The Fieldale Towlers was the primary moniker of the

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 ...

teams based in

Fieldale, Virginia Fieldale is a census-designated place (CDP) in Henry County, Virginia, Henry County, Virginia, United States. The population was 879 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Martinsville, Virginia, Martinsville Martinsville micropolitan area, Microp ...

from 1934 to 1936. Fieldale teams played as members of the Class D level

Bi-State League The Bi-State League was an American baseball minor league formed in 1934 with teams in Virginia and North Carolina. The league held together for nine seasons, being represented by ten cities from North Carolina and eight from Virginia. Only the ...

from 1934 to 1936. The Fieldale Towlers were an affiliate of the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

(1936).

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...

member

Joe Guyon Joseph Napoleon "Big Chief" Guyon (Anishinaabe: ''O-Gee-Chidah'', translated as "Big Brave"; November 26, 1892 – November 27, 1971) was an American Indian from the Ojibwa tribe (Chippewa) who was an American football and baseball player and c ...

was player/manager of the 1936 Fieldale Towlers.

History

The Fieldale Virginians began minor league play as charter members of the 1934 Class D level Bi-State League. The Virginians finished their first season with a record of 36–41, placing 3rd in the six–team Bi-State League regular season under Manager Luther Hodge. The 1934 standings were: Danville-Schoolfield Leafs 53–25,

Martinsville Manufacturers Martinsville is the name of several places: * Martinsville, New South Wales, Australia United States * Martinsville, Illinois * Martinsville, Indiana * Martinsville, Clinton County, Indiana * Martinsville, Mississippi * Martinsville, Missouri * Ma ...

46–29, Fieldale Virginians 36–41,

Mount 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 ...

33–43,

Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets The Class D Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets was a Minor League Baseball team who played in three different leagues between the and seasons. The team was a combination of three separate towns from North Carolina (now Eden, Rockingham County, No ...

32–45 and Mayodan Senators 29–46. Fieldale played their home games at Riverside Park. The franchise was renamed as the Fieldale Towlers for the 1935 season. The moniker reflected the local industry of towel–producing textile mills. Continuing play in the Bi-State League, the Towlers ended the 1935 season with a record of 50–64, placing sixth in the eight–team Bi-State League regular season. Dixie Parker served as the Fieldale manager in 1935. In their final season, the Fieldale Towlers became an affiliate of the

. Fieldale finished the 1936 regular season with a record of 52–62, placing 7th in the Bi-State League standings.

, Red Smith and Jimmie Rimmer all served time as manager in 1936. Joe Guyon had a storied football career and was inducted into the

in 1971. The Fieldale franchise folded from the Bi-State League following the 1936 season and were replaced by the South Boston Twins for the 1937 Bi-State League season. Fieldale, Virginak has not hosted another minor league franchise.

The ballpark

From 1934 to 1936 Fieldale teams played home games at Riverside Park. Riverside Park had a ballpark capacity of 1,500, with field dimensions (Left, Center, Right) of: 325–380–325 (1936). Today, the site is known as Fieldale Park and has a baseball field that is still in use. The address is 188 Field Avenue, Fieldale, Virginia, 24089.

Timeline

Year-by-year records

Notable alumni

(1936, MGR)

Jack Hallett Jack Price Hallett (November 13, 1914 – June 11, 1982) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played for the Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants of Major League Baseball between 1940 and 1948. He was a , right- ...

(1936) *

Ralph Hodgin Elmer Ralph Hodgin (February 10, 1915 – October 4, 2011) was an outfielder/third baseman who played in Major League Baseball between and . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. Listed at 5' 1 ...

(1936) *

Joe Just Joseph Erwin Just (born Joseph Erwin Juszczak) (January 8, 1916 – November 22, 2003) was an American Major League Baseball catcher who broke into the Major Leagues on May 13, 1944, with the Cincinnati Reds of the National League. Just appeare ...

(1936) *

Ken Keltner Kenneth Frederick Keltner (October 31, 1916 – December 12, 1991) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from 1937 to 1950, most prominently as a member of the Cleveland Indians where ...

(1936) 7x MLB All-Star;

Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame This is a list of award winners and league leaders for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball. Awards Most Valuable Player *George Burns (1926) * Lou Boudreau (1948) * Al Rosen (1953) Cy Young * Gaylord Perry (1972) * CC Sabathia ...

Boots Poffenberger Cletus Elwood "Boots" Poffenberger (July 1, 1915 – September 1, 1999) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers (1937–1939) and Brooklyn Dodgers (1939). Promising rookie year in 1937 Born in Williamsport, Maryland, ...

(1935) * Dixie Parker (1935, MGR) * Red Smith (1936, MGR) * Roy Vaughn (1935)

References

{{reflist, 2

External links

Fieldale - Baseball Reference
Defunct minor league baseball teams Professional baseball teams in Virginia Defunct baseball teams in Virginia Baseball teams established in 1934 Baseball teams disestablished in 1936 Detroit Tigers minor league affiliates Bi-State League teams Henry County, Virginia