Bi-State League Explained

Bi-State League
Sport:	Minor League Baseball
President:	J. Frank Wilson (1934) Dr. J.E. Taylor (1935) Jake Wells (1936) Win Clark (1937) Joseph Garrett (1938-1940) J. P. Wells (1941) Dr. T. S. Wilson (1942)
Inaugural:	1934
Teams:	14
Country:	United States of America
Continent:	or
Continents:	-->
Folded:	1942
Most Champs:	3 Bassett Furnituremakers Danville Leafs/Danville-Schoolfield Leafs
Classification:	Class D (1936–1942)

The Bi-State League was an American baseball minor league formed in 1934 with teams in Virginia and North Carolina. The league held together for nine seasons, being represented by ten cities from North Carolina and eight from Virginia. Only the Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets, a team that was a combination of those three cities from North Carolina, was able to make the entire nine-year run. This combination also captured the league title in two seasons, 1935 and 1941. The squad from Bassett, Virginia, won four league titles during the span, coming out on top three times in a row, 1936, 1937, 1938 and closing it out with the 1940 pennant before losing in the finals. The league's final season was 1942, as it was not revived after World War II.^[1]

List of teams

• Bassett, Virginia

Bassett Furnituremakers 1935–1940

• Burlington, North Carolina

Burlington Bees 1942

• Danville, Virginia

Danville Leafs 1934–1938

• Danville, Virginia & Schoolfield, Virginia: Danville-Schoolfield Leafs 1939–1942
• Fieldale, Virginia

Fieldale Virginians 1934; Fieldale Towlers 1935–1936

• Leaksville, North Carolina, Draper, North Carolina, & Spray, North Carolina: Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets 1934–1942
• Martinsville, Virginia

Martinsville Manufacturers 1934–1941

• Mayodan, North Carolina

Mayodan Senators 1934, 1937; Mayodan Mills 1935; Mayodan Orphans 1936; Mayodan Millers 1938–1941

• Mount Airy, North Carolina

Mount Airy Graniteers 1934, 1938–1941; Mount Airy Reds 1935–1937

• Reidsville, North Carolina

Reidsville Luckies 1935–1940

• Rocky Mount, North Carolina

Rocky Mount Rocks 1942

• Sanford, North Carolina

Sanford Spinners 1941–1942

• South Boston, Virginia & Halifax, Virginia: South Boston Twins 1937; South Boston-Halifax Wrappers 1938; South Boston Wrappers 1939–1940
• Wilson, North Carolina

Wilson Tobs 1942

Standings & statistics

1934 to 1938

1934 Bi-State League

Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Danville Leafs	53	25	.679	0
Martinsville Manufacturers	46	29	.613	5.5
	36	41	.468	16.5	D. L. Hodge
	33	43	.434	19.0	Cecil Harris / G. Thomas
Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets	32	45	.416	20.5
Mayodan Senators	29	46	.387	22.5

Playoff: Danville 4 games, Martinsville 1.

Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot

Jimmy Sanders	Martinsville	BA	.423		Cletus Voss	Fieldale	W	17
Woodrow Williams	Leaksville	Runs	86		Cletus Voss	Fieldale	SO	126
Zip Payne	Mayodan	Hits	134		Spencer Bruce	Danville	Pct	.813; 13-3
Eddie Weston	Mayodan	HR	26

1935 Bi-State League

Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets	71	44	.617	-
Danville Leafs	68	46	.596	2.5
	68	47	.591	3.0
	67	47	.588	3.5	Mickey Shader
Mayodan Mills	51	62	.451	19.0	Phil Lundeen
Fieldale Towlers	50	64	.439	20.5
Martinsville Manufacturers	42	71	.372	28.0	Harold Bohl
Reidsville Luckies	39	75	.342	31.5	Glenn Bickerstaff / L.J. Perry

Playoff: Danville 4 games, Bassett 3.

Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot

Ralph Hodgin	Fieldale	BA	.387		Fred Pipgras	Danville	W	25
Woody Williams	Leaksville	Runs	111		Jeff Jeffcoat	Leaksville	SO	222
Ralph Hodgin	Fieldale	Hits	187		Fred Pipgras	Danville	Pct	.806; 25-6
Blackie Carter	Leaksville	HR	30

1936 Bi-State League

Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Bassett Furniture Makers	74	43	.632	-
Danville Leafs	74	45	.622	1
	65	51	.560	8.5
	59	58	.504	15.0
Reidsville Luckies	54	61	.470	19.0	Jimmy Maus
Mount Airy Reds	53	63	.457	20.5	Mickey Shader / Elbert Conway / Frank Packard
Fieldale Towlers	52	62	.456	20.5
Mayodan Orphans	35	83	.297	39.5

Playoff: Bassett 4 games, Leaksville 2.

Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot

Gene Handley	Mt. Airy	BA	.403			Bassett	W	25
Ken Keltner	Fieldale	Runs	120		Weaver Nowlin	Leaksville	SO	167
Ken Keltner	Fieldale	Hits	175		Lefty Jenkins	Bassett	Pct	.833; 25-5
Woody Traylor	Danville	HR	34		Woody Traylor	Danville	RBI	120

1937 Bi-State League
schedule

Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Bassett Furniture Makers	68	45	.602	-
Mayodan Senators	69	46	.600	0.0	Harry Daughtry
	68	47	.591	1.0
	63	50	.558	5.0	Arnold Anderson
Mount Airy Reds	52	61	.460	16.0	Walt Novak
Reidsville Luckies	51	65	.440	18.5
South Boston Twins	43	68	.387	24.0	Jimmy Shelton
Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets	41	73	.360	27.5	Clarence Blethen / Dave Lawless / Charles Wills

Playoff: Bassett 3 games, Danville 1; Martinsville 3 games, Mayodan 2, (one tie).
Finals: Bassett 4 games, Martinsville 3.

Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot

Doug Wheeler	Mayodan	BA	.359		Jesse Plummer	Mayodan	W	21
Doug Wheeler	Mayodan	Runs	111		Weaver Nowlin	Reidsville	SO	168
Cecil Payne	Mayodan	Hits	167		Jack Zerblis	Bassett	ERA	2.23
Doug Wheeler	Mayodan	RBI	71		Herb Leary	Reidsville	HR	29

1938 Bi-State League

Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Bassett Furniture Makers	76	40	.655	-	Walter Novak
Mayodan Millers	73	46	.613	4.5	Harry Daughtry
	71	48	.597	6.5
	63	55	.534	14.0
Martinsville Manufacturers	61	56	.521	15.5	Arnold Anderson
Mount Airy Graniteers	49	69	.415	28.0	Dick Goldberg
South Boston-Halifax Wrappers	43	77	.358	35.0	James Calleran
Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets	37	82	.311	40.5	Joe Feori

Playoff: Bassett 3 games, Reidsville 2; Danville 3 games, Mayodan 0.
Finals: Bassett 4 games, Danville 2.

Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot

Americo Rossomando	Bassett	BA	.390			Bassett	W	21
Ray Scantling	Reidsville	Runs	130		Raymon Voight	Reidsville	SO	200
Harry Lee Daughtry	Mayodan	Hits	174		Wes Livengood	Bassett	ERA	3.06
Ray Scantling	Reidsville	RBI	147		Ray Scantling	Reidsville	HR	33

1939 to 1942

1939 Bi-State League

Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Danville-Schoolfield Leafs	70	44	.614	-
Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets	67	48	.583	3.5	Arnold Anderson
	60	51	.541	8.5	Walter Novak
Martinsville Manufacturers	61	52	.540	8.5	Jim Poole / Al Krupski / Harry Daughtry
Mayodan Millers	58	57	.504	12.5
Reidsville Luckies	48	65	.425	21.5	Watty Clark / Broaddus Culler
South Boston Wrappers	46	65	.414	22.5
Mount Airy Graniteers	42	70	.375	27

Playoff: Leaksville 4 games, Martinsville 1; Danville 4 games, Bassett 3.
Finals: Danville 4 games, Leaksville 2.

Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot

Sam Gentile	Danville	BA	.392		Joseph Weir	Danville	W	19
Jim Gruzdis	Leaksville	Runs	145		George Kadis	Danville	SO	199
Sam Gentile	Danville	Hits	199		Frank Hoerst	Mayodan	ERA	2.82
James Payne	Leaksville	RBI	126		Amerigo Scagliarini	Mayodan	HR	27

1940 Bi-State League

Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Bassett Furnituremakers	73	44	.624	-	Einar Sorenson
Martinsville Manufacturers	68	49	.581	5.0	Harry Daughtry
	63	56	.529	11.0	Walter Novak
	59	58	.504	14.0
South Boston Wrappers	56	60	.483	16.5	Jack Crosswhite / H.A. Mobley
Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets	56	63	.471	18.0	Arnold Anderson
Mayodan Millers	53	66	.445	21.0	Pete Siciliano
Reidsville Luckies	43	75	.364	30.5	Jim Callahan / Jim Gruzdis

Playoff: Martinsville 4 games, Danville 2; Bassett 4 games, Mt Airy 1.
Finals: Martinsville 4 games, Bassett 3.

Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot

Dan Amaral	Mayodan	BA	.387		Roy Peeler	Bassett	W	17
Alex Johnson	Mayodan	Runs	119		Flory Wojcik	Bassett	W	17
Alex Johnson	Mayodan	Hits	178		Flory Wojcik	Bassett	ERA	2.95
Clyde Vollmer	Bassett	RBI	117		Paige Dennis	Reid/Mt.Air	SO	187
Orville Nesselrode	South Boston	HR	25

1941 Bi-State League

Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets	64	46	.582	-
Martinsville Manufacturers	63	49	.563	2.0	George Ferrell
	64	50	.561	2.0
	58	54	.518	7.0	Zeb Harrington
Mount Airy Graniteers	42	70	.375	23.0	Jimmy Maus
Mayodan Millers	25	47	.347	NA

Mayodan disbanded July 18.
Playoff: Sanford 4 games, Martinsville 3,(one tie); Danville-Schoolfield, 4 games, Leaksville 1.
Finals: Sanford 4 games, Danville-Schoolfield 2.

Player Statistics!Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot

Albert Behrends	Martinsville	BA	.378			Sanford	W	16
Richard Kalal	Danville	Runs	119		Charles Cuellar	Leaksville	W	16
Albert Behrends	Martinsville	Hits	171			Sanford	SO	190
Tom Burnette	Martinsville	RBI	114		Roy Boles	Mt. Airy	Pct	.714; 10-4
Tom Burnette	Martinsville	HR	29		George Ferrell	Martinsville	RBI	114

1942 Bi-State League

Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Wilson Tobs	69	53	.566	-
Sanford Spinners	62	59	.512	6.5	Frank Rodgers
	63	60	.512	6.5	George Ferrell
	62	62	.500	8.0	Rube Wilson
Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets	57	66	.463	12.5	Zip Payne
Danville-Schoolfield Leafs	54	67	.446	14.5

Playoff: Rocky Mount 4 games, Wilson 3; Sanford 4 games, Burlington 1.
Finals: Rocky Mount 4 games, Sanford 1.

Player statistics !Player!! Team!!Stat!! Tot!!!!Player!!Team!!Stat!!Tot

Richard Hoyle	Wilson	BA	.338		Charles Cuellar	Leaksville	W	22
Richard Hoyle	Wilson	Runs	108		Charles Cuellar	Leaksville	SO	204
George Biershenk	Rocky Mount	Hits	151		Charles Cuellar	Leaksville	ERA	1.67
George Ferrell	Rocky Mount	RBI	105		Harry Soufas	Rocky Mount	HR	29

^[1]

League champions

1934: Danville Leafs
1935: Danville Leafs
1936: Bassett Furniture Makers
1937: Bassett Furniture Makers
1938: Bassett Furniture Makers
1939: Danville-Schoolfield Leafs
1940: Martinsville Manufacturers
1941: Sanford Spinners
1942: Rocky Mount Rocks^[1]

Sources

• Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, Lloyd Johnson, Miles Wolff. Publisher: Baseball America, 1993. Language: English. Format: Softcover, 420pp.

References

• This article is based on the "Bi-States League" article at Baseball-Reference.com Bullpen. The Bullpen is a wiki, and its content is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

Notes and References

1. Book: The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball . Lloyd Johnson . Miles Wolff . Third . . 2007 . 978-1932391176.