The Dayton Aviators 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

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

. From 1928 to 1930, the Aviators played as members of the Class B level

Central League The or , also known as the for sponsorship reasons, is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League i ...

, winning the 1928 league championship. The Aviators hosted home games at North Side Park.

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United S ...

member

Billy Herman William Jennings Bryan Herman (July 7, 1909 – September 5, 1992) was an American second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) during the 1930s and 1940s. Known for his stellar defense and consistent batting, Herman still holds many ...

played for the 1929 Dayton Aviators.

History

The Aviators were preceded in minor league play by the Dayton Veterans who had played from 1903 to 1917, as members of a previous version of the Class B level

. In 1928, the Dayton "Aviators" resumed minor league play, as the team became members of the six-team, Class B level

. The Akron Tyrites, Canton Terriers, Erie Sailors, Fort Wayne Chiefs and Springfield Buckeyes teams joined Dayton in beginning Central League play on April 25, 1928. The Dayton "Aviators" nickname corresponds to Dayton aviation and history. Since 1923, Dayton has been home to the

National Museum of the United States Air Force The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is ...

, located on the

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place just east of Dayton, Ohio, in Greene County, Ohio, Greene and Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patte ...

. Today, Dayton is also home to the

Wright Brothers The Wright brothers, Orville Wright (August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948) and Wilbur Wright (April 16, 1867 – May 30, 1912), were American aviation List of aviation pioneers, pioneers generally credited with inventing, building, and flyin ...

National Museum. Wright Cycle Company Offices

In their first season of play, the Aviators placed second in the Central League overall standings. With a record of 76–59, Dayton finished 1.0 game behind the first place Erie Sailors (76–57) in the final regular season standings. Erie won the second half of the split-season schedule, and the Fort Wayne Chiefs won the first half standings, with Fort Wayne eventually winning the playoff championship over Erie. Jimmy Jordan of the Aviators led the Central League with a .362 batting average and 27 home runs. Teammate Ed Clough had 130 strikeouts to lead the league pitchers. The Aviators continued play in the 1929 Central League, placing third in the final standings of the six-team league. The Dayton Aviators had an overall record of 68-69 and finished 11.5 games behind the first place Canton Terries in the final standings, as the league held no playoffs. The Aviators were managed by Merito Acosta during the season.

member

played for the Aviators in 1929. At age 19, in his second professional season, Herman hit .329 for the Aviators in 138 games. BillyHermanGoudeycard

The Dayton Aviators played their final season in the 1930 Central League and finished last in the standings. Playing under manager Nick Cullup, the Aviators placed sixth in the six-team league. With a record of 56-81, Dayton finished 26.0 games behind the first place Springfield Blue Sox. Clyde Hatter of Dayton led Central League pitchers with 217 strikeouts. The Central League did not return to play in 1931. The Aviators were succeeded in minor league play by the 1932 Dayton Ducks, who were formed when the Central League resumed play. The Ducks continued play in the

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 ...

in 1933. Today, the

Dayton Dragons The Dayton Dragons are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Dayton, Ohio, and play their home games at Day Air Ballpark. In 2011, they broke the record for most ...

continue minor league play as members of the Class A level

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

The ballpark

The Dayton Aviators teams hosted minor league home games at North Side Park. The ballpark had a capacity of 4,000. The ballpark had dimensions of (Left, Center, Right) of: 370, 420, 285 with a high Right Field fence. The ballpark was located northwest of Leo Street & Troy Pike Street. The ballpark site was located behind the location of the Philips Swimming Club, first built in 1901. Philips was once operated by the family of Baseball Hall of Fame member

Mike Schmidt Michael Jack Schmidt (born September 27, 1949) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who spent his entire 18-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1972 to 1989. Schmidt was a 12-time Al ...

, a Dayton native. Schmidt's parents Joseph Jack Schmidt and Lois Jane Philipps managed the Philipps Aquatic Club, which had been founded by Lois's great-grandfather Charles A. Philipps. Schmidt worked as a lifeguard at the club and trained there as a competitive swimmer. The club remained in the family until it was sold and closed in 2009.

Timeline

Year-by-year records

Notable alumni

(1929), Inducted

, 1975 * Merito Acosta (1929, MGR) * Everett Booe (1928, MGR) * Tony Brottem (1929) * Earl Browne (1929-1930) * Ed Clough (1928) * Nick Cullup (1930, MGR) * Ray Cunningham (1928) *

Wayland Dean Wayland Ogden Dean (June 20, 1902 – April 11, 1930) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played seven seasons in professional baseball, four at the major league level. In his major league career, Dean went 24–36 with a 4.87 ERA, 1 save, ...

(1928) * Marv Gudat (1928) * Clyde Hatter (1930) * Snipe Hansen (1929) * Jimmy Jordan (1928) *

Johnny Marcum John Alfred Marcum (September 9, 1909 – September 10, 1984), nicknamed "Footsie" and "Moose", was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played for seven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Philadelphia Athletics, Bosto ...

(1929-1930) * Gil Paulsen (1928) * Mike Ryba (1928) * Bobby Schang (1928) * Dutch Ussat (1929) * Ab Wright (1928)

References

External links

*{{usurped,
Dayton Baseball Parks
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Dayton - Baseball ReferenceDayton - Stats Crew
Defunct minor league baseball teams Professional baseball teams in Ohio Defunct baseball teams in Ohio Baseball teams established in 1928 Baseball teams disestablished in 1930 Dayton, Ohio Central League teams