Williamsport Tigers
Encyclopedia
The Williamsport Tigers were a Class AA Eastern League affiliate of the Detroit Tigers
in Williamsport
, Pennsylvania
. They played their home games in Bowman Field which is currently the home of the Williamsport Crosscutters
of the New York-Penn League. Detroit had a working relationship with Williamsport from 1946 until 1952. The team was known as the Williamsport Grays for the '46 and '50 seasons and as the Tigers from '47 through '49 and '51 and '52.
umpire
and businessman from Dearborn
, Michigan
. Halstead gave up his business ventures in favor of owning a minor league baseball
team. Halstead arranged for the Williamsport franchise to have a working agreement with the Detroit Tigers of the American League
. But later went on the scout for the Milwaukee Braves, signing Bob Buhl
and Red Murff
(who later himself became a scout and signed Nolan Ryan
). In 1960, he bought the Baseball Blue Book, Inc., which published the "Baseball Blue Book", frequently referred to as the bible of baseball. He later patented a curveball pitching machine and formed the company named Tru-Pitch, Inc., which revolutionized batting practice on all levels of baseball.
The Tigers were the 1945 World Series
champions. Local fans were hopeful that the Tigers would fill the roster of the Williamsport team with better players that had previously been sent to Williamsport by the Washington Senators
and Philadelphia A's. The Tigers were two step below the Tigers. Detroit's top farm club was in Buffalo
, New York
and the two teams below the Williamsport club were in Rome
, and Jamestown
, New York. Players moved from franchise to franchise as their stock in the Detroit Tigers system rose and fell. The Tigers took control of the franchise in 1947 and improved Bowman Field by spending $40,000 to repair flood damage and installing grandstand
seats from Briggs Stadium in Detroit. The franchise was sold at the end of the 1952 season to five anonymous businessmen for $7,500. The Tigers era ended at the same time when the team was once again aligned with the Philadelphia A's and the Williamsport Grays name was restored.
. The Tigers finished in 5th place of an eight team league with a record of 67 wins and 74 losses.
The 1948 season saw the Tigers have a change in manager with Gene Desautels
taking over. The Tigers finished in fourth place in the Eastern League and reached a one game playoff for the final spot in the league playoffs. The Tigers lost that game to the Hartford Chiefs. Lou Kretlow
who would go on to play in the majors for the Tigers, Browns, Orioles, White Sox and A's was named the league's Most Valuable Player.
The Tigers slipped back into mediocrity during the 1949, 1951 and 1952 seasons. The 1950 Grays fared no better. Notable players and managers to pass through Williamsport during these years included, Jack Tighe
, Schoolboy Rowe
and Hall of Famer Jim Bunning
.
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in Williamsport
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. They played their home games in Bowman Field which is currently the home of the Williamsport Crosscutters
Williamsport Crosscutters
The Williamsport Crosscutters are a Short-Season A classification minor league baseball team based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
of the New York-Penn League. Detroit had a working relationship with Williamsport from 1946 until 1952. The team was known as the Williamsport Grays for the '46 and '50 seasons and as the Tigers from '47 through '49 and '51 and '52.
Ownership
The Tigers were owned by Earle Halstead a former American AssociationAmerican Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
umpire
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
and businessman from Dearborn
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Halstead gave up his business ventures in favor of owning a minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
team. Halstead arranged for the Williamsport franchise to have a working agreement with the Detroit Tigers of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
. But later went on the scout for the Milwaukee Braves, signing Bob Buhl
Bob Buhl
Robert Ray Buhl was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Milwaukee Braves , Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies...
and Red Murff
Red Murff
John Robert Murff was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Milwaukee Braves. Listed at 6' 3", 195 lb., Murff batted and threw right-handed. He attended Gettysburg College....
(who later himself became a scout and signed Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
). In 1960, he bought the Baseball Blue Book, Inc., which published the "Baseball Blue Book", frequently referred to as the bible of baseball. He later patented a curveball pitching machine and formed the company named Tru-Pitch, Inc., which revolutionized batting practice on all levels of baseball.
The Tigers were the 1945 World Series
1945 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 3, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 2:Thursday, October 4, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan-Game 3:Friday, October 5, 1945 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan...
champions. Local fans were hopeful that the Tigers would fill the roster of the Williamsport team with better players that had previously been sent to Williamsport by the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
and Philadelphia A's. The Tigers were two step below the Tigers. Detroit's top farm club was in Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and the two teams below the Williamsport club were in Rome
Rome, New York
Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States. It is located in north-central or "upstate" New York. The population was 44,797 at the 2010 census. It is in New York's 24th congressional district. In 1758, British forces began construction of Fort Stanwix at this strategic location, but...
, and Jamestown
Jamestown, New York
Jamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,146 at the 2010 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
, New York. Players moved from franchise to franchise as their stock in the Detroit Tigers system rose and fell. The Tigers took control of the franchise in 1947 and improved Bowman Field by spending $40,000 to repair flood damage and installing grandstand
Grandstand
A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators, most often at a racetrack. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way...
seats from Briggs Stadium in Detroit. The franchise was sold at the end of the 1952 season to five anonymous businessmen for $7,500. The Tigers era ended at the same time when the team was once again aligned with the Philadelphia A's and the Williamsport Grays name was restored.
Seasons
The Williamsport Grays changed their name to the Tigers for the 1947 season. The was their second year of affiliation with Detroit Tigers. The was the first time that the Eastern League team in Williamsport was known as something other than the Grays. The 1947 club was managed by George DeToreGeorge DeTore
George Francis DeTore was a Major League Baseball infielder who played for two seasons. He played for the Cleveland Indians from 1930 to 1931.-External links:...
. The Tigers finished in 5th place of an eight team league with a record of 67 wins and 74 losses.
The 1948 season saw the Tigers have a change in manager with Gene Desautels
Gene Desautels
Eugene Abraham "Red" Desautels was an American professional baseball player. Born in Worcester, Massachusetts to French Canadian parents, he played most of his Major League Baseball career as a backup catcher with four different teams between and . Listed at 5' 11", 170 lb., Desautels batted...
taking over. The Tigers finished in fourth place in the Eastern League and reached a one game playoff for the final spot in the league playoffs. The Tigers lost that game to the Hartford Chiefs. Lou Kretlow
Lou Kretlow
Louis Henry Kretlow was an American baseball pitcher who played for the Detroit Tigers , St...
who would go on to play in the majors for the Tigers, Browns, Orioles, White Sox and A's was named the league's Most Valuable Player.
The Tigers slipped back into mediocrity during the 1949, 1951 and 1952 seasons. The 1950 Grays fared no better. Notable players and managers to pass through Williamsport during these years included, Jack Tighe
Jack Tighe
John Thomas Tighe , pronounced "tie", was an American coach, manager and scout for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball....
, Schoolboy Rowe
Schoolboy Rowe
Lynnwood Thomas "Schoolboy" Rowe was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, primarily for the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies...
and Hall of Famer Jim Bunning
Jim Bunning
James Paul David "Jim" Bunning is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and politician.During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1955 to 1971, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career...
.
Year-by-year record
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | 66-74 | 5th | George DeTore George DeTore George Francis DeTore was a Major League Baseball infielder who played for two seasons. He played for the Cleveland Indians from 1930 to 1931.-External links:... |
|
| 1948 | 73-68 | 5th | Gene Desautels Gene Desautels Eugene Abraham "Red" Desautels was an American professional baseball player. Born in Worcester, Massachusetts to French Canadian parents, he played most of his Major League Baseball career as a backup catcher with four different teams between and . Listed at 5' 11", 170 lb., Desautels batted... |
Lost one game playoff for 4th place |
| 1949 | 66-74 | 5th (t) | Gene Desautels Gene Desautels Eugene Abraham "Red" Desautels was an American professional baseball player. Born in Worcester, Massachusetts to French Canadian parents, he played most of his Major League Baseball career as a backup catcher with four different teams between and . Listed at 5' 11", 170 lb., Desautels batted... |
|
| 1951 | 55-84 | 7th | Schoolboy Rowe Schoolboy Rowe Lynnwood Thomas "Schoolboy" Rowe was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, primarily for the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies... |
|
| 1952 | 48-90 | 8th | Paul Campbell Paul Campbell Paul Campbell is the name of:* Paul Campbell * Paul Campbell * Paul Campbell * Paul Campbell * Paul Campbell... |
|