The Lebanon Cedars were a minor league baseball team based in

Lebanon, Pennsylvania Lebanon () is a city in and the county seat of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,814 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Lebanon is located in the central part of the Lebanon Valley, east of Harrisbu ...

. In 1891, the Cedars played as members of the Class A level

Eastern Association The Eastern Association of counties was an administrative organisation set up by Parliament in the early years of the First English Civil War. Its main function was to finance and support an army which became a mainstay of the Parliamentarian mi ...

, the highest level of minor leagues in the era. The Cedars hosted minor league home games at Penryn Park.

History

Lebanon first hosted minor league baseball with the Lebanon team of the 1889

Middle States League The Middle States League was a minor league baseball league that operated in the Northeast United States in 1889. A total of 13 teams competed in the league, though several joined the original 8-team lineup after its April 28 start and seve ...

. The Lebanon Cedars were immediately preceded by the 1890 Lebanon team, which played as members of the

Atlantic Association The Atlantic Association was a minor league baseball organization that operated between 1889 and 1890 and again in 1908 in the Northeastern United States. History First Demise In each of the two seasons 4 or more teams failed to finish the season a ...

. In 1891, minor league baseball continued in Lebanon, as the Lebanon "Cedars" became members of the

. The Eastern Association formed as a Class A level league, the highest level of minor league baseball in the era, playing under the leadership of league president Charles D. White. The

Albany Senators The Albany Senators was a name used by multiple minor league baseball teams representing Albany, New York, that existed between 1885 and 1959. The mid-20th century club played at Hawkins Stadium (Albany), Hawkins Stadium. The various editions of t ...

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

New Haven Nutmegs New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

, Providence Clamdiggers,

Rochester Hop Bitters Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom * Rochester, Kent **City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area **History of Rochester, Kent **HM Prison R ...

, Syracuse Stars and

Troy Trojans The Troy Trojans are the sports teams of Troy University. They began playing in the NCAA's Division I-A in 2001, became a football only member of the Sun Belt Conference in 2004, and joined that conference for all other sports in 2005. Troy Univer ...

teams joined the Cedars in beginning league play on April 26, 1891. The "Cedars" nickname corresponds to both the

Cedar of Lebanon ''Cedrus libani'', the cedar of Lebanon or Lebanese cedar (), is a species of tree in the genus cedrus, a part of the pine family, native to the mountains of the Eastern Mediterranean basin. It is a large evergreen conifer that has great religi ...

a species of wood, also referenced in the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

and the timber industry in Lebanon in the era. The Lebanon Cedars ended the 1891 Eastern Association season with a record of 48-73, placing fourth in the final standings. Joseph McAllister, Jim Randall and James Farrington served as managers. Lebanon finished last of the four remaining teams, finishing 37.0 games behind the first place Buffalo Bisons in the final standings, as the New Haven, Providence, Rochester and Syracuse teams each folded before completing the season. 21 players on the 1891 Lebanon Cedars' roster advanced to play in the major leagues. The Lebanon franchise did not return to Eastern Association play in 1892. Lebanon instead continued play as the Lebanon Pretzel Eaters, who became charter members of the Class B level

Pennsylvania State League The Pennsylvania State League was an American minor league baseball sports league that operated from 1892 to 1895, then became the first Atlantic League (1896–1900), Atlantic League. The league member teams were exclusively based in Pennsylvania ...

, continuing play at Penryn Park. CnL RR Station LebCo PA

The ballpark

The Lebanon Cedars hosted their 1891 home minor league home games at Penryn Park. Penryn Park was first created in 1885 in Lebanon as a public park. The park was intended to attract visitors and increase railroad passenger use of the Cornwall and Lebanon Railroad system serving Lebanon and was constructed by the railroad. Penryn Park contained a railroad station to serve the passengers, which still exists today. Penryn Park was flooded in July, 1925 and never reopened as a public park. On August 1889, the park hosted four integrated games between the

Cuban Giants The Cuban Giants were the first fully salaried African-American professional baseball club. The team was originally formed in 1885 at the Argyle Hotel, a summer resort in Babylon, New York. Initially an independent barnstorming team, they played ...

and Lebanon Grays teams. The Cornwell and Lebanon Railroad Station, constructed in 1885, is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. ''Note:'' This includes Today, the former station is used as a commercial business and is located at 161 North 8th Street.

Year–by–year record

Notable alumni

* Dave Anderson (1891) *

Doc Bushong Albert John Bushong (September 15, 1856 – August 19, 1908), known as Doc Bushong, was an American catcher in Major League Baseball. Bushong also made appearances as an umpire and after his retirement from baseball, he practiced as a dentist. So ...

(1891) *

Bill Clymer William Johnston Clymer (December 18, 1873 – December 26, 1936) nicknamed "Derby Day Bill", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop in . After his playing career, Clymer became ...

(1891) * Ben Conroy (1891) * Fred Cooke (1891) *

Monte Cross Montford Montgomery Cross (August 31, 1869 – June 21, 1934) was an American Major League Baseball player. He played fifteen seasons in the majors, between and , for five different teams. Baseball career Cross played most of his career in ...

(1891) *

Sun Daly James J. Daly (January 6, 1865 – April 30, 1938) was a Major League Baseball player in 1892. He started the year in the Eastern League and was acquired by the Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional basebal ...

(1891) * Ira Davis (1891) * Alexander Donoghue (1891) * Herb Goodall (1891) * Bill Greenwood (1891) *

Belden Hill Belden L. Hill (August 24, 1864 - October 22, 1934) was a third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Baltimore Orioles of the American Association in nine games in 1890. He remained active as a player in minor league baseball thro ...

(1891) *

Sparrow McCaffrey Charles P. "Sparrow" McCaffrey (1868 – April 29, 1894) was an American baseball player. Career Charles McCaffrey, born in Philadelphia, got his nickname "Sparrow" honestly: listed at 120 pounds, he was one of the lightest Major League Basebal ...

(1891) *

Jerry McCormick James J. McCormick (December 31, 1861 – September 11, 1905) was a third baseman in Major League Baseball for the 1883 Baltimore Orioles of the American Association and the 1884 Philadelphia Keystones and Washington Nationals The Washingto ...

(1891) *

John Meister John F. Meister (May 10, 1863 – January 17, 1923) was an American baseball player. Meister played two seasons in Major League Baseball, 1886–87, for the New York Metropolitans, primarily as a second baseman. He was listed in the Allent ...

(1891) *

Joe Neale Joseph Hunt Neale (May 7, 1866 – December 30, 1913) was a professional baseball player. Neal played 10 seasons in pro-baseball, including 4 in Major League Baseball. He both pitched, and played the outfield positions. In his four-year career, N ...

(1891) * Tom O'Brien (1891) *

John Peltz John Peltz (April 23, 1861 – February 27, 1906) was a professional baseball player in the 19th century. Peltz first played with the Indianapolis Hoosiers, in 1884 at the age of 23. He batted .219 and surrendered 38 errors in the outfield. Peltz ...

(1891) *

Harry Sage Harry Sage (March 16, 1864 – May 27, 1947), nicknamed "Doc", was a Major League Baseball catcher in 1890 for the Toledo Maumees of the American Association. He was a native of Rock Island, Illinois. In his only major league season, Sage pl ...

(1891) * Pop Tate (1891) * Jack Taylor (1891)

References

{{reflist, 2

External links

Lebanon - Baseball Reference
Defunct minor league baseball teams Professional baseball teams in Pennsylvania Defunct baseball teams in Pennsylvania Baseball teams established in 1891 Baseball teams disestablished in 1891 Lebanon, Pennsylvania Defunct Eastern Association teams

History

The ballpark

Year–by–year record

Notable alumni

See also

References

External links