The Elkin Blanketeers were a minor league baseball team based in

Elkin, North Carolina Elkin is a town in Surry and Wilkes counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina, along the Yadkin River. Elkin shares its name with the surrounding township of Elkin Township. The population was 4,083 at the 2020 census. Geography Elkin is ...

. The Blanketeers played as members of the Class D level

Blue Ridge League The Blue Ridge League was the name of two minor league baseball organizations that operated in the first half of the twentieth century in the United States. History The first league operated for the better part of sixteen years, from 1915 throu ...

from 1949 to 1950 and

North Carolina State League The North Carolina State League was a "Class D" league in Minor League Baseball. The original version of the league existed from 1913–1917 as the successor to the Carolina Association. The second version of the league was established in 1937 i ...

from 1951 to 1952, winning the 1950 pennant. Elkin hosted home minor league games at Elkin Memorial Park, where a Blanketeer player was married at home plate in 1950.

History

The 1949 Elkin Blanketeers were the first minor league baseball team in Elkin, North Carolina. The minor league team was directly preceded by the local semipro team, the Chatham Blanketeers. The

Chatham Manufacturing Company Chatham Manufacturing Company is an American textile brand founded in 1877 that has made automobile upholstery, jeans, and flannels. Its most famous product is the Chatham Blanket. It was the largest blanket manufacturer in the world at its heigh ...

was a primary local business that engaged in the manufacturing of blankets. A top selling product was the wollen "Chatham Blanket," corresponding with the Eklin use of the "Blanketeers." moniker." The Elkin Blanketeers began play as members of the Class D level

in 1949. Harvey Laffoon, publisher of The Elkin Tribune newspaper, was a principal owner of the franchise. The 1949 Elkin Blanketeers ended their first Blue Ridge League season with a 62–65 record. Elkin placed 5th in the six–team Blue Ridge League regular season standings, finishing 6.5 games behind the 1st place Mt. Airy Graniteers. Wayne Harris served as manager, his first of three seasons managing the team. The minor league Blanketeers continued to play at Elkin Memorial Park and had 1949 season attendance of 33,000, an average of 520 per home game. The 1950 Elkin Blanketeers won the Blue Ridge League Pennant in the final season for the league. The Blanketeers ended the 1950 season with a record of 82–32, placing 1st in the Blue Ridge League regular season standings, playing under manager Wayne Harris. Elkin finished 13.5 games ahead of the 2nd place Mt. Airy Graniteers. In the Playoffs, Elkin swept the

Galax Leafs The Galax Leafs were a minor league baseball team based in Galax, Virginia. From 1946 to 1950, the Galax Leafs played exclusively as members of the Class D level Blue Ridge League, winning the 1947 championship and 1948 pennant. The Galax Leafs w ...

in three games. In the Finals, the Mount Airy Graniteers swept the Elkin Blanketeers in four games. Season attendance at Elkin Memorial Park was 21,578 an average of 379. The Blue Ridge League folded after the 1950 season, as did the Elkin franchise. In mid-season 1951, the Elkin Blanketeers were revived. On July 18, 1951, the

Landis Spinners The Landis Spinners (also known as the Senators, Dodgers and Millers) were a Class D minor league baseball team in Landis, North Carolina that existed from 1935–1951. They were a regional predecessor of today's Kannapolis Intimidators. History ...

of the Class D level

relocated to Elkin and the Elkin Blanketeers resumed play. The Landis Spinners had a 44–36 record at the time of the move. The 1951 Landis Spinners/Elkin Blanketeers team finished the North Carolina State League regular season with an overall record of 67–59, placing 3rd in the eight–team league, finishing 23.0 games behind the champion

High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms Thomasville, North Carolina was home to several minor league baseball teams from 1937–1969. The Thomasville Chair Makers joined the North Carolina State League in 1937 and became the Thomasville Tommies in 1939. They were an affiliate of the C ...

. Fred Chapman served as manager in both locations. In the 1951 Playoffs, High Point-Thomasville defeated Landis/Elkin 4 games to 1. Overall season attendance was 22,780. In their final season, The 1952 Elkin Blanketeers finished the regular season with a record of 45–64. Elkin placed 4th in the North Carolina State Leagues, which had reduced to six teams. Wayne Harris returned as the manager. In the Playoffs, the

Mooresville Moors The Mooresville Moors were a minor league baseball team based in Mooresville, North Carolina. Between 1936 and 1953, the Mooresville Moors teams played as members of the 1936 Carolina League, the North Carolina State League from 1937 to 1942 and ...

defeated Elkin Blanketeers 4 games to 1. The final season of minor league play Elkin Memorial Park saw season attendance of 16,322, an average of 299 per contest. The North Carolina State League permanently folded after the 1952 season. Elkin, North Carolina has not hosted another minor league franchise.

The ballpark

The Elkin Blanketeers were noted to have played minor league home games at Elkin Memorial Park. The ballpark had a capacity of 1,500 in 1950. In 1950, the ballpark hosted the wedding of Blanketeers player Shorty Brown, who married Jo Barnette at home plate. Elkin Memorial Park was located at Memorial Park Drive & James Street, Elkin, North Carolina. Elkin, North Carolina 01

Timeline

Year–by–year records

Notable alumni

* Fred Chapman (1951, MGR) *

Van Fletcher Alfred Vanoide Fletcher (August 6, 1924 – March 17, 2010) was an American professional baseball player. The right-handed pitcher appeared in nine games for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball in 1955. He stood tall and weighed . Early ...

(1949–1950) * John Pyecha (1950)

References

{{reflist, 2

External links

Baseball Reference
Defunct minor league baseball teams Baseball teams established in 1949 Baseball teams disestablished in 1952 1949 establishments in North Carolina Defunct baseball teams in North Carolina Professional baseball teams in North Carolina Surry County, North Carolina Blue Ridge League teams 1952 disestablishments in North Carolina