Tombstone
Formed:
Disbanded:
First Game: May 20, 1925
Last Game: September 5, 1951
Seasons: 24
States:
Leadership
Trophy Case
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 Middle Atlantic League (or “Mid-Atlantic League”) was a Class C baseball league active for 24 seasons between 1925 and 1951.
Like most of minor league baseball, the Mid-Atlantic League went dark during the peak of World War II in the summers of 1943, 1944 and 1945. Unlike many other leagues, when the Mid-Atlantic League re-organized in 1946, it featured an almost entirely new lineup of cities from the group that last played in the summer of ’42. Only the Erie Sailors returned.
For most of its history, the Middle Atlantic League played a split season format. The first half champions and the second half champions met in a postseason series to determine the league champion. If a team won both halves, there was no playoff at all.
From 1937 to 1942 and 1946 to 1948, the league adopted a format known as “the Shaughnessy playoffs” with no halves and the top four teams advancing to a best-of-five semi-final playoff and then either a best-of-five or best-of-seven championship series.
Over the years the league was active in Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Middle Atlantic League Franchise List
| Franchise | Years Active | Middle Atlantic League Champions |
|---|---|---|
| Akron Yankees | 1935-1941 | 1940 |
| Altoona Engineers | 1931 | None |
| Beaver Falls Beavers | 1931 | None |
| Beckley Black Knights | 1931-1934 | None |
| Beckley Miners | 1935 | None |
| Butler Tigers | 1949-1951 | 1950 |
| Butler Yankees | 1946-1948 | None |
| Canton Terriers | 1936-1942 | 1937-1939 |
| Charleroi Babes | 1927-1928 | None |
| Charleroi Governors | 1929-1931 | 1929 |
| Charleston Senators | 1931-1942 | 1932 |
| Clarksburg Cyrians | 1925 | None |
| Clarksburg Generals | 1926-1932 | None |
| Clarksburg Ghosts | 1925 | None |
| Cumberland Colts | 1925-1932 | 1927-1931 |
| Dayton Ducks | 1933-1938 & 1941-1942 | None |
| Dayton Wings | 1939-1940 | None |
| Erie Sailors | 1938-1939 & 1941-1942 & 1946-1951 | 1942-1946-1948-1949 |
| Fairmont Black Diamonds | 1926-1931 | 1928 |
| Fairmont Maroons | 1925 | None |
| Hagerstown Hubs | 1931 | None |
| Huntington Boosters | 1931-1933 | None |
| Huntington Red Birds | 1934-1936 | 1935 |
| Jeannette Jays | 1926-1931 | None |
| Johnstown Johnnies | 1925-1938 & 1946-1950 | 1925-1926-1930- |
| Lockport Locks | 1951 | None |
| New Castle Chiefs | 1948 & 1950 | None |
| New Castle Indians | 1951 | None |
| New Castle Nats | 1949 | None |
| Niagara Falls Citizens | 1950-1951 | 1951 |
| Niagara Falls Frontiers | 1946-1947 | None |
| Oil City A's | 1951 | None |
| Oil City Oilers | 1946 | None |
| Oil City Refiners | 1947-1950 | None |
| Parkersburg Parkers | 1931 | None |
| Portsmouth Pirates | 1935-1936 | None |
| Portsmouth Red Birds | 1937-1940 | 1938 |
| Scottdale Cardinals | 1931 | None |
| Scottdale Scotties | 1925-1930 | None |
| Springfield Cardinals | 1941-1942 | None |
| Springfield Chicks | 1933 | None |
| Springfield Indians | 1937-1939 | None |
| Springfield Pirates | 1934 | None |
| Uniontown Coal Barons | 1947-1949 | None |
| Uniontown Cokers | 1926 | None |
| Vandergrift Pioneers | 1947-1950 | 1947 |
| Wheeling Stogies | 1925-1931 & 1933-1934 | None |
| Youngstown A's | 1949-1951 | None |
| Youngstown Browns | 1939-1941 | None |
| Youngstown Colts | 1947-1948 | None |
| Youngstown Gremlins | 1946 | None |
| Youngstown Tubers | 1931 | None |
| Zanesville Cubs | 1941-1942 | None |
| Zanesville Greys | 1933-1937 | 1933-1934-1936 |
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