The Williamson Red Birds were a

Mountain State League The Mountain State League was a minor league baseball league that played as a six–team league from 1937 to 1942. The league franchises were based in Kentucky and West Virginia. The Mountain State League was a Class D level league from 1937 to 1 ...

baseball team based in

Williamson, West Virginia Williamson is a city in Mingo County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Tug Fork River. The population was 3,191 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Mingo County, and is the county's largest and most populous city. Willia ...

, United States that played from 1939 to 1942. They were affiliated with the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...

. They made the playoffs every year they existed, winning the league championship in 1940, under Harrison Wickel. The team was previously named the Williamson Colts from 1937 to 1938. The Class-D team was managed by Nat Hickey in both years of its existence. Under his leadership, the team made the playoffs both seasons, finishing third both years, but it did not win a league championship either time.

Walter Sessi Walter Anthony Sessi (July 23, 1918 – April 18, 1998), nicknamed "Watsie", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and pinch hitter who appeared in 20 total MLB games for the St. Louis Cardinals in and . The native of Finleyville, Pen ...

and, most notably, baseball

Hall of Famer A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...

Stan Musial Stanley Frank Musial (; born Stanislaw Franciszek Musial; November 21, 1920 – January 19, 2013), nicknamed "Stan the Man", was an American baseball outfielder and first baseman. Widely considered to be one of the greatest and most consis ...

played for the team.1938 Colts
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Notable alumni

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

Alumni *

(1938-1939) MLB alumni *

Ken Holcombe Kenneth Edward Holcombe (August 23, 1918 – March 15, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Browns and Boston Red Sox between 1945 and 1953. Holcombe batted a ...

(1939) *

Del Rice Delbert Rice Jr. (October 27, 1922 – January 26, 1983) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played for 17 seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1945 to 1961, most notably for the St. Louis Cardinals. ...

(1941-1942) MLB All-Star *

Hal Rice Harold Housten Rice (February 11, 1924 – December 22, 1997), nicknamed "Hoot", was a professional baseball left fielder in Major League Baseball from 1948 to 1954. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago Cubs. M ...

(1941-1942) *

(1937, 1939) Inducted, 1969

References

External links

Baseball Reference
Baseball teams established in 1937 Baseball teams disestablished in 1942 St. Louis Cardinals minor league affiliates Mountain State League teams Defunct minor league baseball teams Professional baseball teams in West Virginia 1937 establishments in West Virginia 1942 disestablishments in West Virginia Mingo County, West Virginia Defunct baseball teams in West Virginia {{WestVirginia-baseball-team-stub