. Owls 2022 Roster #1 Ty Staz OF Roanoke College #2 Reed Sullivan INF Brunswick CC #3 Caeden Howell C Rockingham CC NPSL, 1992-93 National Professional Soccer League Media Guide, 1994 American Professional Soccer League Media Guide, 1979 American Soccer League Marketing Brochure. Triple-A manager Bob Lemon managed the New York Yankees to a World Series, and is now in the Hall of Fame. The Owls were hosted by a new college team that has adopted the original name. > 1942 Statesville Owls. The Statesville Owls of 1960-1963 were the last of three Minor League Baseball teams in the small western North Carolina city to use the Owls moniker. Thomas was signed by the Angels at seasons end and spent two years in Triple-A as a teammate of such future Angels as Jim Fregosi, Bo Belinsky, Dean Chance, Tom Satriano, Bobby Knoop and more. The boys are back in town. Next. I feel pretty confident well get some games in, said Bonifay, Montreat Colleges pitching coach. Published specifically for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox market, 1970-71 Sporting News American Basketball Association Guide, 1973 Grand Rapids Tackers Program from the Continental Basketball Association. UFL Championship Game Source:The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (1st ed. Where the number of home dates is not known, the average is calculated using half the team's total games. Ive sent the document to Roland. Publisher receives compensation for affiliate advertising on this website. March 28, 1971. [26][27], The 1900 Statesville team was noted to have played minor league home games at Athletic Park. Obviously, wed love to have the attendance they had. That site, the former Palm Springs Polo Grounds, was too small to host 100+ minor leaguers, so the Angels had to find other sites for the future Angels. So we know it was taken no earlier than late June, but if its supposed to be only Angels players then why were the three Florida players excluded? Mosley was sold after the 1966 season to the Kansas City Athletics. Manager George Wilson was hired independently by the Owls. Bakke pitched 11.1 innings in the playoffs and gave up one run. According to the 2020 census, Statesville's population was 28,419. Australian Football Stats - Australian Football Search South Iredell High School will be the home site for the Owls this season, Bonifay noted. This first year is a trial run, said Honeycutt, noting the need to make sure they can handle the financial aspects. The letter indicates a $3,000 check was being sent to the NAPBL to cover $1,500 owed D-FW for their working agreement, and another $1,500 owed D-FW for spring training costs. The Statesville Owls became an affiliate of Los Angeles Angels in 1961 and finished 2nd in the Western Carolina League standings. The record included two victories and two losses in the playoffs. The current infield is grass. The Pride, who went 28 10 on the season, were undefeated in the playoffs. Privacy| Novant Health has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Lake Norman Regional Medical Center, Davis Regional Medical Center and their relate. They were led offensively by Jack Hennessey, who had .402 average. This would have been the year after the Angels had their inaugural Class D baseball team in Statesville. On June 20, 1969, the Indians had a 3332 record when the franchise moved to Monroe, North Carolina to finish the season as the Monroe Indians. The final score was 16 - 11. If every player has a positive experience in our league, we have succeeded!, 2023 Southern Collegiate Baseball League. Ed Thomas and Jerry Fox were two independent players signed locally by the Owls in 1961. Its still the high school field today except the grandstands are gone. Next up: site speed. As a result of this open platform, there may be several versions of the same team. GameChanger is the best free mobile College Baseball scorekeeping application, used by teams like Owls to share live scores with fans. Statesville first began minor league baseball play in 1900, as charter members of the Independent level North Carolina Association. The Statesville Cubs finished with a record of 5358 to place 5th in 1945 and a 4169 record to place 7th in 1946, missing the playoffs both seasons. Sometimes called "High School Park" or "City Park Stadium", the ballpark is still in use at Statesville High School. The attendees were Dave Best, George Bryson, Walter Darton, Alan Flitcraft, Jerry Fox, Bob Lucas, Vito Porta, Richard Simpson, and Ed Thomas. Braden Odom tripled to left-center field to lead off the eighth inning, scoring on a sac fly from Reed to add to the Foots victory. Statesville managed to sign on with the expansion Los Angeles Angels of the American League. Statesville finished 21-21 overall and 17-19 in the Southern Collegiate Baseball League a year ago when West Iredell High School served as the Owls home field. Some got them from more than one. [10] They finished with a record of 4851 to place 6th and missed the playoffs. I recorded a video interview with the three, which Ill post in a couple days when I return home. [6] The Statesville Owls finished with a record of 5651 to place 3rd in 1939. Todays future Angels had an opportunity to meet the original Angels minor leaguers. Basketball Stats - NBA - ABA - WNBA/Women's - G-League/D-League - Minor League Basketball - Search Tar Heel League member Lincolnton Cardinals moved to Statesville, and the Lincolnton/Statesville team completed the 1953 season as the Statesville Sports, finishing with an overall record of 4764. Hockey Stats - NHL - WHA - Minor League Hockey - Search Majoring in sports studies . When it came time to throw the first pitch, Alan threw a perfect strike. Much of it looks old enough to have been around in 1961, but other buildings are fairly new. My wife and I walked around downtown Statesville this morning shooting photos which I will post in a couple days. Flitcraft went down to the bullpen to throw beforehand. Also missing is Walt Darton, the ace pitcher from L.A. whose career was ended by an elbow injury suffered during a brawl with Lexington on May 31. . The resurrection of Statesville baseball history continues. Openers are typically played the last week of May or the first week of June. Ivan Zambrano of the Lake Norman Copperheads used a surge in the second round of the derby to set the tone for his championship in the 2022 Home Run Derby. On a personal note This ended my four-year odyssey to uncover the history of the Angels first minor league team. 7-4 against the Spinners. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. I hope to take Ed and Jerry over to the field and videotape an interview that Ill post on FutureAngels.com in the next few days. His RCC assistant, Andrew Meadows, is the Owls head coach. Its only about a minute, but so far as I know this is the only known film of the 1961 Owls and its in color. Click here to watch the reunion video. Complete coverage of the Angels minor leagues, after four years of research, phone calls, letters, e-mails and an October 2009 gathering at the Angels minor league complex in Tempe, The Angels are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year, Click here to watch a video of excerpts from the reunion, Click here to watch video of the Statesville ballpark visit, Southern Collegiate Baseball League Statesville Owls, Click here to view photos of Statesville Stadium circa 1961, Click here to read more about the Lexington brawl, Click here to read all FutureAngels.com Blog articles on the Statesville Owls, I wrote in November 2008 about the Rangers camp in Riverside, the Rangers held camp at Amerige Park in Fullerton, Click here to watch a video of the 1962 minor league camp at La Palma Park, From L.A. to Statesville to Dallas-Ft. Worth. Its the home field for Statesville High School. Its used today as the home field not just for the college Owls but also Statesville High School. The Angels had two minor league affiliates in 1961 a Triple-A team in Dallas-Ft. Worth, and a Class D team in Statesville. Twitter sat, 6/11 v. statesville owls - forbush hs, yadkinville nc 6:30 pm (w, 5-4) Sun, 6/12 @ Boone Bigfoots, 4 pm (L, 11-8) Mon, 6/13 @ Greensboro Monarchs (T, 10-10) The Angels are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year, which means its the 50th anniversary of the Statesville Owls. . Snead, the nephew of pro golf legendSam Snead, played one more season of minor league baseball in 1963 before following his uncle into the PGA Tour. The Rangers dumped the Angels for the Twins in 1963, so they left California and held camp in Florida. We encourage any user to create a GameChanger team and utilize our scorekeeping and stat management tools. The Statesville Owls of 1960-1963 were the last of three Minor League Baseball teams in the small western North Carolina city to use the 'Owls' moniker. The video is now online. Formed in 2010, the Owls played six years in the Southern Collegiate Baseball League (SCBL), compiling an overall record of 115-119. CA Disclosures Milam and Odom each collected two hits to lead Boone Bigfoots. 7 PM as we take on the Race City Bootleggers! Statesville Owls Franchise History (1939-1963) Most wins in a season: 73 in 1940 Most losses in a season: 73 in 1963. I also found this clip reporting on a 1965 game between the Sun Kings and the Tulsa Oilers: It appears that the 1965 El Paso caps had an EP on them, but when I look at the team photos for 1965 and 1966 its just an E as in the photo of Paul at the top of this column. A minor league club could still sign, trade and release its own players. The team set up a tent at a Friday night street fair where the players signed autographs on photos created from 1961 images. IT WAS A SPECIAL NIGHT FOR THE JUNIOR SHORTSTOP OUT OF MOREHEAD STATE UNIVERSITY. George Bryson, Alan Flitcraft and Vito Porta threw out the first pitches before the first game. Many of his contemporaries went on to the big leagues. Ive tracked down quite a bit of Statesville history, and last September we staged a reunion of eight surviving Statesville players at the Angels minor league complex in Tempe, Arizona. First, the Statesville Blues joined as members of the reorganized ten-team Tar Heel League. The Continental League ended up collapsing while still in the drawing board phase in August 1960, with the Western Carolina League midway through its first season. Ive gotten good feedback.. Has one sibling (Greg) . The El Paso manager was Chuck Tanner, who later went on to fame as the manager of the world champion 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates. Jerrys wife Janet loaned me a home movie her family made that year of the Owls. Justin Reed had the first hit of the from the Foots, followed by hits from Logan West and David Julian. [citation needed][7][9], The Statesville Owls joined the eight-team North Carolina State League in 1942. Next. (Windows Media Player required.). Despite their disparate backgrounds, and the Jim Crow culture that still permeated the Southern culture, the team became a true band of brothers. I also found a photo of Paul in an Islanders uniform. Opening night is May 26 at the Mooresville Spinners who, Honeycutt said, typically draw between 800 and 1,000 fans for their home opener. The wood-bat college league this summer isnt quite there, but its a big step in the right direction. Steve has many photos in his collection I havent seen before, among them 8x10s of Jack Hiatt and Dick Simpson in Angels uniforms. Its neat, though, to see the halo on the crown of the cap. The Statesville Owls was the primary name of the minor league baseball teams located in Statesville, North Carolina. The Vipers were 27 -17 - 1 on the season. The third inning was big for the Foots tallying four runs. The 1960's ball club followed the original Owls (1939-1942) of the Tarheel League and the North Carolina State League and a post-WWII revival that played in the latter league from 1947 . With only six Home Runs in the first round Zambrano barely advanced to the second round, but when he did he took fire with 14 monster shots. 0-0 0-0. GameChanger is beta testing solutions to establish authenticity of teams so fans can easily trust that the teams they follow will provide consistent game data. Tucson Community Center Ed Thomas and Jerry Fox were two independent players for the Statesville Owls in 1961. Logan Im definitely excited, said Reece Honeycutt, the teams new owner and general manager. Calvin Anderson (Broncos) - As first reported by The Roost, Anderson signed with the Broncos from the Jets practice squad in 2019.He's currently under contract in Denver through the 2022 season . MOORESVILLEIt was a historic night Tuesday at Lake Norman. These are more for the alumni we reunited last year, so they can see what the town looks like today.