The Fieldale Towlers was the primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams based in Fieldale, Virginia from 1934 to 1936. Fieldale teams played as members of the Class D level Bi-State League from 1934 to 1936. The Fieldale Towlers were an affiliate of the Detroit Tigers (1936).
| Fieldale Towlers | |
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| Minor league affiliations | |
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| League |
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| Major league affiliations | |
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| Ballpark | Riverside Park (1934–1936) |
Pro Football Hall of Fame member Joe Guyon was player/manager of the 1936 Fieldale Towlers.
History
editThe Fieldale Virginians began minor league play as charter members of the 1934 Class D level Bi-State League. The Virginians finished their first season with a record of 36–41, placing 3rd in the six–team Bi-State League regular season under Manager Luther Hodge. The 1934 standings were: Danville-Schoolfield Leafs 53–25, Martinsville Manufacturers 46–29, Fieldale Virginians 36–41, Mount Airy Graniteers 33–43, Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets 32–45 and Mayodan Senators 29–46. Fieldale played their home games at Riverside Park.[1][2][3][4][5]
The franchise was renamed as the Fieldale Towlers for the 1935 season. The moniker reflected the local industry of towel–producing textile mills. Continuing play in the Bi-State League, the Towlers ended the 1935 season with a record of 50–64, placing sixth in the eight–team Bi-State League regular season. Dixie Parker served as the Fieldale manager in 1935.[6][7][8][9][10][11]
In their final season, the Fieldale Towlers became an affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Fieldale finished the 1936 regular season with a record of 52–62, placing 7th in the Bi-State League standings. Joe Guyon, Red Smith and Jimmie Rimmer all served time as manager in 1936. Joe Guyon had a storied football career and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971. The Fieldale franchise folded from the Bi-State League following the 1936 season and were replaced by the South Boston Twins for the 1937 Bi-State League season. Fieldale, Virginak has not hosted another minor league franchise.[6][7][3][12][13]
The ballpark
editFrom 1934 to 1936 Fieldale teams played home games at Riverside Park. Riverside Park had a ballpark capacity of 1,500, with field dimensions (Left, Center, Right) of: 325–380–325 (1936). Today, the site is known as Fieldale Park and has a baseball field that is still in use. The address is 188 Field Avenue, Fieldale, Virginia, 24089.[14] [15]
Timeline
edit| Year(s) | # Yrs. | Team | Level | League | Affiliate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | 1 | Fieldale Virginians | Class D | Bi-State League | None |
| 1935 | 1 | Fieldale Towlers | |||
| 1936 | 1 | Detroit Tigers |
Year-by-year records
edit| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | 36–41 | 3rd | Luther Hodge | No playoffs held |
| 1935 | 50–64 | 6th | Dixie Parker | No playoffs held |
| 1936 | 52–62 | 7th | Joe Guyon / Red Smith / Jimmie Rimmer | No playoffs held |
Notable alumni
edit- Joe Guyon (1936, MGR) Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Jack Hallett (1936)
- Ralph Hodgin (1936)
- Joe Just (1936)
- Ken Keltner (1936) 7x MLB All-Star; Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame
- Boots Poffenberger (1935)
- Dixie Parker (1935, MGR)
- Red Smith (1936, MGR)
- Roy Vaughn (1935)
References
edit- ^ "1934 Fieldale Virginians Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "1934 Bi-State League (BSL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ a b "1936 Bi-State League (BSL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ Writer, BEN R. WILLIAMS | Bulletin Staff. "Bi-State League topic of program". Martinsville Bulletin.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "1934 Fieldale Virginians Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ a b "1935 Fieldale Towlers Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ a b "1935 Bi-State League (BSL) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "1934 Bi-State League (BSL) Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "Ken Keltner – Society for American Baseball Research".
- ^ "Textile Highlights". Martinsville-Henry County Virginia.
- ^ "1935 Fieldale Towlers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "An overlooked NFL giant: Joe Guyon". Sports Collectors Digest.
- ^ "Joe Guyon | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site". www.profootballhof.com.
- ^ "Riverside Park in Fieldale, VA history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
- ^ "Fieldale Park - Virginia Is For Lovers".