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The 1939 Season
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Season Highlights & Events
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Wecome to the AFL
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Goodbye
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1938 AFL players who played in the majors:
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The fourth AFL season started with lots of changes: Virgil Trucks was gone,
having been sent to Beaumont in the Texas League to test his skills at a higher level. Also gone was former league president George Grant. Grant was fed up with the criticism he received in his handling of the Dothan playoff dispute from the previous season and he resigned. Yam Yaryan, the rotund catcher, manager, and fan favorite of the Andalusia Bulldogs accepted a managing job with the Gadsden Pilots of the Class B Southeastern League. The AFL named Charles T. Laney as their new president. Laney had worked under George Grant prior to his appointment, and he was a logical choice to take over the presidency. His first task as League Prexy was to stabilze two weak franchises: The Union Springs Springers had folded after the 1938 season and in it’s place, a franchise was awarded to tiny Tallassee, Alabama. The Evergreen Greenies franchise, which was poorly run from the beginning also folded. New ownership was found just a short drive up Highway 31 in Greenville, Alabama. Tallassee was an interesting choice for an AFL franchise, being only 20 miles Montgomery and their popular Class B Montgomery Rebels of the Southeastern League. The Indians, as the Tallassee team was called, took advantage of their proximity to the state capital and negotiated a farm team deal with the Rebels. Both teams thought that there would be a mutual benefit in that fans could follow the progress of Indians that moved up or Rebels that moved down a notch. The Indians started slowly, struggling to stay out of the cellar, but scratched their way up the league table after free spirit manager Ross « Rosy » Gilhousen was relieved of his managerial duties and allowed to concentrate on playing outfield. Tommy Kane became the new manager. Under Kane, Tallassee started to gel. As July began, the Indians had managed to get within sight of league leading Dothan. On July 15th, the Browns and Indians squared off at Tallassee in a game which would determine not only the league leadership, but the host the upcoming All Star game. A crowd estimated between 4000 and 5000 came to see the game and honor manager Kane, who was given credit for the amazing resurgence. The Indians lost, 13-3, but continued to play well throughout the rest of the season, finishing a close second to Dothan. The Indians carried their hot streak right into the playoffs, where they bested Troy. Andalusia beat Dothan in the other first round playoff, setting up an Andalusia-Tallassee finale. The series went all seven games with Tallassee taking the final game for the playoff championship. The Indians’ 1939 season performance would be the beginning of a short but successful run.. |
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When folks from other areas of the country see the name Tallassee, they often
transpose it into Tallahassee, as in the Florida capital. If you’ve done this yourself, you’re in good company: The Sporting News annual baseball guides credit Tallahassee as the 1939 AFL champions. |
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The Greenville franchise was owned and managed by former major leaguer, Paul Kardow.
Karlow had pitched for Cleveland in 1936, and he evidently felt he could own, manage, and pitch for th Class D team. He was wrong on all counts. As the weak Lions took beating after beating and attendance dwinded, Kardow realized that he was in over his head. He managed to sell his portion of the ownership, quit his manager position, and went back to just being just a pitcher. He finished the season at Greenville, but not Greenville, Alabama, he finished the year pitching for the Class B Greenville (South Carolina) Spinners of the South Atlantic League.. |
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Luman Harris of Atlanta in the Southern League won a game with only one pitch. The pitch resulted in a bases-loaded fly out with two outs in the 9th. Atlanta won the game in the bottom of the 9th. |
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George Jansco of Jackson (Miss) in the Southeastern League, hits 65 doubles.
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Elsewhere In 1939
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There were 3 triple plays during the season, two by Panama City and an unassisted
triple play by Bubba McDermott of Tallassee. |
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Former Union Springs star, Tommy West, played for the Daytona Beach Islanders in
1939, and lead the Florida State League with a .382 average. He shared the league lead the in hits (186) with former Dothan star Al Smathers. Smathers, who played for the Deland Red Hats, also league the league in RBIs with 134. |
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Downtown Dothan
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Tallassee Falls, Tallassee Alabama
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The Panama City Pelicans forfeited a game in July (the forfeit was later overruled and ordered replayed by Laney) because their bus broke down on the way to Andalusia in an area of rural Alabama where there were no phones. The team was unable to let the Rams or the league know they were stranded. The Pelicans would disband after the season, ending the Florida part of the Alabama – Florida League until their return in 1951. The league would adopt the new name, the Alabama State League, in 1940. |
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Hotel Greenala, Greenville
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Name Changed
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Red Borom
Bob Ferguson |
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Royce Lint
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Max Rosenfield
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Ernie « Doc » Wingard
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Paul Karlow
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John Streza, who played in the AFL in 1938 and returned in 1953, spent 1939 with
the Williamson Red Birds of the Mountain State League, and lead all batters in runs and hits. |
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Tallassee Takes Over
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