Tar Heel League

The Tar Heel League was established in 1939. A class D league, it had six members. It continued through 1940 then folded. In 1953 the North Carolina State League and Western Carolina League merged and took over the available name for their new circuit - also a class D league which lasted two years. After the '53 season, the 6 teams from the old NCSL left, leaving 4 former WCL members. After 1954 the Tar Heel League was extinct once more.

Cities Represented 1939 - 1940

• Gastonia, NC: Gastonia Cardinals 1939-1940, moved from North Carolina State League 1938
• Hickory, NC: Hickory Rebels 1939-1940
• Lenoir, NC: Lenoir Indians 1939; Lenoir Reds 1940
• Newton, NC & Conover, NC: Newton-Conover Twins 1939-1940, moved from North Carolina State League 1937-1938
• Shelby, NC: Shelby Nationals 1939; Shelby Colonels 1940
• Statesville, NC: Statesville Owls 1939-1940

Yearly Standings

1939

1939 Tar Heel League
President: M. C. Campbell

Team Name	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Gastonia Cardinals	72	36	.667	-	Al Unser
Lenoir Indians	61	46	.570	10.5	Clarence Roper
Statesville Owls	56	51	.523	15.5	Stuffy McCrone
Shelby Nationals	50	59	.459	22.5	Edward Montague
Hickory Rebels	48	62	.436	25	Louis Viau
Newton-Conover Twins	36	69	.343	34.5	Mack Arnette

Playoffs: Gastonia 3 games, Shelby 1.

Statesville 3 games, Lenoir 0. (1 tie.) Finals: Gastonia 4 games, Statesville 3.
Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Hooper Triplett	Gastonia	BA	.391		Ralph Fox	Newton/Conover	W	17
James Guinn	Shelby	Hits	161		Miles Gardner	Gastonia	W	17
Birch Douglas	Lenoir	Runs	127		Lefty Guise	Lenoir	ERA	2.82
Hooper Triplett	Gastonia	RBI	115		William Skinner	Hickory	SO	212
Hooper Triplett	Gastonia	HR	27		Miles Gardner	Gastonia	PCT	.773 17-5

1940

1940 Tar Heel League - schedule
President: M. C. Campbell

Team Name	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Statesville Owls	73	37	.664	-	Stuffy McCrone
Gastonia Cardinals	64	44	.593	8	Milt Bocek
Hickory Rebels	54	52	.509	17	Woodrow Traylor
Lenoir Reds	53	55	.491	19	Ray Rice
Newton-Conover Twins #	27	45	.375	NA	Arthur Hauger / Ginger Watts
Shelby Colonels #	16	54	.229	NA	Lou Haneles / Art Patchin

# Newton-Conover and Shelby disbanded July 19.
Playoffs: Hickory 3 games, Gastonia 0. Statesville 3 games, Lenoir 2.
Finals: Statesville 4 games, Hickory 1.

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Milt Bocek	Gastonia	BA	.364		Herman Drefs	Statesville	W	17
Milt Bocek	Gastonia	Hits	157		Frank Motley	Newton-Conover	SO	174
Milt Bocek	Gastonia	Runs	98		Robert Bailey	Lenoir	ERA	1.99
Milt Bocek	Gastonia	RBI	109		Price Ferguson	Statesville	PCT	.824 14-3
Frank Shoue	Lenoir	HR	16
Robert Traylor	Hickory	HR	16

Cities Represented 1953 - 1954

• Forest City, NC: Forest City Owls 1953-1954
• Hickory, NC: Hickory Rebels 1953-1954, moved from Western Carolina League 1952
• High Point, NC & Thomasville, NC: High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms 1953, moved from North Carolina State League 1948-1952, moved to Carolina League 1954-1958
• Lexington, NC: Lexington Indians 1953, moved from North Carolina State League 1951-1952
• Lincolnton, NC: Lincolnton Cardinals 1953, moved from Western Carolina League 1948-1952
• Marion, NC: Marion Marauders 1953-1954, moved from Western Carolina League 1948-1952
• Mooresville, NC: Mooresville Moors 1953, moved from North Carolina State League 1945-1952
• Salisbury, NC: Salisbury Rocots 1953
• Shelby, NC: Shelby Clippers 1953-1954
• Statesville, NC: Statesville Blues 1953; Statesville Sports 1953

Yearly Standings

1953

1953 Tar Heel League - schedule
President: Walter H. Woodson, Jr.

Team Name	W	L	PCT	GB	Attend	Managers
Marion Marauders	74	35	.679	-	35,322	Bob Beal
Forest City Owls	72	40	.643	3.5	48,812	Len Cross / Boger McGimsey
Shelby Clippers	60	49	.550	14	19,247	David Coble
Lexington Indians	59	54	.522	17	39,453	Alex Monchak
Mooresville Moors	58	55	.513	18	19,413	Jim Mills
Lincolnton ##/Statesville	47	64	.423	28	27,866	Storie / Rudisill /Dodgin / Knight
Hickory Rebels	46	66	.411	29.5	22,742	William Parker
Salisbury Rocots	44	67	.396	31	21,690	Sheriff Robinson
High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms #	13	28	.317	NA	5,862	Jim Gruzdis / John Lybrand
Statesville Blues #	13	28	.317	NA	20,925	Fred Chapman / Charley Knight

# High-Point-Thomasville & Statesville disbanded June 11.
## Lincolnton moved to Statesville July 12.
Playoffs: Marion 4 games, Shelby 2. Lexington 4 games, Forest City 2.
Finals: Lexington 4 games, Marion 2.

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Don Stafford	Hi-Toms/Lexington	BA	.374		Kelly Jack Swift	Marion	W	30
Bob Barker	Marion	Hits	166		Kelly Jack Swift	Marion	SO	321
Carl Miller	Marion	Runs	129		Jose Nakamura	Shelby	ERA	2.40
Don Stafford	Hi-Toms/Lexington	RBI	124		Jim Smiley	Marion	PCT	.857 12-2
Carl Miller	Marion	HR	21

1954

1954 Tar Heel League - schedule
President: Lawson Brown

Team Name	W	L	PCT	GB	Attend	Managers
Hickory Rebels	34	18	.654	-	8,598	Charles Teague
Marion Marauders	26	26	.500	8	8,203	Robert Knoke
Forest City Owls	24	24	.500	8	8,147	Woody Rich / Richard McKeithan
Shelby Clippers	16	32	.333	16	12,000	Harold Kollar

The League disbanded June 21.

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Mike Yaremchuk	Hickory	BA	.376		Russell Wingo	Hickory	W	11
Mike Yaremchuk	Hickory	Hits	74		John Cathey	Forest City	SO	95
Mike Yaremchuk	Hickory	RBI	45		Leo Davis	Hickory	ERA	1.82
Lou McCotter	Hickory	Runs	52		Russell Wingo	Hickory	PCT	.733 11-4
Joe Cristello	Forest City	HR	5
Harold Kollar	Shelby	HR	5

Source

The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: Second and Third Editions