The Danville Leafs were a professional minor league baseball team that played in the city of Danville, Virginia . During 1935–1942, they were also known as the Danville-Schoolfield Leafs .
21-591: Professional baseball first made its appearance in Danville in 1905 when the town fielded a team, the Tobacconists, in the short-lived Class C Virginia–North Carolina League . Several other professional teams came and went in the town but it was not until 1925 that the name "Leafs" was first used. The name refers to the famous tobacco leaf markets of the town. The Leafs, who played in the Piedmont League , relocated during
42-560: A few games each season at Sewanee Stadium after Lawrence Stadium was constructed. Sewanee Stadium was located near the corner of Washington and Lincoln Streets in Portsmouth, Virginia. Initially, teams played at High Street Park. Frank Lawrence often leased Lawrence Stadium to Joe Lewis, a former Negro leagues player. Lewis would organize exhibitions with Negro league teams such the Indianapolis Clowns , Kansas City Monarchs and
63-598: A four-team Class D level league, with help from Jack Grimm, who then became the manager of the Greensboro franchise. The 1905 league teams were the Charlotte Hornets, Danville Tobacconists , Greensboro Farmers and Salisbury–Spencer Twins / Winston–Salem Twins . On July 17, 1905, Salisbury-Spencer (24–28) moved to Winston-Salem and became the Winston–Salem Twins. The Virginia–North Carolina League disbanded before
84-585: The Piedmont League , joining the Asheville Tourists , Durham Bulls , Norfolk Tars , Richmond Colts and Rocky Mount Red Sox . Portsmouth changed their moniker to "Cubs" in 1936. Portsmouth remained a member of the Piedmont League until the league itself folded after the 1955 season. Earlier, Portsmouth had played in the different incarnations of the Virginia League . The first team in Portsmouth
105-800: The Portsmouth Truckers , Portsmouth Pirates and Portsmouth Browns were Virginia League members based in Portsmouth, playing between 1895 and 1928. The Portsmouth Cubs were affiliates of the Chicago Cubs and the Philadelphia Phillies , playing in the Class B level Piedmont League from 1935 to 1955. The team became the Portsmouth Merrimacs from 1953 to 1955. Portsmouth hosted the Portsmouth-Norfolk Tides from 1961 to 1968, with
126-523: The 1926 season, again leaving Danville without professional baseball. A new Leafs team was formed in 1934 as a member of the Class D Bi-State League . The team remained a part of that league, which included teams from towns along both sides of the North Carolina-Virginia border, for five seasons. The Leafs won pennants in 1934 and 1935. In 1945, another incarnation of the Danville Leafs took
147-653: The Carolina League Most Valuable Player award. He went on to spend a few seasons with the Giants. Willie McCovey played first base for the 1956 Danville Leafs. He hit .310 with 29 home runs and 89 rus batted in. One of his teammates that season, outfielder Leon Wagner (.330, 51 home runs, 166 runs batted in), also had an outstanding big league career. The team was the first in the Carolina League to become racially integrated when Percy Miller Jr. joined
168-1132: The Class A Carolina League (1963–1968). The franchise played one last season in Portsmouth when the Jacksonville Suns of the Class AAA level International League moved there in 1969. The franchise relocated permanently to neighboring Norfolk, Virginia , in 1970 to become the Tidewater Tides of the International League (1969-1992), evolving into today's Class AAA Norfolk Tides . Baseball Hall of Fame members Jimmie Foxx (1944) and Tony Lazzeri (1942) both managed and played briefly for Portsmouth. Hall of Famer and Negro leagues star Buck Leonard , played for Portsmouth in 1953 at age 45 (hitting .333 in 10 games) and Hall of Famers Hack Wilson (1923, hit .388 in 115 games) and Pie Traynor (1920, hit.270 in 110 games) also played for Portsmouth. Actor and 2-sport professional athlete Chuck Connors played for Portsmouth in 1942 and 1946. Portsmouth won
189-474: The Piedmont League championship in 1945 and regular season pennants in 1943 and 1950. Beginning in 1936, Portsmouth teams played at Lawrence Stadium , originally called Portsmouth Stadium, which was demolished in 1997. The stadium was named for Frank Lawrence, owner of the Portsmouth Cubs and Merrimacs. Previous teams had played exclusively at Sewanee Stadium , which was built in 1921. Piedmont still played
210-492: The conclusion of the season, stopping play on August 19, 1905 with Danville in first place (48–27), followed by Charlotte (40–42), Greensboro (36–47) and Winston-Salem (34–42). 1901 Virginia–North Carolina League 1905 Virginia–North Carolina League Portsmouth Browns Minor League Baseball teams were based in Portsmouth, Virginia , in various seasons between 1895 and 1968. Early, Portsmouth teams, called
231-459: The field as members of the newly formed Carolina League . They were a member of the New York Giants ( San Francisco Giants ) farm system. The team existed through the 1958 season. In 1945, Danville pitcher Art Fowler led the league with 23 wins . He went on to have a long major league career as both a player and coach . In 1953, Leafs' pitcher Ramon Monzant (23-6, 232 strikeouts) won
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#1733094523044252-449: The franchise evolving into the Tidewater Tides and eventually today's Class AAA level Norfolk Tides . Baseball Hall of Fame members Pie Traynor (1920), Hack Wilson (1923) and Buck Leonard (1953) played for Portsmouth, while Jimmie Foxx (1944) and Tony Lazzeri (1942) served as managers of the Portsmouth Cubs. Actor Chuck Connors played for Portsmouth in 1942 and 1946. The Portsmouth Truckers began play in 1935 as members of
273-728: The league championships. In 1901, the Virginia League evolved into the Class C level Virginia–North Carolina League. The Virginia League cities of New Port News Portsmouth and Richmond franchises continued play in the 1901 Virginia–North Carolina League, joining three new franchises. The new Virginia–North Carolina League began forming in January 1901. The Virginia cities of Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Richmond, Raleigh and Danville, Virginia, were front runners for consideration. Other North Carolina cities of Charlotte, Durham, Greensboro and Wilmington were all also recruited to form teams. Prior to
294-745: The same day the Portsmouth Browns (22–31) moved to Tarboro to become the Tarboro Tartars . After the Norfolk Skippers and Richmond Grays franchises disbanded in July, the Virginia–North Carolina League continued play as a four–team league. The league then folded on August 17, 1901. After the league folded, an eleven–game 1901 "championship series" between the first–half champion Wilmington Giants and second–half champion Raleigh Senators
315-474: The season were plagued by rain and other bad weather, including a tornado that hit Newport News, Virginia on May 1, 1901. Attendance was diminished in as a result. On May 2, 1901, the league took over the Portsmouth Browns franchise, which was suffering from poor attendance. The Newport News–Hampton Shipbuilders (32–26) moved to Charlotte, North Carolina and became the Charlotte Hornets on June 21, 1901,
336-534: The season, plans for both a ten–team league and an eight–team league were publicly announced. On February 18, 1901, at a meeting at the Monticello Hotel in Norfolk, Virginia, W.H. Cunningham was elected president and E.H. Doran selected as secretary. The league was formed with six teams, four from Virginia and two from North Carolina, with the schedule running from April 15 to September 21. General admission at all sites
357-570: The team in 1951. Professional baseball returned to Danville in 1993 when the Pulaski Braves of the rookie level Appalachian League relocated to Danville as the Danville Braves . A farm team of the Atlanta Braves , the team has been the starting point for many players who have gone on to the major leagues. Virginia%E2%80%93North Carolina League The Virginia–North Carolina League
378-492: Was a minor league baseball league that played in the 1901 and 1905 seasons, folding before the end of the season in both years. The Virginia–North Carolina League played as a six–team Class C level league in 1901 and as a four–team Class D league in the 1905 season. As the name indicates, the league consisted of teams based in Virginia and North Carolina . The Raleigh Senators (1901) and Danville Tobacconists (1905) captured
399-467: Was scheduled. After four games, the remainder of the series was cancelled due to numerous rain–outs. Raleigh won all four games played and claimed the league championship. With Charlotte and Greensboro as members, the league essentially evolved into the North Carolina League in 1902, before that league also disbanded on July 15, 1902. The Virginia–North Carolina League formed again in 1905 as
420-436: Was set at 25 cents, with grandstands seats at 35 cents. The league employed a single umpire per game, at a salary of $ 7.00 per game, an amount deemed enough to attract the best umpires. The Virginia–North Carolina League began play on April 16, 1901 with the six league members Newport News Shipbuilders , Norfolk Skippers , Portsmouth Browns , Raleigh Senators , Richmond Bluebirds and Wilmington Giants . Games early in
441-678: Was the Portsmouth Truckers in 1985. Portsmouth fielded teams in the Virginia League in 1895–1897, 1900–1901, 1912–1917 and 1919–1928. Portsmouth teams were affiliates of the Chicago Cubs from 1936 to 1938, the Philadelphia Phillies from 1939 to 1940 and the Chicago Cubs from 1941 to 1947. Later, Portsmouth was home of the Portsmouth-Norfolk Tides , who played in the Class A level South Atlantic League (1961–1962) and
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