Petersburg, Virginia minor league baseball history

1885 to 1886, 1894 to 1896: Virginia League I Minor league baseball began in Petersburg in 1885, when Petersburg joined the Virginia League. Petersburg played in the Virginia League in 1885 and 1886. The Petersburg "Farmers" rejoined the six–team 1894 Virginia League, winning the 1894 Championship. On June 15, 1894, Brownie Foreman threw a no–hitter as Petersburg defeated the Staunton Mountaineers 9–1. The Petersburg Farmers finished 72–44 in the regular season to capture the title, as there were no league playoffs. The Virginia League folded after the 1896 season. 1900: Virginia League II The Virginia League reformed in 1900, before folding after the season. The Petersburg Farmers had compiled a record of 8–26 when the team disbanded on June 11, 1900. 1910 to 1921, 1923 & 1924, 1926to 1928: Virginia League II The Petersburg Goobers began to play in the Virginia League in 1910, when the Portsmouth Truckers moved to Petersburg on July 5, 1910. The team placed sixth with a 43–68 record. The Petersburg Goobers won the 1911 Virginia League Championship. Petersburg, also going by the "Hustlers" moniker in 1911, finished first, with a record of 68–51 to capture the Virginia League championship. Petersburg's Harry Hedgpeth pitched a no–hitter against the Roanoke Tigers on August 1, 1913. Petersburg won the game 4–0. The 1916 Petersburg Goobers finished 54–68, placing fourth in the Virginia League. Petersburg returned to the Virginia League in 1923 as the Petersburg Trunkmakers, an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Trunkmakers finished last, placing sixth in the six–team league with a 43–81 record. The 1949 Petersburg Generals won the Virginia League Championship. Petersburg finished 72–54, placing second in the Virginal League regular season standings. In the Playoffs, the Petersburg Generals defeated the Emporia Nationals 4 games to 3. In the Finals, the Petersburg Generals defeated the Franklin Kildees 4 games to 2 to win the championship. The 1949 season attendance was 76,000. ==The ballparks==

Until 1900, Petersburg teams were referenced to have played minor league home games at the Petersburg Ballfield. The ballpark was located at the corner of West Washington (US 460 & US 1) & West Street, Petersburg, Virginia. Petersburg minor league teams from 1910 to 1913 were noted to have played home games at Parkinson Park. The ballpark was located on Canal Street, Petersburg, Virginia, near the Appomattox River. From 1914 to 1950, Petersburg minor league teams were noted to have played at McKenzie Street Park. McKenzie Street Park was located on McKenzie Street between North West Street & North Dunlop Street, Petersburg, Virginia. In 1951 and 1954, Colonial Heights-Petersburg minor league home games were referenced to have been played at Shepherd Park. Today, the Shepherd Stadium Baseball Complex is still in use. The address is 901 Meridian Avenue, Colonial Heights, Virginia 23834. ==Notable alumni==

• Sam Rice (1914–1915) Inducted Baseball Hall of Fame, 1963 • Ken Ash (1926–1927) • Everett Booe (1910–1912) • Dick Burrus (1917) • Tommy Clarke (1920, MGR) • Guy Cooper (1913) • Art Corcoran (1921) NFL & MLB player • Harry Damrau (1913–1914) • Harley Dillinger (1917) • Davey Dunkle (1895) • Gus Dundon (1896) • John Farrell (1894) • Brownie Foreman (1894–1895) • Bill Gardner (1886) • Jimmy Grant (1948) • June Greene (1923) • Bill Hallman (1896) • Harry Hedgpeth (1912–1914) • Snake Henry (1916) • Izzy Hoffman (1900) • Jack Horner (1894) • Bill Jackson (1910) • Vic Keen (1918) • Mickey Keliher (1910–1911, 1915) • Enos Kirkpatrick (1910) • Frank Kitson (1896) • Ed Konetchy (1924, MGR) • Tommy Leach (1896) • Doc McJames (1894–1895) • Bill Martin (1921, MGR) • Amby McConnell (1919–1921) (1919, 1921, MGR) • Herm McFarland (1910) • Doc McJames (1895) • Rufus Meadows (1924) • George Mohart (1916) • Greg Mulleavy (1927) • Bert Myers (1894) • Vance Page (1928) • Dixie Parker (1918–1919) • Ed Porray (1915) • Doc Powers (1896) • Ambrose Puttmann (1910) • Crazy Schmit (1896) • Al Schweitzer (1923) • Otis Stocksdale (1896) • Mike Trost 1894) • Bob Unglaub (1895) • Bob Vail (1910) • Johnny Vander Meer (1954, MGR) Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame • Polly Wolfe (1921) • Bill Wynne (1894) • Harley Young (1920) • Elmer Yoter (1923) ==See also==