The Abbeville Athletics, also known as the Abbeville A, were a minor league baseball team, based in

Abbeville, Louisiana Abbeville is a city in, and the parish seat of, Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, United States, west of New Orleans and southwest of Baton Rouge. The population was 12,257 at the 2010 census. At the 2020 population estimates program, the populati ...

, that played in the

Evangeline League The Evangeline League began in 1934 in baseball, 1934 as a six–team Class D (baseball), Class D level minor league baseball, minor league with teams based in Louisiana, United States, later adding Mississippi and Texas based franchises. In 1935, ...

from 1935–1939, 1946–1950, and 1952. The Athletics made it to the Evangeline League playoffs twice — in 1938 and 1946 — but never won the league pennant. In 1934, a group of local businessmen, including Abbeville Mayor Fred T. Schlesinger, formed the Abbeville Athletic Association with the aim of funding construction of a grandstand and sports park on the grounds of Abbeville High School. The team name was chosen in 1935 after soliciting potential names from across

Vermillion Parish Vermilion Parish (french: Paroisse de Vermillion) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, created in 1844. The parish seat is Abbeville. Vermilion Parish is part of the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area, and located in southern ...

. Some 60 names were proposed with "Athletics" being selected via a

drawing Drawing is a form of visual art in which an artist uses instruments to mark paper or other two-dimensional surface. Drawing instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, various kinds of paints, inked brushes, colored pencils, crayons, ...

1934–1940

In late 1934, the Abbeville Athletic Association was accepted into the year-old

Evangeline Baseball League The Evangeline League began in 1934 as a six–team Class D level minor league with teams based in Louisiana, United States, later adding Mississippi and Texas based franchises. In 1935, the league was expanded to eight teams and ceased operatio ...

as one of two expansion teams or the league's second season. At the same time, the club accepted an offer from the

Nashville Vols The Nashville Vols were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1901 to 1963. Known only as the Nashville Baseball Club during their first seven seasons, they were officially named the Nashville Volunteers (often sh ...

, an affiliate of the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

to establish a training camp and affiliation agreement. For the 1936 season, the Athletics affiliated with the

Fort Worth Panthers A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

of the

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

, but in 1937 the Athletics changed owners and announced they would field an independent, unaffiliated team, saying that the Nashville and Fort Worth affiliations had not proved "satisfactory from a financial standpoint" and failed to deliver the talented players the team needed. Player turnover was extraordinarily high for the 1936 Athletics with more than 50 players rotating through the team's rooster during the season. In March 1940, the Athletics' owner I.M. Goldberg, in a dispute with the Evangeline League's leadership, surrendered the team's franchise. A group of local citizens sought to raise funds to keep the team in Abbeville and in the league, but ultimately the franchise was lost.

1946–1952

In September 1945, Goldberg was active in efforts to restart the Evangeline League, which had folded in 1942 due to the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and when the league was reconstituted for the 1946 season, the Abbeville Athletics were again a participant. But by 1950, the team was in disarray and the league looked to move the franchise out of Abbeville. In January 1951, Goldberg abandoned his ownership of the Athletics and, despite an effort by local leaders to keep the team in Abbeville, the league welcomed the

Crowley Millers The Crowley Millers were a Minor League Baseball team based in Crowley, Louisiana, that played in the Gulf Coast League in 1950 and the Evangeline League from 1951 to 1957. They were affiliated with the Kansas City Athletics in 1956 and 1957. Th ...

into the league and the Athletics disbanded. In 1952, the Athletics rejoined the Evangeline League, taking over the Hammond Berries' franchise. After a single season, however, the team lost the support of its affiliate, the Texarkana Bears, and ended up folding.

1946 playoffs scandal

The Abbeville Athletics entered the playoffs in the number three slot, having ended the regular season 9.5 games behind the league-leading

Houma Indians The Houma Indians was the primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams based in Houma, Louisiana between 1940 and 1952. Houma teams played as exclusively as members of the Evangeline League. The Houma Indians won the 1946 and 1948 Evangeli ...

. After beating the Natchez Giants in the first round of the Evangeline League playoffs, the Athletics lost four games in the final seven-game post-season series against the Houma Indians. However, after the season ended, several Athletics and Indians players were investigated for throwing the playoff games. Athletics owner I.M. Goldberg claimed that Houma players had thrown game four in the first round series against the

Alexandria Aces The Alexandria Aces were a baseball team based in Alexandria, Louisiana. The last version of the Aces played in the United League Baseball in 2013. The Aces have played their home games at historic Bringhurst Field, which was built in 1933 for the ...

, as well as the first game against the Athletics. He also accused his players of throwing game four in the series against Houma. Four Houma players — Bill Thomas, Lanny Pecou, Alvin W. Kaiser, and Paul Fugit — along with Abbeville catcher Don Vetorel were suspended for conspiring with "New Orleans bookies" to manipulate the playoff series to benefit themselves "and their gambling friends." The players all denied the accusations. In August 1949, Thomas and Pecou were restored to eligibility and rejoined the Indians.

Final standings by season

References

{{reflist

External links

Baseball Reference
1935 establishments in Louisiana 1946 establishments in Louisiana 1939 disestablishments in Louisiana 1952 disestablishments in Louisiana Baseball teams established in 1935 Baseball teams established in 1946 Baseball teams disestablished in 1939 Baseball teams disestablished in 1952 Defunct baseball teams in Louisiana Defunct minor league baseball teams Evangeline Baseball League teams Professional baseball teams in Louisiana Abbeville, Louisiana New York Giants minor league affiliates Philadelphia Athletics minor league affiliates