Sandbox

Overview

The Class A-1 Southern Association of 1939 started and ended with eight teams. This was the ninth season that the Knoxville team was in the Southern Association. Neil Caldwell was the manager in both 1937 and 1938. The 1947 season opened on April 15 and closed on September 5, 1947. Charlotte was declared the league champion.

Playoffs - Charlotte defeated Spartanburg, four games to one; Anderson defeated Knoxville, four games to two; Charlotte defeated Anderson, four games to three.

News and Notes

• Infielder Jim McLeod has been purchased by the Knoxville Smokies from Oklahoma City of the Texas League. Secretary Allen said that McLeod would be used either at third base or shortstop. - The Sporting News - January 19, 1939, page 6

• Knoxville transferred Pitcher Nick Radunich, a right-hander, to Hutchinson in the Western Association, placed Catcher Walter Stephenson on the active roll and suspended Milton McDougal, another receiver, April 25, until he recovers from a recent operation. - The Sporting News - May 4, 1939, page 11

• Knoxville sells Pitcher Jimmy McClure to Jackson (Southeastern). - The Sporting News - May 25, 1939, page 2

• Baltimore buys Outfileder Leon Riley from Knoxville. - The Sporting News – June 8, 1939, page 6

• Knoxville would still be near the top if it had more pitchers like Lamanske and Addis Swigart. The Smokies certainly have the power. - The Sporting News – June 29, 1939, page 3

League Final Standings

Team	W	L	T	PCT
Spartanburg	88	51	1	.633
Anderson	84	55	1	.604
Knoxville	73	67	0	.521
Charlotte	72	68	0	.514
Rock Hill	68	71	0	.489
Asheville	65	74	0	.468
Fayetteville	61	78	0	.439
Reidsville	45	92	0	.328

Team Names and Managers

Team Names	Manager 1	Manager 2
Spartanburg Peaches	Kerby Ferrell
Anderson Rebels	Bob Richards
Knoxville Smokies	Dale Alexander
Charlotte Hornets	Spencer Abbott	Cal Ermer
Rock Hill Chiefs	Dan Carnavale
Asheville Tourists	William Sayles
Fayetteville Cubs	Clyde McDowell
Reidsville Luckies	Lee Gamble

Statistics

League Batting

	G	AB	R	OR	H	TB	2B	3B	HR	SH	SB	CS	Pct
Nashville	156	5307	887	815	1628	2256	328	42	72	140	54	42	.307
Memphis	151	5043	719	684	1524	2068	278	67	44	147	81	47	.303
Knoxville	156	5235	859	847	1564	2298	301	62	103	154	56	26	.299
Atlanta	151	4983	770	701	1480	2078	283	66	61	187	121	66	.297
Birmingham	156	5178	656	821	1483	2045	250	87	46	146	49	36	.286
Chattanooga	153	4957	760	641	1407	1996	234	71	71	157	166	60	.284
Little Rock	154	4982	666	719	1380	1801	228	62	23	184	117	36	.277
New Orleans	155	5092	641	750	1384	1855	233	65	38	170	61	54	.272

Knoxville Individual Batting

Last Name	First Name	Team 1	Team 2	Bats	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	SLG	TB	HB	SH	Notes
Kollar	Harold	Knoxville		L	140	548	106	181	35	12	11	108	13	83	37	.330	.498	273	7	6
Moody	Joseph	Knoxville		R	133	496	97	159	43	11	5	87	9	68	50	.321	.482	239	2	10
Moore	Lloyd	Knoxville		R	71	266	55	85	23	1	2	38	11	43	10	.320	.436	116	0	6
Peeler	Roy	Knoxville		L	85	198	28	63	16	6	6	37	1	24	35	.318	.551	109	0	3	32 G at Char, 106 at Knox
Mincy	Russell	Charlotte	Knoxville	L	138	522	85	164	35	11	2	90	3	74	20	.314	.435	227	5	11
Poole	James Jr.	Knoxville		R	15	55	7	17	3	0	0	2	0	2	12	.309	.364	20	0	4
Davis	Lewis	Knoxville		R	138	558	104	170	21	20	6	79	49	65	52	.305	.446	249	1	7
Gribble	George	Knoxville		L	96	370	72	109	9	1	0	33	13	48	23	.295	.324	120	4	12
Rocek	James	Knoxville		R	115	396	48	108	15	2	3	37	5	17	28	.273	.343	136	0	4
Cross	Leonard	Knoxville		R	114	438	69	119	26	11	21	78	7	29	84	.272	.525	230	4	3
Marsh	Frederick	Knoxville		R	41	169	16	44	8	2	1	24	9	5	11	.260	.349	59	2	4
Jackson	Rufus	Knoxville		L	55	135	11	35	5	1	0	22	0	11	15	.259	.311	42	1	0
Frye	Dean	Knoxville		R	27	95	18	24	7	2	0	10	3	4	5	.253	.368	35	5	4
Oliver	Jefferson	Knoxville		R	58	176	20	44	7	0	0	17	2	16	22	.250	.290	51	3	2
Justice	William	Knoxville		R	13	44	3	10	2	0	0	2	0	1	6	.227	.273	12	0	0
James	Lacy	Knoxville		L	13	108	12	24	0	2	1	17	0	5	21	.222	.287	31	0	1
O’Shields	Garland	Knoxville		R	12	23	3	5	1	0	1	7	0	1	8	.217	.391	9	0	2
Pate	Ralph	Knoxville		R	41	78	5	16	2	0	0	11	0	3	10	.205	.231	18	0	5
Hawkins	Fred	Knoxville		L	13	44	2	9	2	0	0	4	0	9	6	.205	.250	11	1	1
Ennis	Robert	Knoxville		L	35	74	9	12	3	1	0	4	0	4	18	.162	.230	17	2	3
Rossi	Alfred	Knoxville		R	45	64	9	9	0	1	0	2	0	8	18	.141	.172	11	0	1
Bankston	Thomas	Knoxville		R	20	16	2	2	0	0	0	1	0	7	4	.125	.125	2	0	1
Calfee	Howard F.	Knoxville		R	23	49	2	6	0	0	0	2	0	5	28	.122	.122	6	0	3

League Fielding

Team	G	Ch	DP	TP	PB	PO	A	E	Fld %
Charlotte	140	5264	132	0	11	3629	1430	205	.961
Asheville	139	5350	117	0	15	3615	1521	214	.960
Knoxville	140	5451	103	1	15	3652	1577	222	.959
Anderson	140	5264	114	3	16	3604	1421	239	.955
Rock Hill	139	5431	102	0	23	3604	1577	250	.954
Fayetteville	139	5312	98	1	18	3573	1490	249	.953
Spartanburg	140	5403	134	0	15	3659	1481	263	.951
Reidsville	137	5343	117	2	30	3459	1614	270	.949

Knoxville Individual Fielding

Last Name	First Name	Throwing Hand	Team 1	Team 2	Position	G	Ch	PO	A	E	DP	PB	TP	PCT	RF/G
Jackson	Rufus	R	Knoxville		C	43	208	192	15	1	0	3	0	.995	4.814
Rocek	James	R	Knoxville		C	112	754	671	73	10	7	12	1	.987	6.643
Kollar	Harold	L	Knoxville		1B	140	1304	1214	68	22	93		1	.983	9.157
Rossi	Alfred	R	Knoxville		P	39	55	12	42	1	1		0	.982	1.385
Peeler	Roy	L	Knoxville		P	35	51	4	46	1	2		0	.980	1.429
Ennis	Robert	R	Knoxville		P	35	43	8	34	1	0		0	.977	1.200
Moore	Lloyd	R	Knoxville		2B	71	390	180	200	10	36		0	.974	5.352
Davis	Lewis	R	Knoxville		OF	108	291	269	13	9	4		0	.969	2.611
Oliver	Jefferson	R	Knoxville		2B	19	84	33	48	3	7		0	.964	4.263
Davis	Lewis	R	Knoxville		2B	26	134	61	67	6	9		0	.955	4.923
Moody	Joseph	R	Knoxville		OF	132	221	196	13	12	1		0	.946	1.583
Poole	James Jr.	R	Knoxville		2B	15	89	43	41	5	11		0	.944	5.600
Oliver	Jefferson	R	Knoxville		3B	31	88	34	49	5	4		0	.943	2.677
Gribble	George	R	Knoxville		SS	96	482	148	306	28	38		0	.942	4.729
Frye	Dean	R	Knoxville		SS	22	112	37	68	7	16		0	.938	4.773
Mincy	Russell	L	Charlotte	Knoxville	OF	138	258	226	16	16	1		0	.938	1.754
James	Lacy	L	Knoxville		P	31	32	6	24	2	0		0	.938	0.968
Pate	Ralph	R	Knoxville		P	31	30	8	20	2	2		0	.933	0.903
Hawkins	Fred	R	Knoxville		SS	13	68	29	33	6	4		1	.912	4.769
Marsh	Frederick	R	Knoxville		OF	38	96	86	1	9	0		0	.906	2.289
Cross	Leonard	R	Knoxville		3B	114	371	124	211	36	18		0	.903	2.939
Bankston	Thomas	R	Knoxville		P	18	19	1	16	2	1		0	.895	0.944
Peeler	Roy	L	Knoxville		OF	38	64	57	0	7	0		0	.891	1.500
Calfee	Howard F.	R	Knoxville		P	23	25	1	18	6	0		0	.760	0.826

Knoxville Individual Pitching

Last Name	First Name	Throwing Hand	Team	W	L	Pct.	ERA	G	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	WHIP	H9	BB9	SO9	SO/W	AB	SH
Peeler	Roy	L	Knoxville	10	6	.625	3.99	35	10	0	185	188	97	82	82	167	4	1	6	1.459	9.1	4.0	8.1	2.0	716	18
Calfee	Howard F.	R	Knoxville	9	11	.450	4.19	23	8	0	144	158	88	67	64	89	9	1	3	1.542	9.9	4.0	5.6	1.4	582	8
Ennis	Robert	R	Knoxville	16	9	.640	4.20	35	14	0	197	205	105	92	79	138	7	0	4	1.442	9.4	3.6	6.3	1.7	775	9
Bankston	Thomas	R	Knoxville	2	2	.500	4.24	18	1	0	51	55	26	24	21	24	2	0	1	1.490	9.7	3.7	4.2	1.1	195	4
Rossi	Alfred	R	Knoxville	10	13	.435	4.25	39	6	0	182	179	108	86	69	83	6	0	6	1.363	8.9	3.4	4.1	1.2	716	10
James	Lacy	L	Knoxville	13	11	.542	4.39	31	17	1	203	225	110	99	83	136	19	0	3	1.517	10.0	3.7	6.0	1.6	809	8
Pate	Ralph	R	Knoxville	8	12	.400	5.60	31	10	0	167	207	119	104	76	78	16	0	5	1.695	11.2	4.1	4.2	1.0	699	7

References / Resources

• The Sporting News at Paper of Record
• various newspapers at GenealogyBank.com
• various newspapers at newspapers.com
• Allen, Ronald R. Same Old Smokies: A brief history of baseball in Knoxville, Tennessee, 1865-1954, self published, 2008
• Johnson, Lloyd, and Miles Wolff. Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, Baseball America, 2007, pp. 410
• 1939 Knoxville Smokies page at bbref.com

Credit

This page was assembled and presented by Mark D. Aubrey.

Please see Copyright info.