Western Carolina League

The first Western Carolina League was a class D league which ran from 1948-1952, then combined with the North Carolina State League to form the Tar Heel League in 1953. The second Western Carolina League was formed as a class A circuit in 1960, initially to develop players for the planned Continental League, which never got off the ground. After three years the name was changed to the Western Carolinas League.

Cities Represented

1948-1952

• Forest City, NC: Forest City Owls 1948
• Gastonia, NC: Gastonia Browns 1950
• Granite Falls, NC: Granite Falls Graniteers 1951
• Hendersonville, NC: Hendersonville Skylarks 1948-1949
• Hickory, NC: Hickory Rebels 1952, moved to Tar Heel League 1953-1954
• Lenoir, NC: Lenoir Red Sox 1948-1951, moved from Blue Ridge League 1946-1947
• Lincolnton, NC: Lincolnton Cardinals 1948-1952, moved to Tar Heel League 1953
• Marion, NC: Marion Marauders 1948-1952, moved to Tar Heel League 1953-1954
• Morganton, NC: Morganton Aggies 1948-1952
• Newton, NC & Conover, NC: Newton-Conover Twins 1948-1951
• Shelby, NC: Shelby Farmers 1948-1952
• Spindale, NC: Rutherford County Owls 1949-1952

Teams and Statistics

1948 Western Carolina League
President: John H. Moss

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Lincolnton Cardinals	69	41	.627	-	Fred Withers/Red Mincy
Newton-Conover Twins	67	43	.609	2	Edwin Yount
Morganton Aggies	54	53	.505	13.5	Les McGarity/Homer Daugherty/Wayne Stewart/Boger McGimsey
Forest City Owls	55	56	.495	14.5	Jess Hill/Gene Hollifield
Shelby Farmers	54	55	.495	14.5	Rube Wilson
Marion Marauders	49	54	.476	26.5	Wes Ferrell
Lenoir Red Sox	49	61	.445	20	Jack McLain/Claude Jonnard
Hendersonville Skylarks	36	70	.340	31	Charles Munday

Playoffs: Lincolnton 4 games, Morganton 2; Newton-Conover 4 games, Forest City 2. Shelby refused to play off the fourth place tie and the playoff spot was awarded to Forest City
Finals: Lincolnton 4 games, Newton-Conover 3

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Wes Ferrell	Marion	BA	.425		Ray Lindsey	Newton-Conover	W	21
Edwin Yount	Newton-Conover	R	139		Ray Lindsey	Newton-Conover	SO	255
Edwin Yount	Newton-Conover	Hits	169		Boger McGimsey	Morganton	ERA	2.76
Edwin Yount	Newton-Conover	RBI	140		Ray Lindsey	Newton-Conover	PCT	.700 21-9
Edwin Yount	Newton-Conover	HR	43

1949 Western Carolina League
President: Cloyd A. Hager

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Newton-Conover Twins	72	36	.667	-	Edwin Yount
Lincolnton Cardinals	69	41	.627	4	Carl Miller
Rutherford County Owls	64	45	.587	8.5	Sam Gibson/Rube Wilson
Morganton Aggies	58	49	.542	13.5	Sam Bell
Lenoir Red Sox	57	50	.533	14.5	Claude Jonnard
Marion Marauders	40	62	.392	29	John Lanning/Jack Triplett
Shelby Farmers	40	68	.370	32	Joseph Borich/Harold Dedmon/Walt Dixon
Hendersonville Skylarks	29	78	.271	42.5	Rube Wilson/Raymond Hunt

Playoffs: Rutherford County 4 games, Newton-Conover 2; Morganton 4 games, Lincolnton 3
Finals: Rutherford County 4 games, Morganton 1

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Carl Miller	Lincolnton	BA	.404		Lelon Jaynes	Morganton	W	19
Carl Miller	Lincolnton	R	125		Lelon Jaynes	Morganton	SO	202
Carl Miller	Lincolnton	Hits	159		Walter Lentz	Lenoir	ERA	3.03
Boger McGimsey	Morganton	RBI	118		Boyce Stone	Newton-Conover	PCT	.778 14-4
Carl Miller	Lincolnton	HR	22

1950 Western Carolina League
President: Cloyd A. Hager

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Newton-Conover Twins	69	41	.627	-	Edwin Yount
Lenoir Red Sox	67	40	.626	0.5	Claude Jonnard
Rutherford County Owls	57	53	.518	12	Rube Wilson
Marion Marauders	56	54	.509	13	Red Mincy
Morganton Aggies	54	57	.486	15.5	Sam Bell/Homer Daugherty/Jim Poole
Lincolnton Cardinals	49	61	.445	20	Hugh Rudisill/Nathanial Dodgin
Shelby Farmers	47	63	.427	22	Walt Dixon
Gastonia Browns	40	70	.364	29	Noel Casbier/Tuck McWilliams

Playoffs: Newton-Conover 4 games, Rutherford County 2; Lenoir 4 games, Marion 3
Finals: Lenoir 4 games, Newton-Conover 3

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Red Mincy	Marion	BA	.421		John White	Newton-Conover	W	21
Bobby Brown	Lenoir	R	135		Carl Brown	Shelby	SO	236
Red Mincy	Marion	Hits	161		John White	Newton-Conover	ERA	3.05
George Rose	Lincolnton	RBI	120		Frank Presnell	Marion	PCT	.789 15-4
Robert Featherstone	Lenoir	HR	27

1951 Western Carolina League
President: P.W. Deaton

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Morganton Aggies	71	39	.645	-	George Bradshaw
Shelby Farmers	67	44	.604	4.5	David Coble
Lincolnton Cardinals	67	45	.598	5	Bob Beal
Newton-Conover Twins	63	48	.568	8.5	Edwin Yount
Rutherford County Owls	62	48	.564	9	Rube Wilson
Marion Marauders	58	52	.527	13	Red Mincy
Lenoir Red Sox	40	70	.364	31	Claude Jonnard/Okey Flowers/John Olsen
Granite Falls Graniteers	14	96	.127	57	Charles Bowles/Ralph Barnardini/Fred Dale/Wallace Carpenter/Robert Pugh

Playoff: Morganton 4 games, Lincolnton3; Shelby 4 games, Newton-Conover 2
Finals: Shelby 4 games, Morganton 3

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Henry Miller	Shelby	BA	.387		Pete Treece	Morganton	W	25
Charles Ballard	Shelby	R	137		Pete Treece	Morganton	SO	264
Charles Ballard Robert Peters	Shelby Lincolnton	Hits	179		George Long	Rutherford County	ERA	2.12
Edward Bass	Shelby	RBI	157		George Long	Rutherford County	PCT	.867 13-2
Bordie Waddle	Morganton	HR	24

1952 Western Carolina League
President: T. Earl Franklin

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Lincolnton Cardinals	72	39	.649	-	Bob Beal
Shelby Farmers	71	39	.645	0.5	David Coble
Marion Marauders	58	50	.537	12.5	Gabby Grant/William Smith/Franklin Robinson
Rutherford County Owls	46	58	.442	22.5	Cliff Bolton/William Greene
Hickory Rebels	28	79	.262	42	Norman Small/Edwin Yount/Charles Bowles
Morganton Aggies*	41	51	.446	NA	George Bradshaw/Pete Treece

* Morganton withdrew August 3
Playoffs: Lincolnton 4 games, Marion 1. Shelby 4 games, Rutherford County 0
Final: Shelby 4 games, Lincolnton 3

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Charles Ballard	Shelby	BA	.352		Joe Sheppard	Shelby	W	24
Tom Centeno	Lincolnton	R	117		Hal Gruggs	Hickory	SO	195
Carroll Wright	Lincolnton	Hits	155		Joe Sheppard	Shelby	ERA	2.31
George Rose	Lincolnton	RBI	107		Joe Sheppard	Shelby	PCT	.857 24-4
Ken Paschal	Rutherford County	HR	19

Cities Represented

1960-1962

• Belmont, NC: Belmont Chiefs 1961
• Gastonia, NC: Gastonia Rippers 1960
• Hickory, NC: Hickory Rebels 1960
• Lexington, NC: Lexington Indians 1960-1961
• Newton, NC & Conover, NC: Newton-Conover Twins 1960-1962
• Salisbury, NC: Salisbury Braves 1960-1962
• Shelby, NC: Shelby Colonels 1960-1962
• Spindale, NC: Rutherford County Owls 1960
• Statesville, NC: Statesville Owls 1960-1962

Teams and Statistics

1960 Western Carolina League
President: John H. Moss

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Lexington Indians	70	29	.707	-	Jack Hale
Salisbury Braves	65	35	.650	5.5	Larry Taylor
Hickory Rebels	53	44	.546	16	Joe Abernathy/Marc Hoy
Newton-Conover Twins	47	52	.475	23	John Isaac
Shelby Colonels	42	53	.442	26	George Wilson
Rutherford County Owls	43	57	.430	27.5	Jim Poole/Ray Walsh/Len Jackson
Statesville Owls	38	62	.380	32.5	Jake Early/Gail Thomas/Paul Fouts
Gastonia Rippers	36	62	.367	33.5	Billy Queen/Jack Falls

The teams were the farm clubs of the proposed Continental League.
Playoffs: Hickory 2 games, Lexington 1; Salisbury 2 games, Newton-Conover 1
Finals: Salisbury 3 games, Hickory 2

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Jack Turney	Salisbury	BA	.362		Danny Hayling	Hickory	W	22
Norman Smith	Lexington	R	83		John Isaac	Newton-Conover	SO	177
Jack Turney	Salisbury	Hits	144		Bill Bethea	Lexington	ERA	1.35
Paul Roberts	Salisbury	RBI	91		Bill Bethea	Lexington	PCT	.786 11-3
Paul Roberts	Salisbury	HR	23

1961 Western Carolina League
President: John H. Moss

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Salisbury Braves	64	38	.627	-	Alex Cosmidis
Statesville Owls	63	39	.618	1	George Wilson
Lexington Indians	51	53	.490	14	Jack Hale
Shelby Colonels	51	55	.481	15	Aaron Robinson/James Adlam
Belmont Chiefs	39	61	.390	24	Jim Poole/Whitey Ries/Max Lanier
Newton-Conover Twins	36	58	.383	24	Joe Abernathy

Playoffs: Shelby 2 games, Salisbury 0; Lexington 2 games, Statesville 0
Finals: Shelby 2 games, Lexington 1

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Aaron Pointer	Salisbury	BA	.402		Phil Andress	Shelby	W	13
Aaron Pointer	Salisbury	R	117		George Conrad	Statesville	SO	172
Aaron Pointer	Salisbury	Hits	129		George Conrad	Statesville	ERA	3.21
Tommy Murray	Salisbury	RBI	83		Marvin Dutt	Salisbury	PCT	.900 9-1
Dick Simpson	Statesville	HR	15

1962 Western Carolina League
President: John H. Moss

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Statesville Owls	62	36	.633	-	Jack Hale/Bobby Brailey
Salisbury Braves	52	44	.542	9	Harvey Stratton
Newton-Conover Twins	42	57	.424	20.5	Henry Nichols
Shelby Colonels	40	59	.404	22.5	Joe Abernathy/Cloyd Boyer

Playoffs: None held. Statesville won both halves.

Player Statistics

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Charles Truesdale	Statesville	BA	.344		Robert Kenny	Statesville	W	16
J.C. Snead	Statesville	R	75		Nick DeMatheis	Statesville	SO	161
Charles Truesdale	Statesville	Hits	111		Robert Kenny	Statesville	ERA	2.12
Henry Nichols	Newton-Conover	RBI	66		Robert Kenny	Statesville	PCT	.762 16-5
Frank Petrellis J.C. Snead Steve Whitaker	Shelby Statesville Shelby	HR	9