The Shelby Pirates were a Class A farm club of the Pittsburgh Pirates that operated in 1979 and 1980 in the small Western North Carolina city of Shelby (pop. 15,310 in 1980). Shelby had long but spotty track record of hosting Minor League ball dating back to the Great Depression. Shelby clubs played under a dozen different names between 1936 and 1982, none lasting more than five years at a stretch.
The Statesville Owls of 1960-1963 were the last of three Minor League Baseball teams in the small western North Carolina city to use the ‘Owls’ moniker. The 1960’s ball club followed the original Owls (1939-1942) of the Tarheel League and the North Carolina State League and a post-WWII revival of the Owls that played in the latter league from 1947 until 1952. Future PGA tour golf standout J.C. Snead played for the 1962 Owls and was one of the Western Carolina League’s top offensive stars that season.
Western Carolinas League (1969) Born: April 4, 1969 Moved: June 19, 1969 (Monroe Indians) First Game: April 14, 1969 (L 10-5 vs. Shelby Senators) Last Game:
Gastonia, North Carolina was a steady outpost of minor league baseball throughout the 1960’s and into the early 1970’s. Future Major League stars such as Dave Cash, Mike Hargrove and Al Oliver put in time at Gastonia’s Sims Legion Park during those years. But poor lighting at the ballpark drove away both the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Texas Rangers organizations. After two summers without baseball in 1975 and 1976, city leaders committed to renovations of Sims Park. The St. Louis Cardinals agreed to establish a Class A farm club in the city for the spring of 1977. Gastonia remained a Cardinals farm club through the end of the 1982 South Atlantic League season.
Western Carolinas League (1972) Born: January 14, 1972 – WCL expansion franchise Folded: September 1972 First Game: April 14, 1972 (L 7-4 vs. Gastonia Pirates) Last Game:
Publisher receives compensation for affiliate advertising on this website.
*Like our new look? Next up: site speed. You can help with a tip for our Speed Fund today. Thank you!
