The Oil City Oilers was 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 located in

Oil City, Pennsylvania Oil City is the largest city in Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States. Known for its prominence in the initial exploration and development of the petroleum industry, it is located at a bend in the Allegheny River at the mouth of Oil Cre ...

between 1940 and 1951. The team played in the

Pennsylvania State Association The Pennsylvania State Association was a class D level league of minor league baseball that existed from 1934 until 1942. The league franchised were entirely based in Western Pennsylvania. History The Pennsylvania State Association was compose ...

from 1940 to 1942, and later moved to 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 ...

after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

ended. The team began in 1940 when the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

relocated their affiliate, the McKeesport Little Braves, to Oil City. The team stayed affiliated with the Pirates until 1947, when it began an affiliation with the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

. That year, the team's name was changed to the Oil City Refiners. The team's name was changed one last time to the Oil City A's, when they merged with the

Youngstown A's The Youngstown Athletics, or Youngstown A's, was the final name of a baseball team in the Mid-Atlantic League that was based in Youngstown, Ohio, between 1939 and 1941 and 1946 and 1951. Youngstown Browns: 1939–1941 The team was first establi ...

, in 1951. The team the folded, along with the league, at the end of that season. The Oilers name originated from an earlier team that represented the city between 1895 and 1907, in the Iron And Oil League and the

Interstate League The Interstate League was the name of five different American minor baseball leagues that played intermittently from 1896 through 1952. Early leagues Earlier versions of the Interstate League, with years active: *1896–1901: an unclassified ...

."Oil City, Pennsylvania Minor League History"
baseball-reference.com. Retrieved June 20, 2013.

Notable alumni

Otto Denning Otto George Denning (December 28, 1912 – May 25, 1992) was an American professional baseball player and manager. His 20-year (1932–51) career was confined to minor league baseball except for 129 games at the Major League level during the Wo ...

Mike Garbark Nathaniel Michael Garbark (February 3, 1916 – August 31, 1994) was an American Major League Baseball player. Garbark played for the New York Yankees in and . He batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Houston, Texas and died in Charlott ...

Al Gionfriddo Albert Francis Gionfriddo (March 8, 1922 – March 14, 2003) was an American professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder. Career Gionfriddo made his major league debut on September 23, at the age of 22 wit ...

Elmer Klumpp Elmer Edward Klumpp (August 26, 1906 – October 18, 1996) was an American catcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Washington Senators in 1934 and the Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team fou ...

* Junior Walsh *

Hal Woodeshick Harold Joseph Woodeshick (August 24, 1932 – June 14, 2009) was an American left-handed pitcher who spent eleven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Detroit Tigers (1956 and 1961), Cleveland Indians (1958), the original modern Washi ...

Rudy York Preston Rudolph York (August 17, 1913 – February 5, 1970) was an American professional baseball player, coach, scout, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher and a first baseman between and , most notably as a member of t ...

References

Baseball teams established in 1940 Sports clubs and teams disestablished in 1951 Defunct minor league baseball teams Chicago White Sox minor league affiliates Pittsburgh Pirates minor league affiliates 1940 establishments in Pennsylvania 1951 disestablishments in Pennsylvania Oil City, Pennsylvania Defunct baseball teams in Pennsylvania Middle Atlantic League teams Baseball teams disestablished in 1951 Pennsylvania State Association teams Iron and Oil League teams {{Pennsylvania-baseball-team-stub