The Wilson Tobs were a minor league baseball club based in

Wilson, North Carolina Wilson is a city in and the county seat of Wilson County, North Carolina, United States. Located approximately east of the capital city of Raleigh, it is served by the interchange of Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 264. Wilson had an estimated p ...

and played periodically between 1908 and 1973. The Tobs nickname was a shortened form of the word "tobacconists". From 1908 to 1910, the team was officially known as the Wilson Tobacconists and played in the

Eastern Carolina League 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 classifie ...

. The club won the league's championship in 1909 and they were in the championship series in 1908, when play was suspended due to a tropical storm. They then next spent eight seasons in the

Virginia League The Virginia League was a minor league baseball affiliation which operated in Virginia and North Carolina from 1906 to 1928. It was classified as a "C" league from 1906 to 1919 and as a "B" league from 1920 to 1928. The most famous alumni to c ...

. During the 1920–1922 and 1924–1927 seasons the team was known as the Wilson Bugs. They won the Virginia League championship in 1922 and 1923. From 1939 to 1952, the renamed Wilson Tobs were also a member of the Class D

Coastal Plain League The Coastal Plain League (CPL) is a wood-bat collegiate summer baseball league, featuring college players recruited from throughout the nation. The league takes its name from the Class D level Coastal League which operated in the area from 19 ...

, winning that league's championship in 1941. The 1941 Tobs were recognized as one of the 100 greatest minor league teams of all time. In 1942, the team played in the

Bi-State League The Bi-State League was an American baseball minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often ...

. The team also played in the

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

from 1956 to 1968, winning the league championship in 1959, 1961, and 1963. The 1966 team had future Hall of Fame member

Rod Carew Rodney Cline Carew (born October 1, 1945) is a Panamanian former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman, second baseman and designated hitter from 1967 to 1985 for the Minnesota Twins ...

in their line-up. Wilson returned to the Carolina League for one season in 1973 as the Wilson Pennants. Currently, a

summer collegiate baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are Amateur baseball in the United States, amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibi ...

team plays at

Fleming Stadium Fleming Stadium is a sports stadium in Wilson, North Carolina. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home of the Wilson Tobs of the Coastal Plain League. It opened in 1939 and has a capacity of 3,000 people. The grounds are also home to the ...

as the

Wilson Tobs The Wilson Tobs are an amateur baseball team playing in the Coastal Plain League, an NCAA-sanctioned collegiate summer baseball league. The team plays its home games at Fleming Stadium in Wilson, North Carolina Wilson is a city in and the ...

Notable Wilson Alumni

Hall of Fame Alumni *

(1966) Inducted, 1990 Notable Alumni *

Ted Abernathy Ted Wade Abernathy (March 6, 1933 – December 16, 2004) was an American professional baseball player and right-handed pitcher. He appeared in 681 games in Major League Baseball, 647 as a relief pitcher, for seven different clubs over all or part ...

(1973) *

Donn Clendenon Donn Alvin Clendenon (July 15, 1935 – September 17, 2005) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from to . He is most notable for his performance during the 1969 World Series when he ...

(1959) 1969 World Series Most Valuable Player * Ripper Collins (1923) 3 x MLB All-Star; 1934 NL Home Run Leader *

Jack Fisher John Howard "Fat Jack" Fisher (March 4, 1939) is an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from through for the Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Chicago White S ...

(1958) *

Jimmie Hall Jimmie Randolph Hall (born March 7, 1938) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and left-handed batter who played eight seasons in the big leagues. A two-time All-Star, Hall made his debut with the Minnesota Twins (1963–66), followed ...

(1957) 2 x MLB All-Star * Pat Kelly (1964-1965) MLB All-Star *

Jack McKeon Jack Aloysius McKeon (; born November 23, 1930), nicknamed "Trader Jack," is an American former Major League Baseball manager and front-office executive. In , at age 72, he won a World Series as manager of the Florida Marlins. Two full seasons ...

(1960-1961, MGR) Manager: 2003 World Series Champion - Florida Marlins *

Charlie Manuel Charles Fuqua Manuel Jr. (born January 4, 1944), is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. During his playing career, he appeared over parts of six Major League Baseball seasons for the Minnesota Twins and Los Angel ...

(1965-1966) Manager: 2008 World Series Champion - Philadelphia Phillies *

George Mitterwald George Eugene Mitterwald (born June 7, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played in 887 Major League Baseball games for the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs, primarily as a catcher, over 11 seasons (19 ...

(1966) *

William D. Mullins William David Mullins (August 13, 1931 – March 2, 1986) was an American politician, educator, and professional baseball player who served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1977 until his death in 1986. A member of the Democratic ...

(1957) member of the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...

Cal Ripken Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr. (born August 24, 1960), nicknamed " The Iron Man", is an American former baseball shortstop and third baseman who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles (1981–2001). One of his posit ...

(1958) *

Rich Rollins Richard John Rollins (born April 16, 1938) is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman. He played with the Minnesota Twins (1961–68), Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Pilots / Milwaukee Brewers (1969–1970), and Cleveland Indians (1970) ...

(1960) 2 x MLB All-Star *

Lee Stange Albert Lee Stange (October 27, 1936 – September 21, 2018) was an American professional baseball player and coach. During his playing career, the right-handed pitcher appeared in 359 games pitched in Major League Baseball over all or parts of ten ...

(1960) *

Bob Veale Robert Andrew Veale (born October 28, 1935) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from through for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox. Veale was one of th ...

(1959) 2 x MLB All-Star; threw a no-hitter for Wilson in 1959

Seasons

References

{{Reflist Baseball teams established in 1908 Defunct minor league baseball teams Professional baseball teams in North Carolina Pittsburgh Pirates minor league affiliates Minnesota Twins minor league affiliates Washington Senators minor league affiliates Baltimore Orioles minor league affiliates Philadelphia Phillies minor league affiliates Carolina League teams 1908 establishments in North Carolina 1973 disestablishments in North Carolina Wilson, North Carolina Defunct baseball teams in North Carolina Bi-State League teams Baseball teams disestablished in 1973 Eastern Carolina League teams Coastal Plain League (minor league) teams