Leesburg Athletics

Leesburg Athletics
1937–1968
(1937–1941, 1946–1953, 1956–1957, 1960–1961, 1965–1968)
Leesburg, Florida
Class-level
Previous
  • Class A (1963–1968)
  • Class D (1937–1962)
Minor league affiliations
League Florida State League (1937–1968)
Major league affiliations
Previous
Minor league titles
League titles (2)
  • 1941
  • 1966
Team data
Previous names
  • Leesburg Athletics (1965–1968)
  • Leesburg Orioles (1960–1961)
  • Leesburg Braves (1956–1957)
  • Leesburg Lakers (1953)
  • Leesburg Packers (1950–1952)
  • Leesburg Dodgers (1949)
  • Leesburg Pirates (1947–1948)
  • Leesburg Anglers (1938–1941, 1946)
  • Leesburg Gondoliers (1937–1938)
Previous parks
 Pat Thomas Stadium

The Leesburg Athletics was the final name of a professional minor league baseball team, based in Leesburg, Florida. The club was first formed in 1937 as the Leesburg Gondoliers, a Florida State League team that did not share an affiliation with a big-league club. From 1939–1941 the team became known as the Leesburg Anglers, who again were a non-affiliated minor league team. After not hosting a team from 1942–1945 the Anglers would return in 1946.

From 1947–1948 the team became the Leesburg Pirates, and were a Class-D affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1949 the Brooklyn Dodgers operated the team as the Leesburg Dodgers. They used four different managers as the Dodgers and went 37-97. 44-year-old Luke Hamlin, who managed for them, also pitched in eight games for them. From 1950–1952 they would again become an un-affiliated team known as the Leesburg Packers. In 1953 the team would change its name to the Leesburg Lakers but would remain independent of any affiliation. The team would go on hiatus for two seasons and would then emerge in 1956 as an affiliate of the Milwaukee Braves, known as the Leesburg Braves. They would remain that way until the end of the 1957 season. After that, they would become the Leesburg Orioles from 1960–1961 and were affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles. Again breaking for a few years the team would re-emerge for a final time, this time as the Leesburg A's from 1965–1968, they would be an affiliate of the Kansas City/Oakland A's during this stint.[1]

The Leesburg teams won Florida State League championships in 1941 and 1966.[2]

Year-by-year record

(from Baseball Reference Bullpen)

Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs
1937 71-67 4th Spec Meadows Lost in 1st round
1938 87-52 1st Nelson Leach Lost League Finals
1939 72-65 3rd Nellie Leach Lost in 1st round
1940 62-77 6th Emil Yde
1941 63-66 4th Wilbur Good Jr. League Champs
1946 63-71 5th Bill Good
1947 54-81 7th Bill Good
1948 60-77 6th Ed Leip
1949 37-97 8th Lou Haneles, Julian Acosta & Luke Hamlin
1950 54-84 7th Frank Piet, Floyd Clift & Bill Steinecke
1951 71-69 4th Floyd Clift, Mickey Burnett Lost in 1st round
1952 52-84 7th Walt Chipple, Don Anderson, John Pawlick & Bob Latshaw
1953 56-77 6th Red Dulaney / Frank Barrett
1956 58-82 7th Tommy Giordano
1957 64-75 5th Tommy Giordano
1960 53-80 8th Bob Hooper
1961 56-80 7th Billy DeMars, Cal Ripken Sr. & Ray Scarborough
1965 53-80 9th Tony Frulio
1966 87-44 2nd James Williams League Champs
1967 64-71 5th James Williams
1968 51-92 10th Al Ronning

References

  1. ↑ BR Minors
  2. ↑ "Championship Trophy". Florida State League official website. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
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