The Red Springs Red Robins were a minor league baseball team based in

Red Springs, North Carolina Red Springs is a town in Hoke and Robeson counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 3,428 at the 2010 census. Geography Red Springs is located in northern Robeson County at (34.814363, -79.184281). North Carolina Highway ...

. From 1947 to 1950, the Red Springs Red Robins played exclusively as members of the Class D level

Tobacco State League The Tobacco State League was a Class D level American minor baseball league that played for five seasons (1946–1950) in Organized Baseball in the state of North Carolina. The Red Springs Red Robins won two league championships. History The T ...

, hosting home games at Robbins Park. The Red Robins were a minor league affiliate of the

Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...

from 1947 to 1950. The 1969

Red Springs Twins The Red Springs Twins baseball club was an American minor league baseball franchise representing Red Springs, North Carolina, in the Class A Carolina League. Affiliated with the namesake Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball, the Red Springs ...

succeeded the Red Robins, playing as members of the Class A level

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 ...

History

Red Springs, North Carolina first hosted minor league play in 1947. The Red Springs Red Robins began play as members of the eight–team Class D level

as a minor league affiliate of the

. The Clinton Blues, Dunn-Erwin Twins, Lumberton Cubs,

Sanford Spinners The Sanford Spinners were a professional minor league baseball team based in Sanford, North Carolina. The Spinners played as members of the Class D level Bi-State League in 1941 and 1942 and the Tobacco State League from 1946 to 1950, winning le ...

Smithfield-Selma Leafs The Smithfield–Selma Leafs were a minor league baseball team based in Smithfield, North Carolina, in partnership with Selma, North Carolina. From 1946 to 1950, the Smithfield–Selma Leafs teams played exclusively as members of the Class D lev ...

, Warsaw Red Sox and

Wilmington Pirates The Wilmington Pirates were a minor league baseball team located in Wilmington, North Carolina. From 1928 to 1929, they played in the Class D Eastern Carolina League. From 1932 to 1935, they played in the Class B Piedmont League. From 1946 to 1950 ...

joined Red Springs in league play. The Red Springs minor league franchise was formed in 1947. The league expanded from six to eight teams, adding the Lumberton Cubs and Red Springs as new members for the 1947 season. It was reported the president of the franchise was Connie Mack, with Arthur Ehlers serving as vice-president and business manager Tom Cope. The Red Springs Red Robins' opening game was held on the road at the Lumberton Cubs on April 24, 1947. It was noted the Fairmont and Lumberton High School bands performed, as Reverend R.L. Alexander served as master of ceremonies. Lumberton Mayor “Rom” A. Hedgpeth addressed the 3,000 fans in attendance before the game. Red Springs then defeated Lumberton 14–3 in the opening game. In their first season of play, the 1947 Red Springs Red Robins finished in 7th place. Playing in the eight–team league, Red Springs ended the regular season with a 47–78 record, playing under manager Red Norris, who would manage the team for three seasons, winning two championships. Red Springs finished the 1947 season 39.0 games behind the 1st place Sanford Spinners in the final regular season standings. The Red Springs Red Robins did not qualify for the playoffs in 1947, but proceeded to win league championships in 1948 and 1949. In 1948, the Red Springs Red Robins were champions of the Class D level Tobacco State League. The Red Robins ended the regular season in 3rd place with an 75–62 record, playing under returning manager Red Norris. Red Springs finished 5.5 games behind the 1st placed Sanford Spinners in the final regular season standings. In the playoffs, the Red Robins defeated the Wilmington Pirates 4 games to 3 in the first round. In the Finals, the Red Springs Red Robins won the championship by defeating the Sanford Spinners 4 games to 1. Red Springs defended their championship and won the 1949 Tobacco State League title. The Red Springs Red Robins placed 2rd in the eight–team league. The Red Robins finished the regular season with a record of 76–59, playing under manager Red Norris and finished 6.5 games behind the 1st place Dunn-Erwin Twins in the regular season standings. In the 1st round of the playoffs, Red Springs defeated the Sanford Spinners 4 games to 2 and advanced. In the Finals, the Red Robins won their second consecutive championship by defeating the Dunn-Erwin Twins 4 games to 1. In their final season, the 1950 Red Springs Red Robins reportedly formed a partnership with nearby

Laurinburg, North Carolina Laurinburg is a city in and the county seat of Scotland County, North Carolina, United States. Located in southern North Carolina near the South Carolina border, Laurinburg is southwest of Fayetteville and is home to St. Andrews University. ...

in Tobacco State League play. On July 12, 1950, in a notable game, John Gerace of the Lumberton Auctioneers threw a

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

in a 5–0 victory over the Red Robins. With a 68–61 regular season record, the Red Robins placed 3rd in the 1950 regular season standings, finishing 21.0 games behind the 1st place Lumberton Auctioneers in the final regular season standings. Led by manager

Ducky Detweiler Robert Sterling "Ducky" Detweiler (February 15, 1919 – March 13, 2013) was an American professional baseball infielder and manager. Listed at tall and , he batted and threw right handed. Born in Trumbauersville, Pennsylvania, Detweiler was o ...

, the Red Robins proceeded to the playoffs, losing to the Sanford Spinners 4 games to 0. The Tobacco State League permanently folded following the 1950 season. In 1969, minor league baseball returned to Red Springs, North Carolina for one season. The

played the 1969 season as a minor league affiliate of the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

in the Class A level

. Red Springs, North Carolina has not hosted another minor league team.

The ballpark

The Red Springs minor league teams were noted to have played home games at Robbins Park. The ballpark was reportedly owned by a local mill and had a capacity of 2,500, with filed dimensions (Left, Center, Right) of 350–395–350. The ballpark was noted to have been located on State Highway 72, near Porsha Road, Red Springs, North Carolina. Red Springs, NC

Timeline

Year–by–year records

Notable alumni

(1950, MGR) * Bill Harrington (1949)

References

{{reflist, 2

External links

Baseball Reference
Defunct minor league baseball teams Professional baseball teams in North Carolina Defunct baseball teams in North Carolina Baseball teams established in 1947 Baseball teams disestablished in 1950 Hoke County, North Carolina Robeson County, North Carolina Philadelphia Athletics minor league affiliates Tobacco State League teams