The Lakeland Pilots were a

Florida International League The Florida International League was a lower- to mid-level circuit in American and Cuban minor league baseball that existed from 1946 through July 27, 1954. It was designated Class C for its first three seasons, then upgraded to Class B in 1949 fo ...

(1946–1950, 1952) and

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

(1953-1955) baseball team based in

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal c ...

, United States. They played their home games at

Henley Field Henley Field is a historic site in Lakeland, Florida. Built in 1922, it is located at 1125 North Florida Avenue. Clare Henley, for whom the park was named in 1942, encouraged its construction in an effort to persuade a professional baseball tea ...

.A Guide to Historic Lakeland, Florida
/ref> In 1954, they won their sole league championship, under the guidance of managers James Bello and

Rip Sewell Truett Banks "Rip" Sewell (May 11, 1907 – September 3, 1989) was a right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played 13 years in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers (1932) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1938–1949). Sewell was ...

Notable alumni

Luke Hamlin Luke Daniel Hamlin (July 3, 1904 – February 18, 1978) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers (1933–34), Brooklyn Dodgers (1937–41), Pittsburgh Pirates (1942), and Phila ...

(1949) * Roy Hughes (1951) *

(1954)

References

{{Florida International League , state=collapsed Baseball teams established in 1946 Defunct minor league baseball teams Defunct Florida State League teams Sports in Lakeland, Florida Defunct baseball teams in Florida 1946 establishments in Florida 1955 disestablishments in Florida Baseball teams disestablished in 1955