Eastern Carolina League

Eastern Carolina League
Classification	Class D (1908–1910, 1928–1929)
Sport	Minor League Baseball
First season	1908
Ceased	1929
President	J. W. Washington (1908); Dr. Joel D. Whitaker (1909–1910); William G. Bramham (1928–1929)
No. of teams	19
Country	United States of America
Most titles	2 ; Wilson Tobacconists
Related; competitions	Blue Ridge League; Carolina Association

The Eastern Carolina League was a minor league baseball affiliation which operated in the Eastern part of North Carolina. The league had two distinct periods of operation: 1908 to 1910 and a revival of the league in 1928 and 1929. It was classified as a Class D level league.

The most famous person to play in the league was Jim Thorpe, considered by some the greatest athlete of the twentieth century. It was his involvement with the Eastern Carolina League that cost him his amateur status and his 1912 Summer Olympics metals.

Eastern Carolina League champions

† In late August 1908, Eastern North Carolina was hit by what is now known as Tropical Storm #5.^[1] The playoffs were abandoned with Wilmington leading Wilson 2 games to 1.

Cities represented

Fayetteville, NC: Fayetteville Highlanders 1909–1910
Goldsboro, NC: Goldsboro Giants 1908–1910; Goldsboro Manufacturers 1928; Goldsboro Goldbugs 1929
Greenville, NC: Greenville Tobacconists 1928–1929
Kinston, NC: Kinston 1908; Kinston Eagles 1928–1929
New Bern, NC: New Bern 1908
Raleigh, NC: Raleigh Red Birds 1908–1910
Rocky Mount, NC: Rocky Mount Railroaders 1909–1910; Rocky Mount Buccaneers 1928–1929
Wilmington, NC: Wilmington Sailors 1908–1910; Wilmington Pirates 1928–1929
Wilson, NC: Wilson Tobacconists 1908–1910

Standings & statistics

1908 to 1910

1908 schedule

**1908 Eastern Carolina League**
Team name	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Wilson Tobacconists	36	18	.667	–	Earl Holt
Wilmington Sailors	35	21	.625	2.0	Dick Smith
Goldsboro Giants	29	28	.509	8.5	H.E. Kling
Raleigh Red Birds	23	36	.390	15.5	George "King" Kelly / Frank Thompson / Wallace Warren
New Bern	5	16	.238	NA	NA
Kinston	6	12	.333	NA	Lloyd Wooten

New Bern and Kinston withdrew July 15
Playoffs: Abandoned August 27 due to bad weather. Wilmington was leading Wilson 2 games to 1.

**Player statistics**
Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Earl Holt	Wilson	BA	.286	Harvey Bussey	Wilmington	W	14
Walker Moore	Wilson	Runs	28	Fred Anderson	Wilson	SO	120
Walker Moore	Wilson	Hits	57	Hatton Ogle	Wilson	Pct	.846; 11–2
L. Fox	Kinston/Raleigh	HR	3

1909 schedule

**1909 Eastern Carolina League**
Team name	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Wilson Tobacconists	50	39	.562	–	Earl Holt
Wilmington Sailors	50	40	.556	0.5	Dick Smith
Fayetteville Highlanders	49	41	.544	1.5	Charles Moss / Charles Clancy
Raleigh Red Birds	49	41	.544	1.5	Richard Crozier
Goldsboro Giants	43	46	.486	7.0	H. E. Kling
Rocky Mount Railroaders	27	61	.307	22.5	W. B. Fenner / Joe Walsh

Playoffs: Wilson awarded Championship after ineligible player violations were enacted.

**Player statistics**
Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Bill Schumaker	Fayetteville	BA	.340	Harry Otis	Goldsboro	W	19
Pete Clemens	Fayetteville	Runs	46	Bill Luyster	Fayetteville	Pct	.786; 11–3
Charlie Armstrong	Wilson	Hits	76

1910 schedule

**1910 Eastern Carolina League**
Team name	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Fayetteville Highlanders	47	37	.560	–	Charles Clancy
Wilson Tobacconists	44	39	.530	2.5	Charles McGeehan
Wilmington Sailors	42	43	.494	5.5	Bert Kite / L.T. Mills
Rocky Mount Railroaders	43	45	.489	6.0	M.J. Phelan / James Connors
Goldsboro Giants	39	44	.470	7.5	William "King" Kelley
Raleigh Red Birds	38	45	.458	8.5	Richard Crozier

Playoffs: Fayetteville 4 games, Rocky Mount 1.

**Player statistics**
Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Curly Brown	Goldsboro	BA	.294	Bunny Hearn	Wilson	W	16
J. T. Mullins	Fayetteville	Runs	40	Erskine Mayer	Fayetteville	Pct	.882; 15–2
Pete Clemens	Raleigh	Hits	74

^[2]

1928 to 1929

**1928 Eastern Carolina League**
Team name	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Wilmington Pirates	68	46	.596	–	Hal Weafer
Goldsboro Manufacturers	66	48	.579	2.0	Jim Teague
Rocky Mount Buccaneers	55	56	.495	11.5	Charles McMillan
Kinston Eagles	55	59	.482	13.0	Paul Bennett / Marty Walters
Fayetteville Highlanders	53	60	.469	14.5	Lee Gooch / Pooly Hubert
Greenville Tobacconists	43	71	.377	25	Taylor Jolliff / Tom Abbott

Playoffs: Goldsboro 4 games, Wilmington 2.

**Player statistics**
Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Frank Roscoe	Wilmington	BA	.387	Ralph Carver	Goldsboro	W	17
Charles Hamel	Goldsboro	Runs	101	Bobo Newsom	Greenville/Wilmington	SO	114
Frank Roscoe	Wilmington	Hits	154	Eddie Alsobrook	Fayetteville/Rocky Mt.	ERA	2.70
Frank Roscoe	Wilmington	RBI	101	Ralph Carver	Goldsboro	PCT	.944; 17–1
Frank Roscoe	Wilmington	HR	36

**1929 Eastern Carolina League**
Team name	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Rocky Mount Buccaneers	69	47	.595	–	Zip King / Charles Moore
Goldsboro Goldbugs	68	50	.576	2.0	Jim Teague / Spoke Emery
Wilmington Pirates	67	52	.563	3.5	Hal Weafer
Fayetteville Highlanders	55	62	.470	14.5	Cy Chisholm / Marty Walters
Greenville Tobacconists	45	68	.398	22.5	Lester Bangs / Guy Smith / Dan Pasquella
Kinston Eagles	46	71	.393	23.5	Clarence Roper

Playoffs: Rocky Mount 4 games, Wilmington 2.

**Player statistics**
Player	Team	Stat	Tot	Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Clarence Roper	Kinston	BA	.368	Edward Heller	Goldsboro	W	17
Sam Fayonsky	Rocky Mount	Runs	94	Eddie Alsobrook	Rocky Mount	W	17
Roland Robins	Wilmington	Hits	154	Edward Heller	Goldsboro	ERA	2.37
Tom Young	Fayette/Wilmington	RBI	89	Henry Thormahlen	Wilmington	SO	135
Tom Young	Fayette/Wilmington	HR	21	Henry Thormahlen	Wilmington	PCT	.875; 14–2

^[2]

External links

Page about Thorpe

References

^ "SAIC | Digital Transformation".
^ ^a ^b Lloyd Johnson; Miles Wolff, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.

[1] "SAIC | Digital Transformation".

[encyc-2] Lloyd Johnson; Miles Wolff, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.

[1]

[2]