The Elkin Blanketeers 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

Elkin, North Carolina Elkin is a town in Surry County, North Carolina, Surry and Wilkes County, North Carolina, Wilkes counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina, along the Yadkin River. Elkin shares its name with the surrounding township of Elkin Township, Surry Co ...

. The Blanketeers played as members of the Class D level

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 1949 to 1950 and

North Carolina State League The North Carolina State League was a Class D level league in Minor League Baseball. The original version of the league played from 1913 to 1917 as the successor to the Carolina Association. The second version of the league was established in ...

from 1951 to 1952, winning the 1950 pennant. Elkin hosted home minor league games at Elkin Memorial Park, where a Blanketeer player was married at home plate in 1950.

History

The 1949 Elkin Blanketeers were the first

team in Elkin, North Carolina. The minor league team was directly preceded by the local semipro team, the Chatham Blanketeers. The Chatham Manufacturing Company was a primary local business that engaged in the manufacturing of blankets. A top selling product was the wollen "Chatham Blanket," corresponding with the Eklin use of the "Blanketeers." moniker." The Elkin Blanketeers began play as members of the Class D level

in 1949. Harvey Laffoon, publisher of The Elkin Tribune newspaper, was a principal owner of the franchise. The 1949 Elkin Blanketeers ended their first Blue Ridge League season with a 62–65 record. Elkin placed 5th in the six–team Blue Ridge League regular season standings, finishing 6.5 games behind the 1st place

Mt. Airy Graniteers The Mount Airy Graniteers were a minor league baseball Class D team that represented the city of Mount Airy, North Carolina. The team played under two different names in two leagues over their 13 non-consecutive seasons spanning 1934–1950. The c ...

. Wayne Harris served as manager, his first of three seasons managing the team. The minor league Blanketeers continued to play at Elkin Memorial Park and had 1949 season attendance of 33,000, an average of 520 per home game. The 1950 Elkin Blanketeers won the Blue Ridge League Pennant in the final season for the league. The Blanketeers ended the 1950 season with a record of 82–32, placing 1st in the Blue Ridge League regular season standings, playing under manager Wayne Harris. Elkin finished 13.5 games ahead of the 2nd place Mt. Airy Graniteers. In the Playoffs, Elkin swept the Galax Leafs in three games. In the Finals, the Mount Airy Graniteers swept the Elkin Blanketeers in four games. Season attendance at Elkin Memorial Park was 21,578 an average of 379. The Blue Ridge League folded after the 1950 season, as did the Elkin franchise. In mid-season 1951, the Elkin Blanketeers were revived. On July 18, 1951, the

Landis Spinners The Landis Spinners (also known as the Senators, Dodgers and Millers) were a Class D minor league baseball team in Landis, North Carolina that existed from 1935–1951. They were a regional predecessor of today's Kannapolis Intimidators. Histor ...

of the Class D level

relocated to Elkin and the Elkin Blanketeers resumed play. The Landis Spinners had a 44–36 record at the time of the move. The 1951 Landis Spinners/Elkin Blanketeers team finished the North Carolina State League regular season with an overall record of 67–59, placing 3rd in the eight–team league, finishing 23.0 games behind the champion

High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms Thomasville, North Carolina was home to several minor league baseball teams from 1937–1969. The Thomasville Chair Makers joined the North Carolina State League in 1937 and became the Thomasville Tommies in 1939. They were an affiliate of the ...

. Fred Chapman served as manager in both locations. In the 1951 Playoffs, High Point-Thomasville defeated Landis/Elkin 4 games to 1. Overall season attendance was 22,780. In their final season, The 1952 Elkin Blanketeers finished the regular season with a record of 45–64. Elkin placed 4th in the North Carolina State Leagues, which had reduced to six teams. Wayne Harris returned as the manager. In the Playoffs, the Mooresville Moors defeated Elkin Blanketeers 4 games to 1. The final season of minor league play Elkin Memorial Park saw season attendance of 16,322, an average of 299 per contest. The North Carolina State League permanently folded after the 1952 season. Elkin, North Carolina has not hosted another minor league franchise.

The ballpark

The Elkin Blanketeers were noted to have played minor league home games at Elkin Memorial Park. The ballpark had a capacity of 1,500 in 1950. In 1950, the ballpark hosted the wedding of Blanketeers player Shorty Brown, who married Jo Barnette at home plate. Elkin Memorial Park was located at Memorial Park Drive & James Street, Elkin, North Carolina.

Timeline

Year–by–year records

Notable alumni

* Fred Chapman (1951, MGR) * Van Fletcher (1949–1950) * John Pyecha (1950)

References

{{reflist, 2

External links

Elkin - Baseball Reference
Defunct minor league baseball teams Baseball teams established in 1949 Baseball teams disestablished in 1952 1949 establishments in North Carolina Defunct baseball teams in North Carolina Professional baseball teams in North Carolina Surry County, North Carolina Blue Ridge League teams 1952 disestablishments in North Carolina North Carolina State League teams