Middle Atlantic League (1947-1949)
Tombstone
Born: 1947
Died: 1950
First Game: May 8, 1947 (W 9-8 vs. Niagara Falls Frontiers)
Last Game: September 5, 1949 (L 5-4 & L 3-2 @ Erie Sailors)
Middle Atlantic League Championships: None
Stadium
Ownership & Affiliation
Owner: Harry Isabel, et al.
Major League Affiliation: Pittsburgh Pirates
Editor's Pick
The Middle Atlantic League
1925-1952
A Baseball History
By William E. Akin
The small and midsized cities of western Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia reached their peaks of population and prosperity in the second quarter of the 20th century. The baseball teams from these towns formed the Middle Atlantic League, a circuit that author William Akin argues was once the strongest in the low minors. This thorough history chronicles the MAL through three distinct phases from its 1925 inaugural season up through its decline and dissolution in 1952 as the country underwent seismic cultural and economic shifts following World War II.
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Background
The Uniontown Coal Barons were a Class C farm club of the Pittsburgh Pirates for three summers in the late 1940’s. Uniontown, located 45 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, was a city of 20,000 at the time, built on steel mills and the coal industry. (Uniontown’s population today has declined by 50% from its peak in 1940).
The Coal Barons played at Speedway Park, a diamond hastily constructed for the team in 1947 on the site of the former Uniontown Speedway auto track. Harry Isabel, leader of the Coal Barons’ ownership group, managed the Pittsburgh Brewing Company plant in Uniontown, which brewed Iron City Beer, White Horse Cream Ale, Blue Label Bock and other regional favorites of the post-WWII years.
Five Coal Barons players eventually made it to the Major Leagues: infielders Jack Merson (Uniontown ’47) and Milt Graff (’49), Catcher Jim Mangan (’49) and pitchers Cal Hogue (’48), and Chuck Churn (’49).
The Coal Barons folded during the winter of 1949-50. Professional baseball never returned to Uniontown.
Trivia
Pitcher Jack Bumgarner, the older brother of actor James Garner of The Great Escape and The Rockford Files, won 16 games as a 21-year old pitcher for the Coal Barons in 1948.
The first six games of the Coal Barons debut season in 1947 were cancelled due to rain, wet grounds or cold weather conditions.
Links
Middle Atlantic League Media Guides
Middle Atlantic League Programs
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7 Responses
I played on the remains of the Speedway ballfield in about 1954-56 with other kids from Hopwood which is where the field was located
I remember going to some event there when I was a little kid. I was born in 1948 so I am guessing I was probably 4-5 years old. I can still remember it because it had been raining and the whole hillside was nothing but mud and grass. My family liked baseball so maybe that is why we were there, but in my mind it seemed like we watched some kind of car race?
Hello,
My dad, Tommie Encinas played with the Coal Barons in 1947. He was a pitcher. I have pictures of players that were his team members. I am looking for a picture of my dad. He played 7 years in the minor leagues.
My dad played in 1947 too. Only they have his name wrong. He was William Henry “Bill” McKee. They have him as Harold. I’d love to get it corrected. I will look in dad’s scrP ooms and see if I have any pics ofyour dad. Jayma McKee Cook
Hi Patricia,
My grandfather, Douglas MacDougall, briefly played with the Coal Barons in 1947. He wouldn’t happen to appear in any of the photos you have, would he?
Does anyone have a picture of my grandfather, Joe Petko, who played for the Coal Barons and was Treasurer and Secretary of the Mid Atlantic League. I would love to have his picture.
Hey Jeff… Debbie Gault Seymour sent your Mom a Petko book in the last year or so that had a team picture of the Uniontown baseball club. Deb’s Mom.. Patricia from South Bend passed away last summer and Debbie has been going through her photos, letters, etc for months. She recently found a document for shares of stock in the team. Your grandfather’s (Joe Petko) signature in addition to the team president’s is on it.