The Newport News Shipbuilders were a minor league baseball team based in

Newport News, Virginia Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...

. The Shipbuilders first played as members of the Virginia League in 1900 and the 1901 Virginia-North Carolina League. Newport News then resumed minor league play in the 1911 season as a member of the short lived Tidewater League before the Shipbuilders returned to the Virginia League, playing in the league from 1912 to 1922. The Shipbuilders won consecutive Virginia League championships in 1916 and 1917. The Newport News Shipbuilders teams hosted minor league home games at Lincoln Park and Horowitz Park.

History

1900 & 1901: two leagues and a tornado

Minor league baseball began in Newport News when the 1894 Newport News-Hampton Deckhands played a partial season as members of the Virginia League. The Newport News "Shipbuilders" followed as the next minor league team based in Newport News, beginning play in 1900. The 1900 Newport News "Shipbuilders" began play as members of the six–team, Class D level Virginia League. Newport News joined the Hampton Crabs, Norfolk Phenoms,

Petersburg Farmers Petersburg, or Petersburgh, may refer to: Places Australia *Petersburg, former name of Peterborough, South Australia Canada * Petersburg, Ontario Russia *Saint Petersburg, sometimes referred to as Petersburg United States *Peterborg, U.S. Virg ...

Portsmouth Boers Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dense ...

and

Richmond Bluebirds The Richmond Bluebirds were a minor league baseball team based in Richmond, Virginia. Between 1895 and 1901, the Bluebirds played as members of the Virginia League in 1895 and 1896, Atlantic League (1896–1900), Atlantic League from 1897 to 1899, ...

in beginning league play on April 30, 1900. The Newport News "Shipbuilders" nickname corresponds to local industry, history and geography. Located in the

Virginia Peninsula The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, USA, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay. It is sometimes known as the ''Lower Peninsula'' to distinguish it from two other peninsulas to the ...

and along the

James River The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...

, the city has long been home to the shipbuilding industry. Today, it hosts the Huntington Ingalls Industries Shipbuilding company and

Newport News Shipbuilding Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, is the largest industrial employer in Virginia, and sole designer, builder and refueler of United States Navy aircraft carriers and one of two providers of U.S. Navy ...

, the largest military ship building company in the United States. Newport News is home to The

Mariners' Museum and Park The Mariners' Museum and Park is located in Newport News, Virginia, United States. Designated as America’s ''National Maritime Museum'' by Congress, it is one of the largest maritime museums in North America. The Mariners' Museum Library, cont ...

. The museum is located at 100 Museum Drive in Newport News, Virginia. Newport News Shipyard, aerial view, Oct 1994

On July 11, 1900, the Virginia League folded after Petersburg and Richmond had already folded in mid-June. The Shipbuilders placed fourth in the Atlantic League standings in the shortened season. When the league folded, Newport News ended the season with a record of 23–39, playing the season under managers

Hunter Harvey Hunter Luke Harvey (born December 9, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Baltimore Orioles selected him with the 22nd pick in the first round of the 2013 Major Leagu ...

, Mike Trost and Kid Weaver. The Shipbuilders finished the season 22.0 games behind the first place Norfolk Phenoms, who were led by Christy Mathewson, in the final standings. In 1901, the shipbuilders were affected by a natural disaster as the team played in a newly named league. In 1901, the Virginia League evolved into the Class C level Virginia–North Carolina League. The Virginia League cities of New Port News Portsmouth and Richmond franchises continued play in the 1901 Virginia–North Carolina League, joining three new franchises. The new Virginia–North Carolina League was formed on February 18, 1901. In a league meeting at the Monticello Hotel in Norfolk, Virginia, W.H. Cunningham was elected president and E.H. Doran selected as secretary. The league was formed with six teams, four from Virginia and two from North Carolina, resulting in the name change for the league. The six-team Virginia–North Carolina League began play on April 16, 1901. The Norfolk Skippers, Portsmouth Browns, Raleigh Senators,

and

Wilmington Giants Wilmington may refer to: Places Australia *Wilmington, South Australia, a town and locality **District Council of Wilmington, a former local government area **Wilmington railway line, a former railway line United Kingdom *Wilmington, Devon *Wi ...

teams joined the Shipbuilders in league play. On May 1, 1901, a tornado hit Newport News, Virginia. Home attendance was diminished as a result. On June 21, 1901, the team relocated from Newport News to

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

with a 32-21 record. Completing the season as the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...

, the team ended the season in third place with a 50-55 overall record, 9.0 games behind first place Raleigh. Ed Ashenback served as manager in both locations. The Virginia-North Carolina league did not return to play in 1902.

1911: Tidewater League

The Shipbuilders were succeeded by the 1911 "Newport News" team, resuming minor league play as members of the Class D level Tidewater League, which began league play on May 11, 1911. The six–team league was composed of charter teams, all without known monikers, representing

Elizabeth City, North Carolina Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank County, North Carolina, Pasquotank County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 18,629. Elizabeth City is the county seat and largest city of Pasquotank County. It ...

and the Virginia cities of Hampton, Newport News, Old Point Comfort,

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

and

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

. On May 4, 1911, Newport News pitcher Ralph Davie threw a no-hitter. Davie defeated Norfolk at Norfolk by the score of 12-0 in the game. Davie walked one hitter. The Tidewater League regular season ended on August 1, 1911. The Elizabeth City and

teams had folded earlier the season. Newport News was in fourth place when the season ended, playing under manager Hugh Shannon. Newport News ended with a final record of 10–11 finish 7.0 games behind the Tidewater League champion

team.The Tidewater League permanently folded after the 1911 season. Beginning with the 1911 season, Newport News began hosting minor league home games at Horowitz Field. The ballpark remained home to the Shipbuilders teams through the 1922 season.

1912 to 1922: Virginia League

In 1912, the Newport News Shipbuilders reformed, and the franchise rejoined the Virginia League. The Class C level league began the season with the Danville Red Sox, Lynchburg Shoemakers, Norfolk Tars,

Petersburg Goobers Petersburg, or Petersburgh, may refer to: Places Australia *Petersburg, former name of Peterborough, South Australia Canada * Petersburg, Ontario Russia *Saint Petersburg, sometimes referred to as Petersburg United States *Peterborg, U.S. Virg ...

Portsmouth Pirates Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city status in the United Kingdom, city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is admi ...

Richmond Colts The Richmond Colts were a minor league baseball team based in Richmond, Virginia that existed on-and-off from 1894 to 1953. They played in the Virginia League in 1894, and in another Virginia League in 1900, and another Virginia League from 1906 ...

and Roanoke Tigers teams joined Newport News in beginning league play on April 18, 1912. In their first season after rejoining the Virginia League, the Newport News Shipbuilders ended the 1912 season with a record of 46-84. Managed by John Grim and

Buck Hooker William Edward Hooker (August 28, 1880 – July 2, 1929), was a professional baseball player, who played pitcher in the Major Leagues in -. He played for the Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team base ...

, the Shipbuilders ended the season in sixth place, which was last after the Danville and Richmond teams folded during the season. Newport News finished 32.0 games behind first place Roanoke. The 1913 Shipbuilders placed fifth in the six-team Virginia League. Newport had a final record of 53–83, playing the season under managers Paul Davis and Harry Mathews. The Shipbuilders finished 36.5 games behind the first place

. With a third-place finish in the 1914 Virginia League, the Shipbuilders finished above .500 for the first time. Newport News ended the season with a 70–69 record. With the returning Harry Mathews,

Matt Broderick Matthew Thomas Broderick (December 1, 1877 in Lattimer, Pennsylvania – February 26, 1940 in Freeland, Pennsylvania), was a former professional baseball player who played in two games, one at second base, and one as a pinch hitter, for the Bro ...

and Harry Spratt serving as managers, the Shipbuilders finished 22.5 games behind the first place Norfolk Tars. Newport News pitcher Carroll Barton threw a no hitter on August 26, 1914. Barton and the Shipbuilders defeated Petersburg 11-0 in the contest. Barton struck out 4 and walked 3 in the victory at Petersburg. The 1915 Shipbuilders finished above .500 for the second consecutive Virginia League season. The team also had a 20-game winning pitcher. Newport News ended the season with an overall record of 63–62, as Carl Carnes and Brook Crist managed the team during the season. The Virginia League began a split-season schedule with the winners meeting in a playoff. Placing fourth in the six-team Class D league, Newport News ended the season 11.5 games behind the eventual champion Rocky Mount Carolinians. Shipbuilders' pitcher Roy Gardinier led the Virginia League with both 20 wins and 216 strikeouts.

1916 & 1917:Championship seasons

In 1916, the Newport News Shipbuilders won both the Virginia League second half pennant and the league championship. Under returning manager Brook Crist and Fred Payne, the Shipbuilders ended the regular season in first place with a 79–39 record, which was the best overall record in the league. Newport News finished 3.0 games ahead of the second place Portsmouth Foxes in the six-team league. In the playoff, Newport News defeated Portsmouth 4 games to 1 to capture the league championship. Rasty Walters of Newport News hit 15 home runs to lead the Virginia League in 1916. The Shipbuilders won a second consecutive Virginia League championship in 1917, in a brief season. After beginning play on April 26, 1917, the Virginia League folded for the season on May 16, 1917, with

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

affecting many minor leagues. In their brief season Newport News had a 10–5 record when the league folded. With Brock Crist continuing as the team player/manager, the Shipbuilders were 1.5 games ahead of the Portsmouth Truckers in the six-team league.

1918 to 1922

The Virginia League returned to play briefly in 1918, beginning the season as a four-team, Class C league and suspending operations during the season. There were only ten total minor leagues that began play in 1918 due to World War I, and nine of the leagues suspended their seasons. Newport News played with Norfolk, Petersburg and Richmond in the Virginia League. On July 20, 1918, the Virginia League stopped play. At the time, the Shipbuilders were in second place, just 0.5 game behind the

. The Shipbuilders ended the season with a 28–21 record, managed by Roy Whitcraft. In the 1919 season, the Virginia League returned to a six-team Class C league and the Shipbuilders ended the season in last place. With Roy Whitcraft returning as manager, Newport News placed sixth with a 42–69 record. The Shipbuilders finished 21.0 games behind the pennant winning Petersburg Goobers. Petersburg won the league championship when the playoffs were cancelled due to disagreements. The Virginia League expanded in 1920 and went up a class level. The league expanded to eight teams, adding the

Rocky Mount Tar Heels ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess ...

and

Wilson Bugs Wilson may refer to: People *Wilson (name) ** List of people with given name Wilson ** List of people with surname Wilson * Wilson (footballer, 1927–1998), Brazilian manager and defender *Wilson (footballer, born 1984), full name Wilson Rodr ...

teams and became a Class B level league. Playing under four managers, the Newport News Shipbuilders placed sixth in the final standings. Compiling a record of 51–68, the Shipbuilders were managed by

Joe Wall Joseph Francis Wall (July 24, 1873 – July 17, 1936) was a Major League Baseball player. Career Wall served as a catcher in 15 games for the New York Giants and Brooklyn Superbas The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team fou ...

, James Brannigan, William Schwartz and Harry Lake in finishing 27.5 games behind the Richmond Colts, who lost to Portsmouth in the playoff. The 1921 Virginia League continued as an eight-team Class B level league, with the Shipbuilders finishing the regular season in seventh place. Harry Lake returned as manager, as Newport News ended the regular season with a record of 52–81. The eventual champion Portsmouth Truckers finished 25.5 games ahead of Newport News. In their final season of play as the "Shipbuilders," Newport News finished in second place as the 1922 Virginia League reduced to six teams and remained a Class B level league. With Roy Whitcraft returning to manage the team, the Shipbuilders ended the season with a record of 63–56. No playoffs were held, as the Wison Bugs had the leagues' best record, finishing 4.5 games ahead of second place Newport News. Newport News did not return to play in the 1923 Virginia League and were replaced by the Petersburg Trunkmakers. Nearly two decades later, minor league baseball returned to Newport News in 1941, with the Newport News Pilots. After reforming in 1939, the 1941 Virginia League expanded to six teams and played as a Class C level league, adding the Newport News Pilots and

Petersburg Rebels Petersburg, or Petersburgh, may refer to: Places Australia *Petersburg, former name of Peterborough, South Australia Canada * Petersburg, Ontario Russia *Saint Petersburg, sometimes referred to as Petersburg United States *Peterborg, U.S. Virg ...

teams to the league. The Newport News Pilots and Rebels were joined by the

Harrisonburg Turks The Harrisonburg Turks are a collegiate summer baseball team in Harrisonburg, Virginia. They play in the South Division of the Valley Baseball League, a collegiate wooden bat summer league consisting of 11 teams in the state of Virginia. The Turks ...

Lynchburg Senators Lynchburg is a toponym that may refer to: *Lynchburg, California *Lynchburg, Mississippi *Lynchburg, Missouri *Lynchburg, North Dakota *Lynchburg, Ohio (in Clinton and Highland counties) *Lynchburg, Columbiana County, Ohio *Lynchburg, South Carolina ...

, Salem-Roanoke Friends and Staunton Presidents in beginning league play on May 2, 1941.

The ballparks

In 1900 and 1901, Newport News teams played their home minor league games at Lincoln Park. The ballpark was located at 6th Street & Jefferson Avenue in Newport News. The ballpark was along the waterfront of the

Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's ...

. The site is still in use today as a public park, known as King-Lincoln Park. King-Lincoln Park is located at 600 Jefferson Avenue in Newport News, Virginia. Beginning in 1911, Newport News hosted minor league home games at Horowitz Field. The park was also known as League Park and City Park from 1916 to 1921. The player clubhouse was located behind centerfield. The ballpark was demolished by 1926. In the era, the ballpark was bordered by Wichham Street & Orcutt Street between 28th street & 30th Street on Virginia Avenue, which is called Warwick Boulevard today. Today, the former Doris Miller Community Center building is located on the former ballpark site. The community center is scheduled to be demolished un 2023 and replaced with a new community resource center building and other amenities on the site. The former Doris Miller Community Center & Swimming Pool facilities are located at 2800 Warwick Boulevard in Newport News, Virginia.

Timeline

Year–by–year records

Notable alumni

Ray Bates Raymond Bates (8 February 1890 – 15 August 1970) was a Major League Baseball third baseman who played for two seasons. He played for the Cleveland Naps in 1913 and the Philadelphia Athletics in 1917. Minor Leagues Bates made his professional ...

(1912) * Clarence Berger (1915) * Elmer Brown (1918) *

(1914, MGR) *

Andy Bruckmiller Andrew Bruckmiller (January 1, 1882 – January 12, 1970) was a professional baseball pitcher. He appeared in one game in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detr ...

(1912) * Nick Carter (1913) * Bill Clay (1900) *

Jake Drauby Jacob F. Drauby (1864–1916) was a Major League Baseball third baseman who played in ten games for the Washington Senators (1891-1899), Washington Senators of the National League (baseball), National League in 1892. He also had an extensive mino ...

(1901) * Joe Fitzgerald (1919) *

Cy Fried Arthur Edwin "Cy" Fried (July 23, 1897 – October 9, 1970) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played in two games for the Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete ...

(1920) *

Charlie Gettig Charles Henry Gettig (December 1, 1870 – April 11, 1935) was an American professional baseball player who played four Major league seasons between and . He was born in Baltimore, Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic ...

(1901) *

Norm Glockson Norman Stanley Glockson (June 15, 1894 – August 5, 1955) was an American Major League Baseball catcher and National Football League (NFL) Guard (American football), guard. Glockson played in seven games for the Cincinnati Reds in . He also pla ...

(1914) *

Johnny Gooch John Beverley Gooch (November 9, 1897 – May 15, 1975) was an American professional baseball player, coach, minor league manager and scout. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from to , most prominently for the Pittsburgh Pirates ...

(1919) *

(1900, MGR) * Harry Hedgpeth (1914) *

Ty Helfrich Emory Wilbur "Ty" Helfrich (born October 9, 1890, in Pleasantville, New Jersey; died March 18, 1955, in Pleasantville, New Jersey) played second base for the 1915 Brooklyn Tip-Tops of the Federal League. That season was the only season he played ...

(1916) *

Ed High Edward "Ed or Lefty" Thomas High (October 26, 1873 – February 10, 1926) was an American professional baseball player who played in four games for the Detroit Tigers during the season. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland Maryland ( ) ...

(1901) *

Izzy Hoffman Harry C. Hoffman (January 5, 1875 – November 13, 1942) was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Washington Senators in 1904 and the Boston Doves The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in ...

(1900) *

(1901; 1911, MGR) *

Buck Hopkins John Winton "Buck" Hopkins (January 3, 1883 – October 2, 1929) was a Major League Baseball outfielder. Nicknamed "Sis", he played fifteen games for the St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team b ...

(1915-1916, 1920) *

Rudy Hulswitt Rudolph Edward Hulswitt (February 23, 1877 in Newport, Kentucky – January 16, 1950 in Louisville, Kentucky), was a professional baseball player who played shortstop in the Major Leagues from -. Hulswitt played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Ci ...

(1900) *

Scotty Ingerton William John "Scotty" Ingerton (April 19, 1886 – June 15, 1956) was a Major League Baseball player. Ingerton played for Boston Rustlers in as third baseman and left fielder. Ingerton was born in Peninsula, Ohio Peninsula is a village in Sum ...

(1916) *

George Keefe George Washington Keefe (January 7, 1867 – August 24, 1935) was an American professional baseball left-handed starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals, Buffalo Bisons, and Washington Statesmen ...

(1900) *

John Kull John A. Kull (born John A. Kolonauski; June 24, 1882 – March 30, 1936) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. Kull played for the Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphi ...

(1913) * Tom Lipp (1901) * Charlie Luskey (1912) *

Ralph Mattis Ralph Mattis (August 24, 1890 – September 13, 1960), known also as Matty Mattis, was a professional baseball outfielder whose career spanned seven seasons, one of which was spent in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Pittsburgh Rebels (1914). ...

(1912) * Bill McCabe (1914) * Harry McCluskey (1918) * Moxie Meixell (1914) * Jim Murray (1901) * Champ Osteen (1901) * Fred Ostendorf (1916) * Fred Payne (1916, MGR; 1917) *

Carl Ray Carl Ray (January 10, 1943 – September 26, 1978) was a First Nations artist who was active on the Canadian art scene from 1969 until his death in 1978. Considered primarily a Woodlands Style artist. He was a founding member of the Indian Grou ...

(1916-1917, 1921) * Bill Richardson (1900) *

Lance Richbourg Lance Clayton Richbourg (December 18, 1897 – September 10, 1975) was an American professional baseball player who was a Major League right fielder for eight seasons between and . Richbourg played college baseball for the University of Florid ...

(1918) *

Johnny Schulte John Clement Schulte (September 8, 1896 – June 28, 1978) was an American catcher and longtime coach (baseball), coach in professional baseball. A native of Fredericktown, Missouri, Schulte batted left-handed, threw right-handed and was listed a ...

(1916) * Harry Spratt (1914, MGR) *

Joe Stanley Joe Stanley (born 13 April 1957) is a former rugby union player. He was born in Auckland, New Zealand. Career Stanley played for Ponsonby RFC and Auckland in the National Provincial Championship, and New Zealand as a centre. Joe is a member o ...

(1900) *

Pinky Swander Edward Ottis "Pinky" Swander (July 4, 1880 – October 24, 1944) was a Major League Baseball outfielder. He played parts of two seasons in the majors for the St. Louis Browns. He played 14 games as a right fielder in , then made one appearance as ...

(1901) * Mike Trost (1900, MGR) *

Bucky Veil Frederick William Veil (August 2, 1881 – April 16, 1931) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1903 and 1904. Career Frederick played both baseball and football at Williamsport High School, the lat ...

(1901) * Doc Waldbauer (1916) * Frank Walker (1915-1916) *

(1920, MGR) *

Allie Watt Albert Bailey "Allie" Watt (December 12, 1899 – March 15, 1968) was a Major League Baseball player who played in with the Washington Senators. Watt was the brother of former Major Leaguer, Frank Watt. He was born in Philadelphia, and died in ...

(1916)

References

{{reflist

External links

Newport News - Baseball Reference
Defunct minor league baseball teams Sports clubs and teams in Virginia Baseball teams in Virginia Defunct baseball teams in Virginia Virginia League teams Virginia-North Carolina League teams Baseball teams established in 1900 Baseball teams disestablished in 1901 Baseball teams established in 1912 Baseball teams disestablished in 1922 Sports in Newport News, Virginia

History

1900 & 1901: two leagues and a tornado

1911: Tidewater League

1912 to 1922: Virginia League

1916 & 1917:Championship seasons

1918 to 1922

The ballparks

Timeline

Year–by–year records

Notable alumni

See also

References

External links