The Nazareth Barons were a minor league baseball team based in

Nazareth, Pennsylvania Nazareth is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. The borough's population was 6,053 at the 2020 census. Nazareth is part of the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area, which had a population of 861,899 and was the 68th most populous metropoli ...

. From 1946 to 1950, Nazareth teams played exclusively as members of the Class D level

North Atlantic League The North Atlantic League was the name of two minor baseball leagues. The first was a Class D affiliated system that operated from 1946 until 1950, and the second was an independent minor league that played from 1995 until 1996. Three of that le ...

, qualifying for the 1946 playoffs and finishing in last place in both of their final two seasons. Nazareth was a minor league affiliate of the Detroit Tigers in 1947. Nazateth hosted home minor league home games at Nazareth Borough Park.

History

Minor league baseball began in Nazareth in 1907, when the Nazareth team played the season as members of the independent

Blue Mountain League The Blue Mountain League was a minor league baseball league that played in the 1907 season. The four–team Independentlevel Blue Mountain League consisted of franchises based exclusively in Pennsylvania. The Blue Mountain League permanently fold ...

. A printed postcard of the 1907 Nazareth team identified them as the "pennant winners" of the Blue Mountain League. Minor league baseball returned in 1947, when the Nazareth "Cement Dusters" became charter members of the eight-team Class D level

. The

Bloomingdale Troopers The Bloomingdale Troopers were a North Atlantic League baseball team based in Bloomingdale, New Jersey that played from 1946 to 1948. They were affiliated with the Boston Braves in 1947 and the Cleveland Indians in 1948. They are the only professio ...

, Carbondale Pioneers,

Mahanoy City Bluebirds Mahanoy may refer to: Municipalities * Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, a borough in Schuylkill County * Mahanoy Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania * Little Mahanoy Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania * Lower Mahanoy Township, Northu ...

, Newburgh Hummingbirds, Nyack Rockies,

Peekskill Highlanders The Peekskill Highlanders were a minor league baseball team based in Peekskill, New York. Early "Peekskill" teams played as members of the Class C level Hudson River League in 1888, 1903 and 1905. The "Highlanders" played as members of the Cla ...

and

Stroudsburg Poconos The Stroudsburg Poconos, located in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, were a minor league baseball team that played in the Interstate League in 1932 and in the North Atlantic League from 1946 to 1950. They were affiliated with the New York Yankees in 19 ...

joined Nazareth in beginning league play on May 8, 1946. The Nazareth Cement Dusters qualified for the 1946 playoffs in their first season of play in the North Atlantic League. The Cement Dusters ended the 1946 season with a 78–40 record, placing second in the standings, playing under manager Stan Benjamin. Nazareth finished 6.0 games behind the first place Peekskill Highlanders. In the first round of the playoffs, the Carbondale Pioneers defeated the Nazareth four games to one. It would be the only playoff appearance for Nazareth. In 1947, Nazareth played as a minor league affiliate of the Detroit Tigers and adopted the "Tigers" nickname for the season. John Mueller served as manager as the Tigers placed fifth in the regular season with a record of 64–66, finishing 17.5 games behind the first place

Kingston Dodgers Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames ...

in the regular season standings and missing the league playoffs. Nazareth continued North Atlantic League play in 1948, becoming known as the "Nazareth Barons." Ending the 1948 season with a record of 52–72, the Barons placed sixth in the regular season standings, finishing 27.5 games behind the 1st place

. Playing under player/Manager

Bill Burich William Max Burich (May 29, 1917 – December 25, 2009) was an infielder in Major League Baseball, playing mainly as a shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies during the and seasons. Listed at 6' 0", 180 lb., he batted and threw right ...

, Nazareth did qualify for the four-team playoffs. Local newspapers nicknamed the 1948 team "Burich's Barons." The 1949 Nazareth finished last in the eight-team North Atlantic League, their first of two consecutive last place finishes in the league standings. Placing eighth with a record of 52–86, the Barons were managed by Dick Errickson and Charles Heath. Nazareth finished 49.5 games behind the first place 101-35

and did not qualify for the four–team playoffs. In their final season of play, the Nazareth Barons again finished last in the North Atlantic League Standings. The Barons placed eighth and did not qualify for the playoffs. Nazareth ended the 1950 season with a record of 35–90, finishing 48.0 games behind the first place Lebanon Chix, playing under manager Irvin Fortune in their final season. The North Atlantic League permanently folded after the conclusion of the 1950 season. Nazareth has not hosted another minor league team.

The ballpark

The Nazareth teams played home North Atlantic League minor league games at Nazareth Borough Park. The park was constructed beginning in 1935 as a

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

project. Still in use today as a public park with a ballfield, "Nazareth Borough Park" is located on North Broad Street.

Timeline

Year–by–year records

Notable alumni

* Stan Benjamin (1946, MGR) *

(1948, MGR) * Dick Errickson (1949, MGR)

References

{{reflist, 2

External links

Nazareth, Baseball Reference
Defunct minor league baseball teams Professional baseball teams in Pennsylvania Defunct baseball teams in Pennsylvania Baseball teams established in 1946 Baseball teams disestablished in 1950 North Atlantic League teams

Barons Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knigh ...