The Tobacco State League was a Class D level American minor baseball league that played for five seasons (1946–1950) in

Organized Baseball The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive officer of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the associated Minor League Baseball (MiLB) – a constellation of leagues and clubs known as "organized baseball". Under the direction of the Commiss ...

in the state of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

. The

Red Springs Red Robins The Red Springs Red Robins were a minor league baseball team based in Red Springs, North Carolina. From 1947 to 1950, the Red Springs Red Robins played exclusively as members of the Class D level Tobacco State League, hosting home games at Robbi ...

won two league championships.

History

The Tobacco State League was one of many low-level minor leagues that flourished immediately after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

before disbanding in the 1950s. Founded as a six-team circuit in 1946, the league sported eight teams for the final four years of its existence, although one of its teams, the charter member

Smithfield-Selma Leafs The Smithfield–Selma Leafs were a minor league baseball team based in Smithfield, North Carolina, in partnership with Selma, North Carolina. From 1946 to 1950, the Smithfield–Selma Leafs teams played exclusively as members of the Class D lev ...

, was forced to drop out during the closing weeks of the TSL's final 1950 season. With the exceptions of Lumberton ( Chicago Cubs) and Red Springs ( Philadelphia Athletics), its members were unaffiliated with

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

farm systems.

Member teams

* Angier, NC & Fuquay Springs, NC: Angier-Fuquay Springs Bulls 1946 (Champions, 1946) *

Clinton, NC Clinton is a city in, and the county seat of, Sampson County, North Carolina, United States. The population of Clinton is 8,639 according to the 2010 Census. Clinton is named for Richard Clinton, a Brigadier General of the North Carolina milit ...

: Clinton Blues1946–1948; Clinton Sampson Blues 1949–1950 *

Dunn, NC Dunn is the largest city of Harnett County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 9,263 at the 2010 census, and an estimated 9,718 in 2018. It is the anchor city of the Dunn Micropolitan Area, population 114,678 (2010 census), which ...

Erwin, NC Erwin, formerly named Duke, is a town that is located in the eastern part of Harnett County, North Carolina, United States, located approximately from Dunn and approximately from Fayetteville. The city is a part of the Dunn, NC Micropolitan S ...

: Dunn-Erwin Twins 1946–1950 *

Fayetteville, NC Fayetteville () is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a major U.S. Army installation northwest of the city. Fayetteville has received the All-America C ...

: Fayetteville Scotties 1949 * Lumberton, NC: Lumberton Cubs 1947–1948; Lumberton Auctioneers 1949–1950 * Red Springs, NC:

1947–1950 (Champions, 1948, 1949) * Rockingham, NC:

Rockingham Eagles The Rockingham Eagles were a minor league baseball team based in Rockingham, North Carolina who won the league championship in their only season of play. In 1950, the Eagles played as members of the Class D level Tobacco State League, winning th ...

1950 (Champions, 1950) * Sanford, NC:

Sanford Spinners The Sanford Spinners were a professional minor league baseball team based in Sanford, North Carolina. The Spinners played as members of the Class D (baseball), Class D level Bi-State League in 1941 and 1942 and the Tobacco State League from 1946 t ...

1946–1950 (Champions, 1947) * Smithfield, NC &

Selma, NC Selma is a town in Johnston County, North Carolina, United States. In 2010, the population was 6,073, and as of 2018 the estimated population was 6,913. Selma is part of the Raleigh-Durham-Cary Combined Statistical Area. The area has a populati ...

1946–1950 * Warsaw, NC: Warsaw Red Sox 1947–1948 * Whiteville, NC: Whiteville Tobs 1950 *

Wilmington, NC Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is th ...

Wilmington Pirates The Wilmington Pirates were a minor league baseball team located in Wilmington, North Carolina. From 1928 to 1929, they played in the Class D Eastern Carolina League. From 1932 to 1935, they played in the Class B Piedmont League. From 1946 to 1950 ...

1946–1950

Standings & statistics

Playoffs: Angier-Fuquay 4 games, Sanford 2; Clinton 4 games, Springfield 1.
Finals: Angier-Fuquay 4 games, Clinton 3. Playoffs: Sanford 4 games, Wilmington 3; Lumberton 4 games, Dunn-Erwin 1.
Finals: Sanford 4 games, Lumberton 3. Playoffs: Sanford 4 games, Smithfield-Selma 1; Red Springs 4 games, Wilmington 3.
Finals: Red Springs 4 games, Sanford 1.
Playoffs: Dunn-Erwin 4 games, Lumberton 1; Red Springs 4 games, Sanford 2.
Finals: Red Springs 4 games, Dunn Erwin 1. Playoffs: Rockingham 4 games, Lumberton 2; Stanford 4 games, Red Springs 0;
Finals: Rockingham 4 games, Stanford 3

References

* *

External links

Baseball Reference
{{Authority control Defunct minor baseball leagues in the United States Baseball leagues in North Carolina 1946 establishments in North Carolina 1950 disestablishments in North Carolina Sports leagues established in 1946 Sports leagues disestablished in 1950