Wilson Tobs

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(Redirected from Wilson Tobacconists)


More than a decade after the Wilson Bugs of the Virginia League folded, the Wilson Tobs brought baseball back to Wilson, North Carolina in 1939. The Tobs (whose nickname was a shortened form of the word tobacconists) began play in the Coastal Plain League that season and called Wilson Municipal Stadium home. The team finished sixth in their first year but improved to capture a league title in 1940. The following year the Tobs were even better, going 87-30 and winning the championship by more than 20 games over the second place club. The team was led by pitcher/manager Bill Herring, who went 16-3 with a 2.25 ERA. Monk Webb led the circuit with 23 wins, and Joe Talley posted a league-best 1.93 ERA. Outfielder Earl Carnahan hit .370 to win the batting title and future major leaguer Red Treadway hit .319 with 14 triples. The next season, the Coastal Plain league shut down for World War II, so the Tobs moved to the Bi-State League in 1942 and won another title. After ceasing operations for several years, the Tobs returned to the Coastal Plain League after the war and captured another championships in 1947. After the 1952 season, the league and the Tobs folded.

In 1956, baseball returned to Fleming Stadium (Wilson Municipal had been renamed in 1952) when another Wilson Tobs team began play in the Carolina League. They played in the league for 13 seasons, capturing titles in 1959, 1961, and 1963, and featured future Hall of Famer Rod Carew on the club in 1966.

Early Wilson teams were called the Wilson Tobacconists when they weren't called the Wilson Bugs.

Today, a Summer Collegiate Baseball team plays at Fleming Stadium and uses the Wilson Tobs name.


Year-by-Year Record[edit]

Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs
1908 36-18 1st Earl Holt Abandoned due to weather down 2-1
1909 50-39 1st Earl Holt none League Champs
1910 44-39 2nd Charles McGeehan
1923 70-52 1st (t) Rube Oldring none
1939 64-61 6th Frank Rodgers
1940 77-49 1st Frank Rodgers Lost in 1st round
1941 87-30 1st Bill Herring League Champs
1942 69-53 1st Bill Herring Lost in 1st round
1946 67-57 3rd Irv Dickens Lost in 1st round
1947 79-61 1st Max Wilson Lost League Finals
1948 61-79 6th Max Wilson / Irv Dickens / Bob Latshaw
1949 57-79 8th Ross Morrow
1950 68-70 5th Bill Herring
1951 69-57 4th Joe Antolick / Alfred Rehm Lost League Finals
1952 71-51 2nd Jake McComas / Alfred Rehm Lost in 1st round
1956 72-79 6th Charlie Gassaway
1957 51-89 overall 6th Pete Suder Kinston moved to Wilson May 11
1958 60-78 7th Bob Hooper (42-52) / Barney Lutz (18-26)
1959 71-58 2nd Hardy Peterson (48-35) / Don Osborn (13-16) / Hardy Peterson (10-7) League Champs
1960 73-65 2nd Jack McKeon
1961 83-56 1st Jack McKeon none League Champs
1962 65-75 5th Harry Warner
1963 77-67 5th Ralph Rowe League Champs
1964 57-82 7th Ralph Rowe
1965 68-75 6th Vern Morgan
1966 72-65 5th Vern Morgan
1967 61-72 11th Vern Morgan
1968 71-68 5th Vern Morgan

External Link[edit]

1941 Wilson Tobs

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