The Rockingham Eagles 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

Rockingham, North Carolina Rockingham is a city in Richmond County, North Carolina, United States, named after the Marquess of Rockingham. The population was 9,243 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Richmond County. Downtown Rockingham is currently being revit ...

who won the league championship in their only season of play. In 1950, the Eagles played as members of the Class D level

Tobacco State League The Tobacco State League was a Class D level American minor baseball league that played for five seasons (1946–1950) in Organized Baseball in the state of North Carolina. The Red Springs Red Robins won two league championships. History The ...

, winning the league championship in the last season of play for the league. The Rockingham Baseball Park served as home to the Eagles.

History

Rockingham, North Carolina first hosted minor league play in 1950, whet the Rockingham "Eagles" became members of the eight–team Class D level

during the last season of the league. The Clinton Sampson Blues, Dunn-Erwin Twins, Lumberton Auctioneers,

Red Springs Red Robins The Red Springs Red Robins were a minor league baseball team based in Red Springs, North Carolina. From 1947 to 1950, the Red Springs Red Robins played exclusively as members of the Class D (baseball), Class D level Tobacco State League, winning ...

, Sanford Spinners, Smithfield–Selma Leafs and Wilmington Pirates joined Rockingham in beginning Tobacco State League play on April 28, 1950.https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/l-TOBS/y-1950 In their only season of play, the 1950 Rockingham Eagles won the final Tobacco State League championship. Rockingham finished the regular season with a record of 63–64, to place fourth in the Tobacco State League standings. Playing under managers Jack Bell and Turkey Tyson, Rockingham finished 27.5 games behind the first place Lumberton Auctioneers. The Eagles then swept through the four-team playoffs to win the championship. In the first round of the playoffs, the Rockingham Eagles defeated the Lumberton Auctioneers four games to two to advance. In the Finals, the Rockingham Eagles defeated the Sanford Spinners four games to three to claim the championship. The Tobacco State League permanently folded following the 1950 season. Rockingham, North Carolina has not hosted another minor league team.

The ballpark

The 1950 Rockingham Eagles minor league team was noted to have played home games at the Rockingham Baseball Park. The ballpark reportedly was later called Rockingham Stadium and had hosted traveling

Negro league baseball The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relativel ...

games.

Year–by–year record

Notable alumni

Turkey Tyson (1950, MGR)

References

{{reflist, 2

External links

Rockingham - Baseball Reference
Defunct minor league baseball teams Professional baseball teams in North Carolina Defunct baseball teams in North Carolina Baseball teams established in 1950 Baseball teams disestablished in 1950 Tobacco State League teams