Scranton Miners (baseball) explained

Scranton Miners
Allyears:1886-1888, 1892-1900, 1907-1917, 1923-1937, 1939-1953
City:Scranton, Pennsylvania
Past Class Level:
  • Class A (1895–1899, 1933–1953)
  • Class B (1892, 1904–1932)
Past League:
Pastmajorleague:
Pastnames:
  • Scranton Red Sox (1939–1951)
  • Scranton Coal Heavers (1895)
  • Scranton Indians (1886–1887, 1892–1894)
Pastparks:
  • Sundays Only [3]
Leaguenum:9

The Scranton Miners was the name of several minor league baseball clubs that existed in Scranton, Pennsylvania, between 1886 and 1953.

The first Scranton Miners played in 1886 as the Scranton Indians a member of the Pennsylvania State League. The team played as the Miners in 1887, before jumping to the International League and playing as the Indians for the remainder of the season. In 1892, the name was revived again by a team in the Pennsylvania State League and until 1894. In 1895, the team played as the Scranton Coal Heavers. The third Scranton Miners team played in the Eastern League in 1896 and 1897. The Miners name was used again from 1899–1900 in the Atlantic League. The final incarnation of the Scranton team used the Miners' moniker from 1904–1953. The only exceptions were the years 1939–1943 and 1946–1951, when the team was known as the Scranton Red Sox. The 1946 Red Sox were recognized as one of the 100 greatest minor league teams of all time.[4]

Season-by-season

YearLeagueRecordFinishManagerPlayoffs
1886 Penn. State League34-44 4th Dan O'Leary / Harry Fisher
1887 Penn. State League 11-10 NA Played the remainder of season as the Scranton Indians in the Eastern League
1887 19-55 NA Played first half of the season in the Penn. State League as the Miners
1888 55-51 4th No playoffs
1892 Penn. State League 2-22 NA Larry Ketrick
1893 Penn. State League 45-57 7th Martin Swift
1894 Penn. State League 45-28 5th (tied) Team jumped to Eastern League and was replaced by Shenandoah Huns on August 2
1894 Eastern League 8-31 7th Tom Cahill / Martin Swift Team moved from Pennsylvania State League to replace the Troy Washerwomen on July 26
1895 Eastern League 44-72 6th
1896 Eastern League 44-67 8th
1897 Eastern League 53-60 6th Sandy Griffin
1899 25-38 -- Marty Swift Team disbanded on July 9
1900 Atlantic League26-7 1st Walt Burnham League disbanded on June 12
1904 27-36 7th Team relocated from Schenectady on July 17
1905 NY. State League 56-67 6th Jim Garry / Edward Ashenbach No playoffs
1906 NY. State League 82-48 1st Edward Ashenbach League Champs
No playoffs
1907 NY. State League 81-54 2nd Henry Ramsey No playoffs
1908 NY. State League 84-51 1st League Champs
No playoffs
1909 NY. State League 55-81 8th August Zeimer No playoffs
1910 NY. State League 72-66 4th No playoffs
1911 NY. State League 63-74 7th Monte Cross No playoffs
1912 NY. State League 62-69 5th John Freeman No playoffs
1913 NY. State League 49-91 8th No playoffs
1914 NY. State League 42-94 8th No playoffs
1915 NY. State League 68-55 4th Bill Coughlin No playoffs
1916 NY. State League 67-52 2nd Bill Coughlin No playoffs
1917 NY. State League 38-84 6th Bill Coughlin / Jack Connors No playoffs
1923 68-54 3rd No playoffs
1924 NY.-Penn. League 72-61 3rd Jack Egan No playoffs
1925 NY.-Penn. League 64-69 5th Jack Egan
1926 NY.-Penn. League 84-50 1st Jack Egan League Champs
No playoffs
1927 NY.-Penn. League 61-72 5th No playoffs
1928 NY.-Penn. League 58-77 7th Gus Getz No playoffs
1929 NY.-Penn. League 64-75 6th No playoffs
1930 NY.-Penn. League 62-76 8th Buck Elliott No playoffs
1931 NY.-Penn. League 69-70 6th No playoffs
1932 NY.-Penn. League 72-68 4th Bill Clymer (30-41) / Bob Shawkey (41-27) No playoffs
1933 NY.-Penn. League 64-70 5th Bob Shawkey No playoffs
1934 NY.-Penn. League 71-67 4th
1935 NY.-Penn. League 81-54 1st Lost League Finals
1936 NY.-Penn. League 78-60 2nd League Champs
1937 NY.-Penn. League 63-75 6th
1939 80-60 1st League Champs
1940 Eastern League 79-60 1st Nemo Leibold Lost in 1st round
1941 Eastern League 71-68 4th Nemo Leibold Lost in 1st round
1942 Eastern League 83-57 2nd Nemo Leibold League Champs
1943 Eastern League 87-51 1st Nemo Leibold Lost League Finals
1944 Eastern League 56-83 7th
1945 Eastern League 67-69 5th Elmer Yoter
1946 Eastern League 96-43 1st Elmer Yoter League Champs
1947 Eastern League 78-62 4th Lost in 1st round
1948 Eastern League 89-51 1st League Champs
1949 Eastern League 79-61 2nd Mike Ryba (14-16) / Jack Burns (65-45) Lost in 1st round
1950 Eastern League 54-85 8th Jack Burns
1951 Eastern League 77-60 2nd Jack Burns League Champs
1952 Eastern League 66-73 6th
1953 Eastern League 51-100 8th Smut Aderholt

Baseball parks

From 1894 until 1939, the Scranton Miners played at various iterations of "Brooks Athletic Field" which also was known as "Brooks Field", "Athletic Field", and in 1935 as "Sweeney's Field" after James T. Sweeney bought the property. The ballpark was located on Providence Road in Scranton and also was utilized by the St. Thomas College of Scranton Football team.

In 1932 the team began playing their Sunday games at Crystal Gardens Stadium in Dickson City due to Blue Laws banning games from being played on the Sabbath. According to the May 17th 1932 article in the Hazleton Plain Speaker, Centerfield at the new Crystal Gardens Stadium was so large (788 feet) that anyone who could hit a home run out of the new ballpark would "inherit the new stadium". The Left Field fence was 315 feet. Right Field was 416 feet. [5]

In 1940 a baseball stadium called "Scranton Stadium" aka "Scranton Dunmore Stadium" was built for the "Scranton Red Sox" who were often interchangeable with the "Scranton Miners" with the name going back and forth between the two from 1939 until 1954. The stadium existed for 14 years before it was demolished. It was located at 1350 Monroe Avenue in Dunmore Pennsylvania. [5]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Eastern League Baseball Teams and Baseball Stadiums (Photos of Double A Eastern League Baseball Parks). digitalballparks.com.
  2. Web site: Eastern League (1938-present), New York-Pennsylvania League (1923-1937).
  3. Times-Tribune Scranton, May 7 1932
  4. Web site: Top 100 Teams . MiLB.com . 2001 . May 9, 2017.
  5. Web site: Scranton Dunmore Stadium - Scranton Pennsylvania - Scranton Miners - Scranton Red Sox - Eastern League. digitalballparks.com.