The Cumberland Colts were a

minor league baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

team based in

Cumberland, Maryland Cumberland is a city in Allegany County, Maryland, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 19,075. Located on the Potomac River, Cumberland is a regional business and comm ...

between 1916 and 1932. The "Colts" played as members of the 1916

Potomac League The Potomac League was a minor league baseball league that played a partial season as a Class D level league in 1916. The Potomac League featured four teams based in West Virginia and Maryland. The Potomac League permanently folded on August 16, ...

, the

Blue Ridge League The Blue Ridge League was the name of two minor league baseball organizations that operated in the first half of the twentieth century in the United States. History The first league operated for the better part of sixteen years, from 1915 throu ...

from 1917 to 1918 and

Middle Atlantic League The Middle Atlantic League (or Mid-Atlantic League) was a lower-level circuit in United States, American minor league baseball that played during the second quarter of the 20th century. History The Middle Atlantic League played from 1925 in base ...

from 1925 to 1932. The Colts were a minor league affiliate of the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

in 1931 and 1932, with the Colts winning league championships in 1918, 1927 and 1931. The Colts were preceded in minor league play by the Cumberland Giants of the 1906 Pennsylvania-Ohio-Maryland League and the 1907

Cumberland Rooters The Cumberland Rooters were a minor league baseball club that played for a short time in the Western Pennsylvania League in 1907. The team was established in Latrobe, Pennsylvania as a team listed only as Latrobe, prior to the start of the season ...

of the Western Pennsylvania League. The Cumberland teams hosted minor league home games at South End Park through 1918 and at Community Park from 1925 to 1932.

History

1906–1907 Pre–Colts teams

The Colts were preceded by the 1906 Cumberland Giants and 1907

. The Giants were charter members of the Class D level Pennsylvania-Ohio-Maryland League. The Cumberland Giants finished with a record of 50–48, 5th place in the eight–team Pennsylvania-Ohio-Maryland League. Cumberland was managed by Harry Irvine and Dan Raley. The Giants began play at South End Park. Cumberland briefly had a team during the 1907 season. The

played 25 games in the Class D level Western Pennsylvania League after the

Latrobe, Pennsylvania Latrobe ( ) is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,060 as of the 2020 census. A part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, it is located near Pennsylvania's scenic Chestnut Ridge. Latrobe was incorpo ...

franchise was moved to Cumberland during the season. The Rooters had a record of 5–20 before the franchise moved to

Piedmont, West Virginia Piedmont is a town in Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the Cumberland, MD- WV metropolitan statistical area. The population was 716 at the 2020 census. Piedmont was chartered in 1856 and the town is the subject of ...

on June 27, 1907. The franchise folded before the end of the 1907 season. The Latrobe/cumberland/Piedmont team finished with a 18–46 overall record, managed by S. Whaley, William Morrow, Tom Dillon, Don Curtis and Bill Malarkey.

Potomac League 1916 / Blue Ridge League 1917–1918

In 1916, the Cumberland Colts became charter members of the four–team Class D level

and were the foundation franchise for the league. Cumberland's Colonel Nelson W. Russler and Cumberland attorney Fuller Barnard Jr. who became the Potomac League's president, laid the groundwork for the Potomac League at a meeting in February, 1916. Russler had been a business manager for earlier local Cumberland teams. Charles Boyer, president of the

organized a group of businessmen to garner interest in fielding a league in the area. One year earlier, Cumberland had sought entry into the 1915

, but were unsuccessful due to distance. On August 16, 1916, the Colts were in 3rd place with a 23–35 record when the Potomac League permanently folded. The Colts' 1916 manager was Thomas Russler. The Colts finished behind the Frostburg Demons (33–25), and Piedmont Drybugs (26–30). The Lonaconing Giants (26–18) had previously folded on July 23, 1916. The Potomac league struggled financially, as Cumberland was the only league franchise turning a profit. On July 23, 1916, when the Lonaconing Giants franchise folded, this left the Potomac League with three teams and the schedule was rearranged for the season to continue. The league played on until Frostburg folded on August 16, 1916, causing the Potomac League to permanently fold. In 1917, the Cumberland Colts resumed play, as the franchise became members of the Class D level

in mid–season. On June 20, 1917, the Chambersburg Maroons franchise of

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania Chambersburg is a borough in and the county seat of Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Franklin County, in the South Central Pennsylvania, South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Gre ...

moved to Cumberland with a 16–25 record. The team proceeded to compile a record of 20–38 while based in Cumberland. With an overall record of 36–63, the Chambersburg/Cumberland team placed 6th and last in the Blue Ridge League, playing under managers Eddie Hooper and Brook Crist. The Colts finished the season 26.0 games behind the 1st place Hagerstown Harriers in the final league standings. The Colts continued play at South End Park. Sunday

Blue Laws Blue laws (also known as Sunday laws, Sunday trade laws, and Sunday closing laws) are laws restricting or banning certain activities on specified days, usually Sundays in the western world. The laws were adopted originally for religious reasons ...

prevented professional baseball from being played in many counties in the region. Allegany County, in which Cumberland is home, did not have Sunday Blue Laws. Cumberland scheduled to play games on Sundays over the protests of the other league teams. Both the Gettysburg and Hagerstown franchised refused to play Sunday games. On August 27, 1917, the Frederick Hustlers had defeated Cumberland 5–3. It was reported that the home Cumberland crowd of almost 2,000 rushed the field after the game to attack the umpire. The umpire received a police escort from the field. Blue ridge League President J.V. Jamison, who was present at the game verified that the umpire was escorted safely to an awaiting vehicle and away from the angry fans. The 1918 Cumberland Colts were in 1st place when the four–team Blue Ridge League disbanded on June 18, 1918. The Colts finished 11–6 under Manager Eddie Hooper in the shortened season. When the Blue Ridge League resumed play in 1920 after

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Cumberland did not return as a league franchise.

Middle Atlantic League 1925–1932

After a seven–year absence, the Cumberland Colts began play as charter members of the 1925 Class C

. The Colts finished with a record of 56–40, placing 2nd overall in the six–team Middle Atlantic League standings. There were no league playoffs in 1925. Cumberland played under managers Thomas Ray, Hank McEnroe and James McGuire. The 1925 Cumberland Colts began play at Community Park. On September 7, 1925, Cumberland pitcher Paul Secrist threw a no–hitter in a 8–0 victory over the Scottdale Scotties on the last day of the season. The Cumberland Colts finished 3rd in the Middle 1926 Atlantic League regular season standings. Cumberland had a record of 62–48, playing under manager Pat Ragan. The Colts were 5.0 games behind the 1st place Fairmont Diamonds in the final standings and 2.0 games behind the 2nd place

Johnstown Johnnies Johnstown may refer to: Places Australia * Johnstown, Queensland, a locality split between the Southern Burnett Region and the Gympie Region, Queensland Canada * Johnstown, Nova Scotia * Johnstown, Ontario, United Counties of Leeds and Grenvil ...

. The 1927 Cumberland Colts were Middle Atlantic League Champions. In the 1927 Middle Atlantic League regular season, the Colts finished 66–47, 1st in the standings, to capture the Pennant under manager Guy Thompson. The Colts finished 2.5 games ahead of the Fairmont Black Diamonds in the final regular season standings of the eight–team league. In the 1927 Atlantic League playoffs, the Cumberland Colts defeated the Johnstown Johnnies 4 games to 2 to win the championship.
The Colts had the best overall record in the Middle Atlantic League in 1928, but did not qualify for the league playoffs. With a 75–49 record, Cumberland was 1st overall under manager John Byrnes, finishing 3.5 games ahead of the 2nd place Fairmont Black Diamonds. Fairmont was the Middle Atlantic League champion after defeating the

Wheeling Stogies The Wheeling Stogies was a minor league baseball team based in Wheeling, West Virginia, that played under several different names at various times between 1877 and 1934. They played mostly in the Central League (baseball), Central League and the M ...

in the playoff Final. The league used a spit season schedule to determine the playoff finalists. With a 1929 record of 65–53, the Cumberland Colts placed 3rd in the 1929 Middle Atlantic League regular season standings, finishing 4.0 games behind the Charleroi Governors and

, who tied for 1st with 67–47 records. The Colts' played the season under returning manager John Byrnes.
The 1930 Cumberland Colts placed 6th in the eight–team 1930 Middle Atlantic League regular season standings and did not qualify for the playoffs. The Colts finished with a record of 59–59 under managers Joe Phillips and John Byrnes, finishing 5.5 games behind the Johnstown Johnnies and Clarksburg Generals, who tied for 1st place with 64–53 records.
The first home night game was played at Community Baseball Park on the evening of August 4, 1930. To add to the event, the local Williams Piano and Furniture Company supplied broadcasting equipment that was used to play music and make announcements during the game. The 1931 Cumberland Colts became an affiliate of the

and were the 1931 Middle Atlantic League Champions, as the Middle Atlantic League expanded to a twelve–team league. Cumberland finished with a regular season record of 82–46, placing 2nd in the Middle Atlantic League standings, 1.0 game behind the

Charleston Senators The Charleston Senators were an American minor league baseball team based in Charleston, West Virginia. They were the first professional baseball team to play in Charleston, beginning play in 1910. The team was inactive during a few periods, playi ...

under Manager Leo Mackey. In the Playoffs, the top two teams played in the Finals. There, the Cumberland Colts defeated the Charleston Senators 4 games to 2 to capture the championship.
The 1932 season was the final season for minor league baseball in Cumberland. The Cumberland Colts continued play as an affiliate of the New York Yankees and hosted an exhibition game in 1932 against the Yankees with

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional Baseball in the United States, baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nickna ...

and

Lou Gehrig Henry Louis Gehrig ( ; June 19, 1903June 2, 1941), also known as Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig, was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1923–1939). Gehrig was ...

. Ruth hit a home run in the game. The 1932 Cumberland Colts finished 62–60, placing 4th in the six–team Middle Atlantic League under Manager Leo Mackey, 7.0 games behind the 1st place Charleston Senators. The Colts finished play at Community Park. The Cumberland Colts franchise permanently folded after the 1932 season. Cumberland has not hosted another minor league team.

The ballparks

Cumberland minor league teams first played home games at South End Park in 1906 and 1907 and from 1916 to 1918. Also known as Southside Park, the ballpark was located near the C&O Canal & King Street in Cumberland, Maryland. From 1925 to 1932, the Cumberland Colts hosted minor league home games at Community Park. While Cumberland was an affiliate of the New York Yankees,

appeared in an exhibition game at Community Park, hitting a home run. The ballpark was also known as Mid–City Park from 1926 to 1929 and had a capacity of 3,000 in 1926 and 2,400 in 1931. Cumberland md panoramic 1919

Timeline

Notable alumni

* Walt Bashore (1930) * Ivan Bigler (1917) *

Frank Brazill Frank Leo Brazill (August 11, 1899 – November 3, 1976) was an American professional baseball first baseman whose career spanned nineteen seasons (1919–1938). During the 1921 and 1922 Major League Baseball (MLB) season he was a member of the P ...

(1918) * Joe Buskey (1926) * Swede Carlstrom (1932) *

Joe Cobb Joe Frank Cobb (November 7, 1916 – May 21, 2002) was an American child actor, most notable for appearing as the original "fat boy" in the ''Our Gang'' comedies from 1922 to 1929. Early life and career Born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, on Novemb ...

(1917) * Rip Collins (1932) *

Jess Cortazzo John Francis "Jess" Cortazzo (September 26, 1904 – March 4, 1963), also known as "Shine", was an American professional baseball player. He was a shortstop for one season (1923) with the Chicago White Sox. For his career, he appeared in one g ...

(1926–1927) * George Durning (1929–1930) *

Frank Gleich Frank Elmer Gleich nch(March 7, 1894 – March 27, 1949) was a backup outfielder in Major League Baseball who played from through for the New York Yankees. Listed at , 175 lb., Gleich batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was b ...

(1927) * Hanson Horsey (1917) * Lee King (1926) *

Pinky May Merrill Glend "Pinky" May (January 18, 1911 – September 4, 2000) was an American professional baseball player and third baseman who appeared in 665 games in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies from through . He later became a l ...

(1932) * Leo Meyer (1917) * Pat Ragan (1926) * Pete Rambo (1926–1927) *

Denny Sothern Dennis Elwood Sothern (January 20, 1904 – December 7, 1977) was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Brooklyn Robins. While his birth name was S ...

(1926) *

Jim Spotts James Russell Spotts (April 10, 1909 – June 15, 1964) was a Major League Baseball catcher. Life and career Spotts played for the Philadelphia Phillies in . In three games, Spotts had no hits in two at-bats. He batted and threw right-handed. S ...

(1931) * Elmer Steele (1917) * Bob Synnott (1931–1932) *

Vito Tamulis Vitautis Casimirus Tamulis (July 11, 1911 – May 5, 1974) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees, St. Louis Browns, Philadelphia Phillies and Brooklyn Dodgers from 1934 to 1941. Biogra ...

(1931) *

Joe Vitelli Antonio Joseph Vitelli (April 12, 1908 – February 7, 1967) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1944 and 1945. The , right-hander was a native of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. Biography Vitelli is one of ...

(1932) * Kemp Wicker (1932) *

Cumberland Colts players Cumberland ( ) is an area of North West England which was Historic counties of England, historically a county. The county was bordered by Northumberland to the north-east, County Durham to the east, Westmorland to the south-east, Lancashire to ...

References

External links

Baseball Reference
{{Western Pennsylvania League , state=collapsed Defunct minor league baseball teams New York Yankees minor league affiliates Defunct baseball teams in Maryland Baseball teams established in 1916 Baseball teams disestablished in 1932 Cumberland, Maryland Middle Atlantic League teams Blue Ridge League teams Western Pennsylvania League teams Potomac League teams