The Galax Leafs were a minor league baseball team based in

Galax, Virginia Galax is an independent city in the southwestern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,720. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Galax with neighboring Carroll County for statisti ...

. From 1946 to 1950, the Galax Leafs played exclusively 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 ...

, winning the 1947 championship and 1948 pennant. The Galax Leafs were a minor league 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. ...

in 1950. The Leafs hosted minor league home games at Felts Park.

History

Minor league baseball began in Galax, Virginia in 1946, when the Galax "Leafs" became charter members of the four–team Class D level

. The Mount Airy Graniteers,

Radford Rockets The Radford Rockets were a minor league baseball team based in Radford, Virginia. From 1946 to 1950, the Radford Rockets played exclusively as members of the Class D (baseball), Class D level Blue Ridge League, qualifying for the playoffs on three ...

and Salem Friends teams joined Galax as charter members in beginning 1946 league play, which commenced on May 1, 1946. The Galax, Virginia use of the "Leafs" moniker corresponds to local plant life. The "

Galax ''Galax'', the wandplant, wandflower, or beetleweed, is a genus in the flowering plant family Diapensiaceae, containing a single species, ''Galax urceolata'' (synonym (taxonomy), syn. ''G. rotundifolia'', ''G. aphylla''). It is native to the sou ...

Leaf," a type of green, waxy leaf is indigenous to the region. Today, Galax, Virginia is host of the annual musical Galax & Leaf Festival. In their first season of play, the 1946 Galax Leafs finished last in the final Blue Ridge League standings. The Rockets ended the season with a record of 30–78, to place fourth, playing under manager Rex Phillips. The Leafs finished the season 42.0 games behind the first place Salem Friends/Lenoir Red Sox team, as no playoffs were held. Joining the Leafs during the season from Mount Airy, Eddie Morgan led the Blue Ridge League with both 16 home runs and 127 RBI. The 1947 Galax Leafs won the Blue Ridge League championship. As the league implemented a new playoff system, Galax ended the regular season with a record of 77–47 and finished 3.5 games ahead the second place Mount Airy Graniteers, with Eddie Morgan serving as player/manager. In the first round of the playoffs, the Leafs defeated the Radford Rockets 3 games to 1 in their series to advance. In the Finals, the Galax Leafs defeated the Lenoir Red Sox in seven games to win the championship. Player/manager Eddie Morgan hit a league leading .375 with 11 home runs and a league leading 103 RBI in leading Galax to the championship. Continuing Blue Ridge League play in 1948, the Galax Leafs won the pennant as the league expanded to six teams. With a record of 75–48, playing under manager Harold Kase, the Leafs finished 4.5 games ahead of the second place North Wilkesboro Flashers in the regular season standings. In the first round of the playoffs, Galax defeated the Radford Rockets 3 games to 0 to advance. In the Finals, the Mount Airy Graniteers defeated Galax Leafs 4 games to 3. Pitcher Cecil Warren of Galax led the Blue Ridge league with 21 wins. The Galax Leafs placed second in the six–team 1949 Blue Ridge League. The Leafs ended the Blue Ridge League regular season with a 66–61 record, finishing 2.5 games behind the first place Mt. Airy Graniteers, while playing under managers Bob Latshaw and Steve Sloboda. In the playoffs, the North Wilkesboro Flashers defeated Galax Leafs 4 games to 2. In their final season, the 1950 Galax Leafs became a minor league affiliate of the

. The Leafs ended the 1950 Blue Ridge League regular season with a record of 68–50, playing under manager James Grigg. Galax finished 16.0 games behind the first place Elkin Blanketeers in the six–team Blue Ridge League final regular season standings. In their final games, the Galax Leafs lost their playoff series to Elkin 3 games to 0. The Blue Ridge League permanently folded after the 1950 season. Bob Horan of Galax led the Blue Ridge with 14 home runs, 104 runs and 153 total hits, while Leafs' teammate Mitchell Mozejko led the league with 18 wins. Galax, Virginia has not hosted another minor league franchise.

The ballpark

The Galax Leafs were noted to have played minor league home games at Felts Park. The ballpark was reportedly a 2,500 seat ballpark. Today, Felts Park is still in use as a public park with ballfields. The park is located at 601 South Main Street, Galax, Virginia. Main St Galax Va

Timeline

Year–by–year records

Notable alumni

* Eddie Morgan (1946), (1947, MGR) * Jack Warner (1946)

References

{{reflist, 2

External links

Galax - Baseball Reference
Defunct minor league baseball teams Baseball teams established in 1946 Baseball teams disestablished in 1950 Defunct baseball teams in Virginia Blue Ridge League teams Galax, Virginia New York Giants minor league affiliates